InformationWeek

Dear Herb:

My daughter (19, college sophomore, knows everything) is online at school 24-by-7-by-365, sort of. In light of the recent attacks on high-volume sites, masking their tracks by using other people's computers (especially university and high speed), I asked her to find out what kind of firewall protection is available or recommended. I was greeted with a major "Huh?"

I'm a mainframe weenie with 27 years of experience. If my daughter says huh?, what about the thousands of others out there with high-speed access?

Cap'n Kirk

Dear Cap'n Kirk:

There's a major security difference between dial-up Internet service providers and high-speed ISPs that offer cable access. With dial-up, you get a different IP address each time you connect to the service. Therefore, anyone trying to hack you won't find you easily the next time you connect. Of course, you're subject to whatever damage he or she can do at that initial session. On the other hand, when you use a cable service, you are always connected with the same IP address. If someone gets into your machine, that person can return again and again at will with little problem. He or she knows where you are.

Even though cable and other ISPs have their own built-in firewall protection for you, it's a good idea to add to it by buying a professional firewall program. They aren't foolproof (nothing is, unfortunately) but the added layer of protection is of value.

So, as far as your daughter knowing everything and thinking you know nothing, cheer up. The saving grace is that she will grow out of it and ultimately give you the honor and respect that you deserve. And if she doesn't, you have the calming knowledge that she someday will have children and go through what you are facing now.

Mr. Lovelace:

Amen. Your thoughts in "What Is It That You're Selling?" were useful in our office. For the future, suggest getting the MBAs off the ad committees. Replace them with salesmen.

I hadn't heard of "Crazy People," so I rented it. "Crazy People" is charming and so right. My favorite was the try-to-say-something-honest product meeting. Thanks.

Stephen M. Skaggs

Dear Stephen:

Wouldn't it be amazing if advertising told the truth? Whether it's trying to sell us soap or politicians, everything today seems to be based on spin. Maybe it's because people don't really believe in their products or in our intelligence and think that the only way to convince is through manipulation?

Mr. Lovelace:

I read your column "Not Just Any Branch Office." Let's face it: It is in the name of the shareholders that we do these things, right?

But we know it's really for the purpose of the executive bonuses. Let's not be like the mortician who tries to look sad at a $15,000 funeral.

John

Dear John:

Sorry, I can't agree with you. Sure, there are people in executive positions who are out only for themselves. These folks would sell their children into slavery if it meant additional power or money. But I have to tell you that, for the most part, executives are trying to do what they can to keep their companies healthy and growing. I've seen quite a few agonizing over whether to hurt a group, such as the office that I was talking about in the column, or take the risk that ultimately things will get so bad that more people will have to be fired or the stock price will sink so low as to have a hostile takeover, endangering even more jobs.

It isn't an easy choice. I disagreed with Phil's decision because I thought that the heritage and spirit of the branch office was more important than the savings, but I understood why he did what he did.

Dear Sir:

I just read your column "Not Just Any Branch Office," and I was struck by the fact that you still don't get it. In a previous article, "Competing With A Dot-Com," you talked about the prospect of one of your "key" up-and-coming employees deciding to move on to an Internet company. In that article you lamented how you had "plans" for that person's future, and that you weren't excited for the opportunity he was going to pursue.

I always laugh at people like you who still believe a promotion within a company, or promises for some vague better future, are worth anything. What if your promising IS person had worked at that office? Would you even think about how you would have personally ruined his life by trying to convince him to stay with your company for some possible future? Promotion within a company is a waste of time. Dollars talk; promotions are just B.S. Get with the new reality: Companies don't care about a person. Why should they care about a future with a company?

Carl Taubel

Dear Carl:

The most any supervisor can reasonably do is give people who are considering changing their employment an honest assessment of their performance and the plans for them in their present job. While there are some bosses, sadly, who will say anything to keep a person in a critical job, I find that the majority of managers, like the majority of employees, are decent people. Of course, none of us can guarantee what the future holds, and that should be made abundantly clear to anyone seeking input on his or her career in the organization.

