• Migala (unregistered)

    Fish Post!

  • (cs)

    Merry fishmas!

    This was on the Simpsons last night.

  • (cs)
    Throughout his entire career, Roy has always stuck to his philosophy of being honest and ethical. He became legendary in one company when, during a sales presentation with the board of directors, the chairman accused him of being dishonest. Roy simply said "Ok," packed up his laptop and walked out of the room. They quickly called him back in with profuse apologies and, two hours later, he was awarded the contract.

    Red herring.

  • Another drop out (unregistered)

    Nice story. I wish there were more people like this - and that I had his backbone.

  • Anonymous (unregistered)

    I remember this one, it's still fish in my flatbed. Wait, what? Fresh in my head! Sorry, I meant fresh in my head. I just can't think with this damn smell everywhere.

  • by (unregistered)

    I'm guessing the only people posting today are Canadians, eh?

    :)

  • Klimax (unregistered) in reply to by
    by:
    I'm guessing the only people posting today are Canadians, eh?

    :)

    And one European. :D

  • (cs)

    Or antipodean...

  • hans (unregistered) in reply to Klimax
    Klimax:
    by:
    I'm guessing the only people posting today are Canadians, eh?

    :)

    And one European. :D

    two europeans...

    ah ah ah

    (http://blogs.ajc.com/jeff-schultz-blog/files/2009/02/the-count2-261x300.jpg)

  • FuBar (unregistered) in reply to Another drop out
    Another drop out:
    I wish there were more people like this - and that I had his backbone.
    Why, what are you planning to do with his backbone? Wouldn't that leave him flopping helplessly about?
  • Tarliman (unregistered)

    I wish we had more people like Roy in my industry, or that I at least knew his last name so I could add him to the People Who Should Be Remembered wall. Oh, and one American posting, here.

  • guest (unregistered)

    3 Europeans ... Ok i'm working in Canada but that's not the point :)

  • 123 (unregistered)

    Does anyone actually believe this story is true?

  • the beholder (unregistered)

    I don't think I have ever met a boss that wouldn't just throw the fish away, and to hell if we can make money from it or if there's someone starving right across the street. It'll be somebody else's problem. They wouldn't throw it out the window only because the smell would keep coming. Most likely, every employee would be ordered to grab two buckets and walk to empty them at end of the street, to avoid permanently stinking the company's cars.

  • (cs)

    I smell a red herring... ;)

    I wish I had the bollocks to do pull something like this off...

  • Abso (unregistered) in reply to the beholder
    the beholder:
    I don't think I have ever met a boss that wouldn't just throw the fish away, and to hell if we can make money from it or if there's someone starving right across the street. It'll be somebody else's problem. They wouldn't throw it out the window only because the smell would keep coming. Most likely, every employee would be ordered to grab two buckets and walk to empty them at end of the street, to avoid permanently stinking the company's cars.

    I assumed that Roy actually wrote the "unusual orders from their boss." So by the time someone with enough sense/seniority to override said orders showed up, all the sales staff was out selling fish.

  • Wes (unregistered)

    Roy was "head-of-sales at a large IT hardware company". I assumed he have the orders from the boss as well, because he was the boss.

  • Jane (unregistered) in reply to danixdefcon5
    danixdefcon5:
    I smell a red herring... ;)

    I wish I had the bollocks to do pull something like this off...

    Yup, something smells a little fishy for sure....

    What is the big deal with Yanks and Thanksgiving?

  • dew|frost (unregistered) in reply to 123
    123:
    Does anyone actually believe this story is true?

    Nope.

  • (cs) in reply to Jane
    Jane:
    What is the big deal with Yanks and Thanksgiving?

    We eat even more than usual. Beeellllch!!!

  • English Man (unregistered) in reply to by
    by:
    I'm guessing the only people posting today are Canadians, eh?

    :)

    The typical Yank's mixture of arrogance and ignorance is actually quite cute, like when university students tell you they've too much work to do. Except when they get to run the country of course, then it's terrifying in case they forget which countries are which and bomb the wrong one.

