Security Through Irritation
Obligatory Disclaimer: Over the last 25 years, I've done work for companies of all sizes, large and small; although most of my clientele for the last 10 years has been on the smaller side since, as I've gotten older, I don't tend to want to travel as much, and I live in a pretty small town.
I'm in the middle of a consulting engagement with SharePoint. That product isn't my sweetest spot, but I know a fair bit about it. I'm doing a migration for a very large company from WSS 2.0 to MOSS 2007. And I'm frustrated.
In this company, Internet access is prohibited; so I can't do research onsite. In this company, external personnel have to be signed in and out; so I can't come and go. In this company, I can't attach my laptop to their network; so every time I need a resource, I have to have one of their personnel download it. In this company, USB devices are disabled; so I can't transfer files from my laptop to their laptops/desktops. In this company; the database people do databases, the SharePoint people do SharePoint, the network people do networks, the A/D people do A/D, the DNS people do DNS - and never the twain shall meet.
So each time I need an account created, there is a form to fill out. Along with justification for administrative level permissions too. A DNS entry created, there is a form to fill out. A database to be moved, a form to fill out.
ARGH.
I KNOW I'm being unreasonable. But the effort is taking four or five times longer than it should because I just can't get work done efficiently. I have to get six or seven other teams to do the work for me. No wonder consultants get a bad name! I'm used to being able to go in and "be a star" because I can "do it all".
<sigh>