I was somewhat surprised by your comments about my discussion with Bruce in "Competing With A Dot-Com," so I went back and read what I had written. You'll note that I didn't try to dissuade him from taking the job. I couldn't compete with the money, and he was young enough that it made sense for him to try his hand at an entirely different type of work, if that's what he wanted. Bruce did leave us and is working long hours at the Internet startup company. The jury is still out on whether it will be a success, but he called me a few weeks ago to chat and he still has no regrets. He made the right decision for himself.

You are correct that some companies don't care about their workers, or, more correctly, some high-level executives at some companies don't care about their employees, and that behavior is adopted throughout the organization. I still think, though, that a good company treats its workforce with respect and honesty. Unfortunately, it sounds as if you haven't had too much experience with that type of employer.

Dear Herbert:

Clearly Mr. Big would have found out how to make the branch more profitable ("Not Just Any Branch Office"), saved it, and increased his own image. Alas, poor Phil appears not worthy.

Thank you for your columns,

Simon (in a lesser position of another multibillion $ corporation)

Dear Simon:

Sadly, I suspect that you are correct, but I'm not certain. I think our former leader would have tried mightily to improve that office's profitability because of the dedication of its employees to the company. However, it's also possible that he would not have wanted to risk the idea getting around that we had any sacred, untouchable cows in the organization. In any case, it would have been easier for people to accept if Mr. Big had been the one to order it closed, because we all would have felt that every avenue to keeping it open had been explored. Maybe it isn't fair to Phil, but he just isn't viewed with the same affection or trust as his predecessor.

Dear Herb:

I have a friend who's been a computer science professor for many years. He wants to enter the private sector and is seeking a CIO position, even though he has no private-sector experience. Any advice?

Knows All and Still Doesn't Care

Dear Knows All:

Certainly it's an exciting idea to attempt to enter at the top and see if you are going to stay there or work you way down the employment chain. I have to say, though, that the opportunities to do so aren't overwhelming. I suppose the positions available for that sort of change are on the order of the number of CIOs who have gone from industry to a full professor and department head in academia.

Some smaller companies might be interested in having an academic as a CIO, especially if that person has relevant knowledge in the company's business. However, so much of a CIO's job is dealing with peers, vendors, subordinates, and budgets that I think your friend will have a hard time getting the type of job he wants unless he has a very impressive consulting business on the side. And if he has that, why would he want to give it up to be a CIO?

Dear Herb:

I need some advice. I'm 45 and made a career change from telecom equipment sales to mainframe programming three years ago. I've been developing Cobol programs and writing requirements. I work for a major telecom company, and I'm in a position where I can accept a downsizing package or stay with the company doing the same thing.

I've taken courses in HTML and advanced HTML, and I enjoy Web-page development. If I take the package, my company would pay up to $10,000 for training, which is attractive to me since I'm already a dinosaur with mainframe skills. In addition, if I leave, I would receive nine weeks' pay plus my three weeks of vacation and a supplement of about $1,600. This along with unemployment would get me through the next six months.

The question is whether the training would allow me to market myself legitimately to a corporation or startup as a Web developer. I'm not sure what to do. What would you think?

Greg

Dear Greg:

It sounds as if you don't see much of a future, or at least one that you want, as a mainframe programmer. The only question, then, is when you will make a job change and to what new position. You've worked in sales and don't indicate any desire to return to that field. You say that you enjoy Web development and are interested in getting more training in that area. If you believe your present company is a good one, you might want to see if you can transfer to an internal job that would get you doing what you want. If that isn't appealing or available to you, then it makes sense for you to change now while you have a goodly number of years left in your career.

Additional training in Web development would certainly be a plus. Although you may have to take a lesser job than you would like initially, if you've got the skill, you will soon work your way up to a very responsible position. So far as the market is concerned, have you considered doing some interviewing and explaining that you will be taking additional training in the field during the next few months? You may find a good firm that wants to sign you up either right now or when you complete your courses.