  • Veldan (unregistered) in reply to English Man
    English Man:
    by:
    I'm guessing the only people posting today are Canadians, eh?

    :)

    The typical Yank's mixture of arrogance and ignorance is actually quite cute, like when university students tell you they've too much work to do. Except when they get to run the country of course, then it's terrifying in case they forget which countries are which and bomb the wrong one.

    This is a fear we Australians have every day. After a rather famous (for Australia) comedy show queried Americans about where Iraq actually was with a globe of the world in hand.

    It turns out labeling Australia Iraq confuses 75% of them. ... wait, what's that whistling noi- ...

  • (cs) in reply to English Man

    The whole story sounds a little fishy.

    I find it very hard to believe that there are honest people working in Sales making a living, no thriving even.

    And yes, I'm from across the pond as well.

  • Peter (unregistered) in reply to RogerWilco
    RogerWilco:
    And yes, I'm from across the pond as well.
    We're all from across the pond, it's just that some of are across it in different directions, and others are also across another continent or two.
  • akiwi (unregistered) in reply to Veldan
    Veldan:
    English Man:
    by:
    I'm guessing the only people posting today are Canadians, eh?

    :)

    The typical Yank's mixture of arrogance and ignorance is actually quite cute, like when university students tell you they've too much work to do. Except when they get to run the country of course, then it's terrifying in case they forget which countries are which and bomb the wrong one.

    This is a fear we Australians have every day. After a rather famous (for Australia) comedy show queried Americans about where Iraq actually was with a globe of the world in hand.

    It turns out labeling Australia Iraq confuses 75% of them. ... wait, what's that whistling noi- ...

    Sorry, I don't see what the problem is :)

  • (cs) in reply to Veldan
    Veldan:
    English Man:
    by:
    I'm guessing the only people posting today are Canadians, eh?

    :)

    The typical Yank's mixture of arrogance and ignorance is actually quite cute, like when university students tell you they've too much work to do. Except when they get to run the country of course, then it's terrifying in case they forget which countries are which and bomb the wrong one.

    This is a fear we Australians have every day. After a rather famous (for Australia) comedy show queried Americans about where Iraq actually was with a globe of the world in hand.

    It turns out labeling Australia Iraq confuses 75% of them.

    Ahem

    Yep

    (Thanksgiving hey? I was wondering why so many news sites didn't have much news this morning)

  • André (unregistered) in reply to 123
    123:
    Does anyone actually believe this story is true?

    You see, the thing with TDWTF is that it's a little like religion. If you believe the stories are true, they will most likely inspire you to do something similar (i.e. like the "good guy" in a story like this) or something totally different (i.e. the "bad guy" like the collegue of the collegue of a friend of mine in the usual TDWTF post).

    If you don't believe it, you're just like the rest of us and you use it as just a few minutes to take your eye off of all that code you with you cold post here, let alone you had someone else's backbone and left them flopping helplessly about.

  • Gabba (unregistered) in reply to Veldan

    So why aren't you watching the cricket then?

  • Nagesh (unregistered)

    Thanks for the story.

    It is because of such people that I feel the words honesty and ethics actually carry some weight.

  • Christian (unregistered)

    I read the original back then and still it's a good story. Though I've had in my life so far only two similar experiences with people, although not as extreme as this, the experiences I have plenty off are the crass opposite. In this one, we see someone with integrity stand up for what they think is right, while at the same time, I'm certain, he knows that they can't really do much about him and if they did, he would find something better to do in no time.

    Now imagine someone who has the same sense of security, who knows he can't be fired if he does no gigantic blunder and harm to the company, something close to burning the whole thing down, and even has a skill set he knows he will find something equally good very quickly even if he would. And the that person is a rather unethical and rather unpleasant person to boot. Those are the ones I have encountered a lot more.

