What Do You Think?

[lamuskrat]

I was at a well known industrial plant today. While speaking to my contact he explained some computer problems he was having when I noticed his cursor moving all by itself. The MAJOR corp. was utilizing remote assistance, and had installed Adaware SE personal edition on his pc and was attempting to clean it of malware. I also noticed that they did not know the correct settings to properly clean his system, so I volunteered a few tweaks. My point is... isn't that the free end user (home user) edition, and shouldn't they have purchased the product for commercial use? It wouldn't chap my a%^ so bad if they were a small mom and pop business, but this is a global Major corp. that throws money away at the drop of a hat...(you would be surprised at the monetary waste there, and you and I pay for it everytime we shop at the store), should I report them to the makers of Adaware or just keep my mouth shut.

He found 98 items in the first scan, after my tweaks he found another 112, yes I feel guilty for my minimal participation, but I was helping a good co-worker.

Any opinions on this matter...?

[handplane]

In this type of a situation, let your conscience be your guide.

[thesidekickcat]

If it was the free only for private use version, then talk to the IT person, or to Human Resources as this may be something that would get the company sued. In fact I think HR is the right direction to take this issue. If the response there is not forthright to correct it (go with your gut feeling here!), then contact Adaware people. There may be fall out with your professional contact with this Major Corporation though, so be prepared for that.

It seems to me if you have to ask what is the right thing to do, that you really do know what is right, and now the only question is will you be able to do what is right and live with the consequences? Or if you let it slide will you be able to live with your conscience? It isn't a matter of size of company or whether they are wasting money, those are sidewise blinders to the truth that the company, or someone doing this on his own in the company, is stealing software use (whether they know it is wrong version, or not, is the next question).

I think you need to figure out how you would feel if you it was your software instead of Adaware's.

God bless everyone.

Edited May 18, 2005 by thesidekickcat

[blim]

Hi Lamuskrat,

If Adaware SE is the freebie, you have a dilemma. On one hand you don't want to see such a good product being ripped off, but on the other hand, you don't want to bite the hand that feeds you. I am totally clueless with tech (you all know that) but have worked for a couple of "big corporations". You'd be surprised at how many totally clueless folks are working "at the top of the foodchain" at these big companies.

I wonder if the person/department who decided to install AdawareSE for the corporation even knew that there is a commercial/business version available? Think totally clueless Big Shot here. He/she might have used the product at home and knew it was a good one, and installed it company wide without even thinking or checking for a commercial edition.

Instead of contacting Adaware, is there any way that you or co-worker could work within the corporation itself, like contacting the company's IT or Systems Dept? You could do them a big favor by letting them know you "innocently discovered which version they were using and how superior the commercial edition is, and would probably benefit the company a lot better than a home edition." Then you make yourself sound like you are looking out for the company's best interests, even if someone else gets the credit I wouldn't contact the top banana right away, though (he or she is unlikely to care), but start by seeking out who is in charge of Computer Security or try to find someone in the "middle of the foodchain" first, and if you get no results, work your way up to that banana.

If that doesn't work (wait a while for their clueless minds to comprehend and research this for themselves) then perhaps play a little hardball by contacting the Legal Dept (they should have one if they're that big) to see if there are any laws being broken by them using the home version--"because you got nowhere with IT and you were concerned, because Adaware is such a big company, yada, yada"----now, dealing with Legal can be risky, so be very careful!!! Lotsa mean people working in that department--if you know of anyone who has had experience with Legal, find out who the Good Guys are before you call and insist on talking to them.

If that doesn't work, then you have a big decision to make on whether to contact Adaware or not! If you do contact Adaware, you at least did all that you could do beforehand. Keep us posted on what you plan on doing and your progress, I'll be glad to help if I can.

*thinks Sidekickcat and I were typing at the same time *

Liz

[lamuskrat]

Sidekick and Blim

Thanks for the words of wisdom. What my heart says and what my head says are two different things. I can't afford to loose my job at present and that would probably be the outcome. I am a sub-contractor who works there regularly. I have a good working repor with my colleagues from the plant, and don't wish to be black-balled (banned).

[martymas]

I was at a well known industrial plant today. While speaking to my contact he explained some computer problems he was having when I noticed his cursor moving all by itself. The MAJOR corp. was utilizing remote assistance, and had installed Adaware SE personal edition on his pc and was attempting to clean it of malware. I also noticed that they did not know the correct settings to properly clean his system, so I volunteered a few tweaks. My point is... isn't that the free end user (home user) edition, and shouldn't they have purchased the product for commercial use? It wouldn't chap my a%^ so bad if they were a small mom and pop business, but this is a global Major corp. that throws money away at the drop of a hat...(you would be surprised at the monetary waste there, and you and I pay for it everytime we shop at the store), should I report them to the makers of Adaware or just keep my mouth shut.

He found 98 items in the first scan, after my tweaks he found another 112, yes I feel guilty for my minimal participation, but I was helping a good co-worker.

