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It seems all the consultants are worried about job security at my company. They tend to not sharing info (or secrets) of their jobs with other co-workers and they usually do their best get more control over their work.
I always say exactly what I know when people ask for my advice (even when I was working as a consultant), but when other employees ask consultants for advice, they usually don't get a direct answer (sometimes get a wrong answer in a nice way).
My question: is this a natural/common behavior that no one should make a big deal about it?
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I think a lot of people believe that knowing some secret information or having some code that only they know well is job security. All it means is that you're alwyas going to be stuck doing the same job. And if management decides to pull the plug on your app, you're toast.
It seems anymore that real job security is becoming as versitile as possible. The more skills you know or can learn easily, the more you can move up and around in the company (or into another company.) If other people besides you know the code you work on, you'll be in a better shape to take that new promotion or position..
Hence, if somebody wants info, I'm glad to tell them. Also, the more people who know and/or work with the same code as you, the more people there are to blame when something goes wrong with it. 
The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
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They are protecing their own interests. If they gave away their "secrets" then they feel others in the company would note them down and there would be no use for the consultant.
Of course that is not true. Data is just data, and a secret is just that, data. How you use it and apply it is the important bit. This is turning data into knowledge really.
That is the true mark of a professional. It is not so much their data you are after when you pay them but their experience and understanding of how data is applied to a solution. Anybody can amass data, but it takes a lot to know when and how to apply it. That cannot be easily noted down and the next time the same probelm arises applying the same data, from your notes, does not always work. IF it does not work then you are pretty stuck, as all you have is data, and no knowledge other than that which did not work.
Sharing is vital to converting your data to knowledge through experience.
So really bottom line is they are being paranoid and no it should not be natural or common. However yes it often does happen. Humans rely too much on cold hard data and less on knowledge sometimes 
regards,
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa
Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront
"The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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ask a useful question, please 
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How incredibly wise of you.
You have three options
1. Go somewhere else. You might find the questions asked at www.zgeek.com more to your liking, for instance
2. Make intelligent suggestions as to what questions you'd like to see asked
3. Make an idiot of yourself.
You chose poorly.
Christian
I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001
Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOzI live in Bob's HungOut now
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Christian Graus wrote:
You chose poorly.
LOL - Indianna Jones and the last Crusade, when the crusade knight informed the bad guy that he drank from the wrong chalice. GREAT movie, and the line itself was fantastic!
"He chose... poorly."
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001
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Got a useful one to ask? Then share it, otherwise contribute an article.
regards,
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa
Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront
"The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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Are rights granted or respected?
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Since my working environment is far from perfect, I would love to telecommute. But where do I find telecommuting jobs, and is it easier for the boss to fire you because he does not see you everyday (so you have no apparent use to him)?
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With telecommuting, you may not be going into the office every day, but you still do have to check in frequently, and be available. So, you presence is still known. If you are doing your work, your boss/manager wouldn't fire you would they?
"No one knows what power lies yet undevelopped in that wiry system of mine."
Ada Lovelace 1815-1852
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Let me put it this way:
If the boss has to fire one of the five developers and if all five of them are performing at roughly the same level, would he single out the only guy that is telecommuting?
P.S. I know the boss would not fire the telecommuting guy if
1) There is a need to save office space.
2) The guy just baught a gun and is taking shooting lessons while working at home.
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It really depends on the developer/boss relationship. Assuming it is decent (neither friendship nor animosity is involved)
If someone had to go.... I really doubt that if all the developers were performing at roughly the same level, the one telecommuting would be the one to go. Telecommuting means, that you have to be better in a lot of ways, just to attain the same accomplishments someone in the office would. Would the boss, be aware of that fact though? *shrug*
"No one knows what power lies yet undevelopped in that wiry system of mine."
Ada Lovelace 1815-1852
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If you're in a situation where you've never met the boss, I think the problem is the initial phase. If communication is unclear, and you don't know each other all that well, then you're one email away from being dumped.
I suspect that surviving the initial settling down period would result in a bit more job security.
Christian
I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001
Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOzI live in Bob's HungOut now
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Money, financial security, and job security were the onl;y ones I put. I take 'good work environment' for granted because I put up with a lot, and also I'm sure there is never an end to the interesting and challenging work in our field, so I took that for granted, too.
Sincerely Yours,
Brian Hart
"And that's the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and the children are above-average." - Garrison Keillor
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no non-compete agreements!