    They act like little kings and do their little games just to mess with people. I remember vividly at one job I spent at least a third of my time defusing "mines" such a person put into place every step of the way in the entire project, just to screw others over and make himself look better. Those are far more frequent than the likes of Roy.

    If Roy would read this, I would like to congratulate him and to invite him to a beverage of his choice. We need more people like that.

  • Peter (unregistered) in reply to André
    André:
    ...you use it as just a few minutes to take your eye off of all that code you with you cold post here, let alone you had someone else's backbone and left them flopping helplessly about.
    Pardon?
  • Rayven (unregistered) in reply to Migala

    This reminds me of a job I got lumbered with when I was still trying to break my way in the IT world. I had been taken on by a firm manufacturing (amongst other things) the optical HUD displays for pilots. I thought it would be an ideal break and was willing to do what it took to prove myself. What I wasn't prepared for was the job they had in mind. They had closed down 2 factories and consolidated themselves into one factory. As such they needed to update their asset register with the stock that had been moved. This entailed (and I was warned about this), locating invoices, calling them up on the system, checking them and entering details into the asset register where it was incomplete. What I was not warned about was that the invoices had been stored in an old, leaking scout hut at the end of a muddy field (I kid you not). The boxes containing the invoices were coated in mildew (I brought rubber gloves after the first day - and wellies), and they smelt as fresh as roses (allowed to decompose in manure). It was obvious from day one that the boss regarded me as little more than a cockroach and made my life a misery, but I persevered for a couple of months, trudging down the field, hauling a decaying box back to the office and peeling the invoices apart. After one such journey, in the freezing rain through what had now become a quagmire, I was reprimanded in an open office by my boss at the top of his voice that I was wasting too much time and was too slow (in my defense I did spend several minutes trying to free one of my boots after it became mired down). I think at this point both he and I knew that I wasn't going to be there much longer, so I made a suggestion that if I could come in an hour early, I had an idea that might help me work more efficiently. He grumbled and said he'd tell security to let me in. When the office staff arrived they discovered that I had brought about two dozen boxes from the end of the field directly to the office (I had borrowed a friend's small ATV to help). It was worth every second of the time to see the colour on the face of my boss fluctuate between red of anger and green as the smell hit. He ordered me to remove them and I quit on the spot. A few of the office staff caught up with me on the way out for a quiet pat on the back because no one liked him. Oddly enough this is one job that I never put on my resume.

  • Anonymous Coward (unregistered) in reply to danixdefcon5

    I wish I had the pollocks to do pull something like this off...

    FTFY

  • (cs)

    Lyle was more honest and had more integrity - he was also a much better salesman.

  • Matt Westwood (unregistered) in reply to Jane
    Jane:
    danixdefcon5:
    I smell a red herring... ;)

    I wish I had the bollocks to do pull something like this off...

    Yup, something smells a little fishy for sure....

    What is the big deal with Yanks and Thanksgiving?

    More to the point: what on earth have they got to be thankful for?

  • Jeremy (unregistered) in reply to Matt Westwood
    Matt Westwood:
    Jane:
    danixdefcon5:
    I smell a red herring... ;)

    I wish I had the bollocks to do pull something like this off...

    Yup, something smells a little fishy for sure....

    What is the big deal with Yanks and Thanksgiving?

    More to the point: what on earth have they got to be thankful for?

    The locals, who kept them from starving.

    Of course, it's not the locals they're giving thanks to, nor even the locals' god...

  • (cs)

    I call BS. An honest person working that high up in a company? Impossible.

