What has he done to deserve a reward?

Too bad we can't do the same with management. We'd probably find that the bum begging for your change at the entrance has a better business plan and better money management down than the whole useless VP combo.

What's your problem with Jerry? I don't really know how he gets his work done in a gimp suit ... and somehow I really don't WANT to know ... but why the fuck should I care as long as he DOES get his work done?

Get your priorities straight!

Why does it matter? As long as it's clean (and I mean the clothing AND the person inside it!), I couldn't care less how my staff is dressed.

Stuff a tech into a three piece suit and you can watch productivity plummet.

It's something I never really understood. And it seems to be something that is actually pretty much an US thing. I don't see the same clinging to dress codes over here in Europe.

How the heck can it be important how someone dresses who is in no contact with customers? I can see the necessity of "professional" dressing when one has to do with customers. That's a given. You need to follow the rites of the human tribe. Dressing up in a similar way as the one you get into contact with makes him identify you as "one of his kind" and causes him to like you. He looks like me, so he's one of my tribe. That's deep in our ancestor's brain. That's why three piece suits are pretty much a necessity in management meetings because managers look at you and identify you as one of them if you're in the same three piece junk.

It's also, btw, the reason why techs don't like managers and why any tech dressing up as a manager immediately loses support with his peers. He's no longer "one of us". He's "one of them" now.

And no, I don't digress, actually, that's exactly the problem these things create. Because "business dress code" identifies a tech as "not one of us anymore". We not only don't want to wear that junk, we also don't like people wearing it. If anything, it alienates people.

I would have answered that this advice is superfluous, I don't think I want to work for someone who doesn't know when his investors pop in. Investors are important people and a sensibly boss should certainly know TO THE SECOND when these people show up.

I can't work for a boss who isn't organized.

I learned two important lessons from one of my former bosses concerning dressing:

First: If you meet with a group of people, the least well dressed person is the one you're looking out for. It's either the tech or the decision maker. And both of them are important to you. The decision maker for obvious reasons, and the tech because he'll be the one asking the important questions and his reaction to your answers is also the important one, because he will later translate your answer to the managers. They can nod, ahh and ohh all they want to your answer, they don't understand it. It's the tech that will understand it and what he later conveys to his managers is what makes or breaks your contract. So that is the one person you need to convince.

And second, never trust a tech in a suit. Never. If you're in a customer meeting with someone who is allegedly a tech and he comes in dressed up like a manager, there's two possible reasons: First, he's not a tech but a sales goon who has been briefed by their tech, and he has been sent 'cause they fear their tech would tell us more truth about the product than they want him to. Or he is a tech and was forced to dress up to distract from the product being not able to stand on its own. If something needs a dolled up clown to sell it, it's not worth buying it.

Well, technically we do have a dress code. You are required to wear pants. Or skirts if you prefer. And it is mandatory to wear it in such a way that it covers your genitals and buttocks. You are encouraged to wear something covering your torso. It would be nice if this had at least something that could resemble sleeves, however short they may be. And shoes would be encouraged but more out of comfort than necessity.

It is a bit more strict if you're in direct contact with the customer, granted. And no, we're not some hip little start up. We're a medium sized bank with a few centuries of tradition behind it and a rather conservative customer stock. But we're IT security. We don't get into contact with the customer. Why the fuck should we give a shit how someone dresses as long as it's clean and doesn't show me some part of his/her anatomy that should better stay concealed?

So I have to spend more on my suits to accomplish ... what exactly? How does it improve my work if I don a costume that makes me feel like a dork?

I cannot trust a tech who dresses up like a fucking Ken doll.

Who fired a Nobel Prize laureate over a joke and why does he still have a job? Whoever fired him should be fired for damaging the company.

Seriously, Political Correctness is fine and cute, but when it gets to getting shit done, it's time to stop the silly games and concentrate on what really matters.

There is one question that needs answering: Would they allow their Tenno to eat it?

If so, it most certainly is absolutely safe. If not, well, I would wonder why.

Copyright law itself is not ridiculous. It serves a purpose and is generally a good idea. In its current form, it is. As useful as it could be, the way it is implemented is horribly broken, maybe beyond repair, and needs to be changed to be usable again.

You could not use a car. That may be uncomfortable to you and probably cost you your job, but it's not strictly a requirement for you to have a car.

On the other hand, I cannot simply opt out of the law. By the very definition of a law I cannot.

It's so much better than JavaScript, Flash or all the other plugins. You can't turn it off.

Huh? Why better? Oh, did I forget to mention that I'm in IT security?

Very good for the job, that stuff.