While I agree it seems to me an attitude like that means you have no real will to remain with the new job! So as soon as you see another opportunity you just jump for it.
regards,
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa
Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront
"The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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Non-competitive agreements, and non-disclosure agreements are pretty standard form what I've seen. Non-competitive agreements, as I've seen are more concerned with you setting up shop for yourself, and taking your employers clients, and policies with you. Non-disclosure agreements are more concerned with you sharing company and/or client information.
"No one knows what power lies yet undevelopped in that wiry system of mine."
Ada Lovelace 1815-1852
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I'm always interested by how far these things can go. For example, I've written a GUI library that interfaces to Python at work - does this mean I cannot write another for my next employer ? If it only relates to the code I wrote for this employer, how does he *know* I didn't reuse my code from when I worked for him ?
Christian
I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001
Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOzI live in Bob's HungOut now
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Christian Graus
"I'm always interested by how far these things can go."
Note too far. It all comes back to common sense. When designing a db you may be privy to very sensitive documents belonging to the client. Say you read them and then shared that information with your wife, friends or even the media. Do you really need the non-disclosure agreement to tell you that's a no-no? No.
Use whatever example you want and some times it will be blatantly obvious, with or without the agreement, if it is an okay thing or not. There are certain examples with would be in violation of your agreement, but common sense tells you your employer has no control over it. That is why they rarely hold up in court. It's really just a formality; a stern way of making sure people to use discretion.
"No one knows what power lies yet undevelopped in that wiry system of mine."
Ada Lovelace 1815-1852
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qomi wrote:
Use whatever example you want and some times it will be blatantly obvious, with or without the agreement, if it is an okay thing or not. There are certain examples with would be in violation of your agreement, but common sense tells you your employer has no control over it. That is why they rarely hold up in court. It's really just a formality; a stern way of making sure people to use discretion.
Mine at work is kind of draconian, and I've always expected that it would have buckleys of holding up in the light of day. But I'm careful, for example, if I post code to answer peoples questions that it's never code from our app. I agree, it's a common sense thing, at the end of the day it's our ethics that protect our employers, not the NDA.
Christian
I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001
Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOzI live in Bob's HungOut now
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as the author of that comment, i must respond.
i have been at my current job for close to 4 years, without a non-compete. i've had plenty of opportunities to jump; but i would never, for a job with a non-compete.
it comes down to the fact that i don't believe my employer can claim ownership on things that i think up when i'm not working directly on their projects. i don't care if it's written in a contract or not - given the choice, i won't sign that contract.
my own business is very important to me, as is the freedom to "invent" (to take a word from the standard non-competes) whatever i want, whenever i want, and retain ownership of the idea. luckily, my interests do not include financial planning (what my real job does), so i have no real risk of overlapping.
-c
Smaller Animals Software, Inc.
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Financial planning? Hey Chris - ever heard of Vista (by Viewplan)? It was an estate planning program.
Up until three years ago, I was working on that app. Then, CCH took over (bought the company) and eventually closed our office in San Diego. None of the existing employees wanted to move to Iowa, so we were all let go.
"...the staggering layers of obscenity in your statement make it a work of art on so many levels." - Jason Jystad, 10/26/2001
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John Simmons / outlaw programmer wrote:
ever heard of Vista
yep.
i'm working for Mobius (MPreps, MPlan, Leonard, etc.), now part of Checkfree. fun stuff.
-c
Smaller Animals Software, Inc.
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I put Job security, Good work environment, Ability to telecommute, Interesting/challenging work and Potential to learn new skills/technologies.
I note not many other people put telecommute - does that mean no-one wants to, or that realistically the jobs do not exist ?
Christian
I have come to clean zee pooollll. - Michael Martin Dec 30, 2001
Sonork ID 100.10002:MeanManOzI live in Bob's HungOut now
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We allow all of our engineers to telecommute if they wish. About two-thirds do.
I recommend it.
Some people look up from their monitors see the pictures on the walls of their cubicle. I look up from my code and see my three-month-old baby playing with Mom on the floor. Nothing beats setting your own hours and working in your living room.
With terminal services, instant messaging, and high-speed Internet connections in everyone’s homes, it is not the least bit difficult to manage. The company saves money on office space to boot.
Corey
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Corey wrote:
and high-speed Internet connections in everyone’s homes
that is the funniest thing I have heard all day. I hear that even in the States broadband is still really just a wish and for the lucky few.
Otherwise all that you say is true
regards,
Paul Watson
Bluegrass
Cape Town, South Africa
Do you Sonork? I do! 100.9903 Stormfront
"The greatest thing you will ever learn is to love, and be loved in return" - Moulin Rouge
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