  • H.P. Lovecraft (unregistered) in reply to Rayven
    Rayven:
    This reminds me of a job I got lumbered with when I was still trying to break my way in the IT world. I had been taken on by a firm manufacturing (amongst other things) the optical HUD displays for pilots. I thought it would be an ideal break and was willing to do what it took to prove myself. What I wasn't prepared for was the job they had in mind. They had closed down 2 factories and consolidated themselves into one factory. As such they needed to update their asset register with the stock that had been moved. This entailed (and I was warned about this), locating invoices, calling them up on the system, checking them and entering details into the asset register where it was incomplete. What I was not warned about was that the invoices had been stored in an old, leaking scout hut at the end of a muddy field (I kid you not). The boxes containing the invoices were coated in mildew (I brought rubber gloves after the first day - and wellies), and they smelt as fresh as roses (allowed to decompose in manure). It was obvious from day one that the boss regarded me as little more than a cockroach and made my life a misery, but I persevered for a couple of months, trudging down the field, hauling a decaying box back to the office and peeling the invoices apart. After one such journey, in the freezing rain through what had now become a quagmire, I was reprimanded in an open office by my boss at the top of his voice that I was wasting too much time and was too slow (in my defense I did spend several minutes trying to free one of my boots after it became mired down). I think at this point both he and I knew that I wasn't going to be there much longer, so I made a suggestion that if I could come in an hour early, I had an idea that might help me work more efficiently. He grumbled and said he'd tell security to let me in. When the office staff arrived they discovered that I had brought about two dozen boxes from the end of the field directly to the office (I had borrowed a friend's small ATV to help). It was worth every second of the time to see the colour on the face of my boss fluctuate between red of anger and green as the smell hit. He ordered me to remove them and I quit on the spot. A few of the office staff caught up with me on the way out for a quiet pat on the back because no one liked him. Oddly enough this is one job that I never put on my resume.

    Two words.

    Paragraphs.

    Wait that was one word.

    Use Paragraphs.

    Much better.

  • (cs) in reply to Jeremy
    Jeremy:
    Matt Westwood:
    Jane:
    danixdefcon5:
    I smell a red herring... ;)

    I wish I had the bollocks to do pull something like this off...

    Yup, something smells a little fishy for sure....

    What is the big deal with Yanks and Thanksgiving?

    More to the point: what on earth have they got to be thankful for?

    The locals, who kept them from starving.

    Of course, it's not the locals they're giving thanks to, nor even the locals' god...

    No, no. You guys have it all wrong. Thanksgiving commemorates the discovery of America by the Pilgrims, who landed in the Niña, Pinta, and Santa Maria at Plymouth Rock. The leader of the Pilgrams, George Washington, would later defeat the British in the Spanish-American War.

    William Penn, Washington's right hand man, signed a treaty with the Indians that autumn where it was agreed that the Pilgrims would get all of what is now America in exchange for some small pox blankets and several jugs of corn whiskey. All that stuff about turkeys and pumpkin pie is just urban legend.

  • Santa (unregistered) in reply to frits

    That Sir, made my day.

    Marry Christmas to you all!

  • (cs) in reply to Gabba
    Gabba:
    So why aren't you watching the cricket then?

    Oh, sorry, I thought YOU were watching him. He got away? Again? Drat!