Any opinions on this matter...?

the way it turned out you didnt have much option.

tho i commend you for the thought.

some times we have to make dissicisions we dont like

but my personal feelings you made the right one.

good luck

some times you can tell a persons.

character by their discissions

marty

[blim]

Hi Lamuskrat,

Your comments are what I thought you were thinking--your best bet is for you or one of your coworkers (see next paragraph!) to go "through the company channels", like I wrote. If you are nice about it, portraying concern, (brown nosing is our friend sometimes ) and trying to help, you will keep that good reputation.

****One beauty about being a subcontractor, is you can maybe convince a "regular employee" to go through the channels by your expertise and expressing concern--put the idea in his head--not the legal part, but the "superior Commercial product" part, and you would be scott free--and if things work out well, you would be a hero!.

***another beauty of being a sub is the ability to remain totally invisible if you do "rat" them out---you would be harder to track---that is IF you're cover your tracks, and MOST importantly, wait a good 6 months or so, so your "discovery" will be long forgotten, unless the person you helped has an excellent memory.

This company is lucky to have you, most of the subs at one place I worked at were a bunch of lazy jerks who could have cared less about anything but their paychecks and gravy jobs!

Liz

[TheTerrorist_75]

Ad-Aware Personal edition is free for non-commercial use. For use in a commercial/educational/governmental environment or to purchase registered copies of Ad-Aware SE press the button below:

Button

They may have the commercial version.

[blim]

Well, there you go, now you need to "check your tweaks" on the computer you worked on to find out what version they have! *plays Mission Impossible music--da, da, da, da, da, da, da,da,DA,DA,DUM, DA,DA, DUM....."

Liz

[thesidekickcat]

Ah Liz is so much more diplomatic than I am!!! Also she is full of good ideas.

Yes I would be concerned in a subcontractor's shoes too, though there should be a protecting contract, and supposedly whistle blowers have legal protections too....yeah right.

I think first you make sure which version it is, then follow the diplomatic ideas Liz gave you.

Also there are companies (and various government agencies) that sneakily do tests of character on employees and subs to see what they do, how they react, in certain situations. So who knows if this was a test of your co worker, and of you? So working to report it might go in your favor???

And remember you still have to live with your conscience if you don't report it one way or another. So keeping quiet to keep a job is like taking blood money since jobs take blood sweat and tears out of us all our lives, it isn't worth it to let it take your conscience too.

Good luck and I hope it all works out for you.

God bless everyone.

[bozodog]

I believe you did the right thing helping to configure the application for best results. That said, I also believe you should just go to the IT head and explain to him/her that using a "for personal use" product could create some serious problems for the company. Steer them to the proper place and let them know that there is a program for corperate use. What they do with that information is up to them. You did your part.

[lamuskrat]

First let me say thanks to all for the words of wisdom and understanding my dilemna. I have made no effort as of yet to take corrective measures.

Again thanks for the valuable advice.

[Chappy]

Hi lamuskrat, and everyone else!!

I must say this....your sense of values is very commendable, and this thread proves why I admire all the people on this board so much!!

It's folks like you all here that gives me the confidence to think that our future here at Besttechie is bright, and we will be a forum that others will know as a place of honor, where all can come by and be treated with dignity and respect.

I'm positive that all the very BEST from TTV and a few other boards, migrated here and now call this Home, and I think I know why.

When I first met Jeff (Beluga), I must admit that I thought he was around his mid-20's by the way he conducted himself. He seemed like a person who had survived that roller coaster of emotions we call the "Teens", and was settling into a respectable adult phase. Imagine our surprise when we found out that Jeff was 14...WOW!

I had never met such a mature 14 y/o with his morals, and I know we were all glad to come and join this community. Respectable people attract other respectable people, and that's why this board is chock full of them!

I am proud to say that I'm involved with this group, and I will defend this community and it's members to the end. I'm confident that any member that has a dilema such as Lamuskrat's, can come to this forum and recieve the best advice possible, from the most caring people on the Internet...or anywhere else for that matter.

Any problem, no matter how sensitive or personal, will be treated with genuine respect for that members feelings and dignity by the members of Besttechie, unlike another board we know. Show any chink in the armor over there and you'll have idiots with crowbars trying to peel that armor off to find a soft spot.

Anyway, I Love you all, and am proud to call you my "Family"!!!

[blim]

Hi Lamuskrat,

Definitely DO take your time before you do anything--it won't hurt or change the situation whatsoever and you need time to absorb all this and to do what you think is right!

And Chappy,

I wholeheartedly agree with you--I lurked at 3 different forums for a couple of years and this is the only place this clueless noob felt comfortable enough to actually join. Such a great group of folks here who put up with the likes of me (you all are also extremely patient--thank you) and am proud to call my family!

Mid twenties means settling into the "respectable adult phase"???? That means you're out of that phase once you hit thirty, right??

Liz