Invalid characterset or character set not supported Seeing a sort of workplace legend





Seeing a sort of workplace legend
November 04, 2010

I'd seen X's name on various test documents we had. A satire on Bridges of Madison County entitled Bath-Houses of Madison County (gay man introduces woman to fashion--X was gay himself) Another document read, in 30 point font, "X is annoying! X does not shut up! X is the Rush Limbaugh of Software Testing!" There was a good reason for the font. I forget what.

X left years before I started working here, and I think many of his test documents got purged a few years after in a general "let's keep it neutral" kick that , but today I saw someone walk in and ask everyone what their titles were. It wasn't until I saw the nametag that I knew: this was the guy. He didn't seem particularly volatile, but then again, it HAD been 10+ years since he worked here.

He held even more mystery for me than the people who worked remotely. I'd heard about a lot of people that worked before I came in--though I'm not sure, strictly, if I ever met the person I replaced. Most of them, I'd seen. Not that I cared what they looked like, but it was nice to put a face to the name.

After he left, I noticed that the pictures on the front page of the newspaper all had handlebar mustaches. The women too. He probably didn't have time to do much more. When I mentioned X as a suspect to a coworker, the coworker looked blank and said "Uh--yeah. He was a real character." Point taken.

I had nothing to say to him, so I googled some of the odder words from his stories, just in case. Nothing. Well, I remember the actual details were sort of obnoxious and boring anyway. But I'm glad I remembered about Bathhouses today.

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zippdementia zippdementia - November 04, 2010 (07:55 PM)
Motivational poster: Everyone's a legend to somebody.
aschultz aschultz - November 04, 2010 (09:49 PM)
Very true...there are a lot of outright negative legends in my workplace who've moved on, who aren't that bad if you think of it, but people love to embellish.

Even the people who didn't seem to stand out or be interesting will get, from someone, "That guy! What was his -purpose-? What did he DO when he got home?"

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