  • Saywhen (unregistered) in reply to Rayven
    Rayven:
    ThisremindsmeofajobIgotlumberedwithwhenIwasstilltryingtobreakmywayintheITworldIh adbeentakenonbyafirmmanufacturing(amongstotherthings)theopticalHUDdisplaysforpilotsIthoughtitwouldbeanidealbreakandwaswillingtodowhatittooktoprovemyselfWhatIwas n'tpreparedforwasthejobtheyhadinmindTheyhadcloseddown2factoriesandconsolidatedth emselvesintoonefactoryAssuchtheyneededtoupdatetheirassetregisterwiththestockthat hadbeenmovedThisentailedandIwaswarnedaboutthis)locatinginvoicescallingthemupont hesystemcheckingthemandenteringdetailsintotheassetregisterwhereitwasincompleteWh atIwasnotwarnedaboutwasthattheinvoiceshadbeenstoredinanoldleakingscouthutattheen dofamuddyfieldIkidyounot)Theboxescontainingtheinvoiceswerecoatedinmildew(Ibroughtrubberglovesafterthefirstday-andwellies)andtheysmeltasfreshasroses(allowedtodecomposeinmanure)Itwasobviousfromdayonethatthebossregardedmeaslittlemorethanacock roachandmademylifeamiserybutIperseveredforacoupleofmonthstrudgingdownthefieldhau lingadecayingboxbacktotheofficeandpeelingtheinvoicesapartAfteronesuchjourneyinth efreezingrainthroughwhathadnowbecomeaquagmireIwasreprimandedinanopenofficebymybo ssatthetopofhisvoicethatIwaswastingtoomuchtimeandwastooslow(inmydefenseIdidspendseveralminutestryingtofreeoneofmybootsafteritbecamemireddown)Ithinkatthispointbo thheandIknewthatIwasn'tgoingtobetheremuchlongersoImadeasuggestionthatifIcouldcom einanhourearlyIhadanideathatmighthelpmeworkmoreefficientlyHegrumbledandsaidhe'dt ellsecuritytoletmeinWhentheofficestaffarrivedtheydiscoveredthatIhadbroughtaboutt wodozenboxesfromtheendofthefielddirectlytotheofficeIhadborrowedafriend'ssmallATVtohelp)Itwaswortheverysecondofthetimetoseethecolouronthefaceofmybossfluctuatebe tweenredofangerandgreenasthesmellhitHeorderedmetoremovethemandIquitonthespotAfew oftheofficestaffcaughtupwithmeonthewayoutforaquietpatonthebackbecausenoonelikedh imOddlyenoughthisisonejobthatIneverputonmyresume
    FTFY. Way too readable.
  • Hi Koo (unregistered) in reply to H.P. Lovecraft
    H.P. Lovecraft:
    Rayven:
    This reminds me of a job I got lumbered with when I was still trying to break my way in the IT world. I had been taken on by a firm manufacturing (amongst other things) the optical HUD displays for pilots. I thought it would be an ideal break and was willing to do what it took to prove myself. What I wasn't prepared for was the job they had in mind. They had closed down 2 factories and consolidated themselves into one factory. As such they needed to update their asset register with the stock that had been moved. This entailed (and I was warned about this), locating invoices, calling them up on the system, checking them and entering details into the asset register where it was incomplete. What I was not warned about was that the invoices had been stored in an old, leaking scout hut at the end of a muddy field (I kid you not). The boxes containing the invoices were coated in mildew (I brought rubber gloves after the first day - and wellies), and they smelt as fresh as roses (allowed to decompose in manure). It was obvious from day one that the boss regarded me as little more than a cockroach and made my life a misery, but I persevered for a couple of months, trudging down the field, hauling a decaying box back to the office and peeling the invoices apart. After one such journey, in the freezing rain through what had now become a quagmire, I was reprimanded in an open office by my boss at the top of his voice that I was wasting too much time and was too slow (in my defense I did spend several minutes trying to free one of my boots after it became mired down). I think at this point both he and I knew that I wasn't going to be there much longer, so I made a suggestion that if I could come in an hour early, I had an idea that might help me work more efficiently. He grumbled and said he'd tell security to let me in. When the office staff arrived they discovered that I had brought about two dozen boxes from the end of the field directly to the office (I had borrowed a friend's small ATV to help). It was worth every second of the time to see the colour on the face of my boss fluctuate between red of anger and green as the smell hit. He ordered me to remove them and I quit on the spot. A few of the office staff caught up with me on the way out for a quiet pat on the back because no one liked him. Oddly enough this is one job that I never put on my resume.

    Two words. Paragraphs. Wait that was one word. Retry. Use Paragraphs. Please.

    FTFY

  • (cs)

    Roy started off a nice guy, but his job made him sellfish.

  • Ron (unregistered) in reply to 123
    123:
    Does anyone actually believe this story is true?

    Even ignoring all the other stuff, the one thing that raised my eyebrows was the casual reference to founding and selling several multi-million dollar companies before the age of 36.

    But its not even that - its the fact that this superman is now working as a sales manager. I mean why does he even need to work?

    And even if THAT passed the smell test, why does he not resign ON THE SPOT at the first sign of dishonesty? (This is the guy who arbores dishonesty, right?)

  • ghandi> (unregistered) in reply to Ron
    Ron:
    why does he not resign ON THE SPOT at the first sign of dishonesty?

    be the change you want to see in the world

  • shimon (unregistered) in reply to Rayven
    What I was not warned about was that the invoices had been stored in an old, leaking scout hut at the end of a muddy field (I kid you not).
    After one such journey, in the freezing rain through what had now become a quagmire, I was reprimanded in an open office by my boss at the top of his voice that I was wasting too much time and was too slow (in my defense I did spend several minutes trying to free one of my boots after it became mired down).
    This should have been made into a movie with Buster Keaton as you.
  • (cs) in reply to Santa
    Santa:
    Marry Christmas to you all!

    I asked her, but she said no.

  • Machtyn (unregistered) in reply to Ron
    Ron:
    123:
    Does anyone actually believe this story is true?

    Even ignoring all the other stuff, the one thing that raised my eyebrows was the casual reference to founding and selling several multi-million dollar companies before the age of 36.

    But its not even that - its the fact that this superman is now working as a sales manager. I mean why does he even need to work?

    And even if THAT passed the smell test, why does he not resign ON THE SPOT at the first sign of dishonesty? (This is the guy who arbores dishonesty, right?)

    A person who is that creative and hard working is not one to sit still. He's also apparently smart enough to know that when his company got to a certain point, it is time to step down so that it can succeed better.

    But, he's hard working and can't sit still, so he goes on to work elsewhere and share his talents. True, at some point, the work is not about the money... but that doesn't mean a person should be lazy. (I know I would be; but then, I'm not wealthy, either.)

    Resigning on the spot was not creative enough, nor would it have made the point very well. However, after seeing that the boss didn't change his mind even after the point was made, resigning would have been a worthwhile option.

  • Mike (unregistered) in reply to Rayven
    Rayven:
    This reminds me of a job I got lumbered with when I was still trying to break my way in the IT world. I had been taken on by a firm manufacturing (amongst other things) the optical HUD displays for pilots. I thought it would be an ideal break and was willing to do what it took to prove myself. What I wasn't prepared for was the job they had in mind. They had closed down 2 factories and consolidated themselves into one factory. As such they needed to update their asset register with the stock that had been moved. This entailed (and I was warned about this), locating invoices, calling them up on the system, checking them and entering details into the asset register where it was incomplete. What I was not warned about was that the invoices had been stored in an old, leaking scout hut at the end of a muddy field (I kid you not). The boxes containing the invoices were coated in mildew (I brought rubber gloves after the first day - and wellies), and they smelt as fresh as roses (allowed to decompose in manure). It was obvious from day one that the boss regarded me as little more than a cockroach and made my life a misery, but I persevered for a couple of months, trudging down the field, hauling a decaying box back to the office and peeling the invoices apart. After one such journey, in the freezing rain through what had now become a quagmire, I was reprimanded in an open office by my boss at the top of his voice that I was wasting too much time and was too slow (in my defense I did spend several minutes trying to free one of my boots after it became mired down). I think at this point both he and I knew that I wasn't going to be there much longer, so I made a suggestion that if I could come in an hour early, I had an idea that might help me work more efficiently. He grumbled and said he'd tell security to let me in. When the office staff arrived they discovered that I had brought about two dozen boxes from the end of the field directly to the office (I had borrowed a friend's small ATV to help). It was worth every second of the time to see the colour on the face of my boss fluctuate between red of anger and green as the smell hit. He ordered me to remove them and I quit on the spot. A few of the office staff caught up with me on the way out for a quiet pat on the back because no one liked him. Oddly enough this is one job that I never put on my resume.

    OK when I first passed this comment, I refused to read it because it looked like it would give me a headache. Then, after reading through the rest of the comments, I decided this was probably the most interesting thing on the whole page, so I went ahead and read it. Now I can say with some surety that there were no good comments on this article.

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