My company launched a brand new corporate intranet site this week.
In an effort to let everyone know about it, they did the following:
1. Gave a preview of the site at our last quarterly company meeting
2. Held a “name the new intranet site” contest. (Won by chutta incidentally)
3. Sent a multiple email messages out talking about some of the stuff you’ll be able to do on the new site
4. Added a countdown clock for the launch of the new intranet site on the old intranet site.
5. Brought in a photographer to take pictures of everyone for the new site.
We all knew it was coming. On launch day they also did the following:
1. Handed out mouse pads with the new intranet site name printed on them.
2. CHANGED THE CORPORATE LOG-ON SCRIPTS SO THAT INTERNET EXPLORER LAUNCHES THE NEW INTRANET SITE EVERY TIME AN EMPLOYEE LOGS INTO A MACHINE – REGARDLESS OF WHAT IS SET AS THE HOME PAGE, WHETHER IT US SET AS THE DEFAULT BROWSER OR NOT.
If you think I sound annoyed, you’d be right. I use Firefox at work for one very specific reason. (okay more than one, but stay with me on this…) I can configure multiple tabs to open when it launches. I have 4 tabs set up – one for the web monitor app for each lab that I work in, and one for the new “error monitor” app that is currently being developed to help us track down problems and prioritize which lab needs the most attention at any given time. It’s a very efficient way for me to work. IE can’t do this, but I do have each of monitor tools bookmarked.
The only time I ever even launched IE was when I needed to access something on the old intranet site. And that was only because parts of the old site ONLY worked with IE! (don’t EVEN get me started…) This no longer appears to be the case with the new site. (I haven’t found anything on it that breaks in FF yet.)
Wait, I also use it when I’m in the lab, because I don’t have authorization to install FF on the 300 or so servers that we are running. (tangent: I don’t have authorization to install BOINC either, but it would be awesome if I could. 300 machines crunching numbers for SETI@home??!! drool.)
Anyway, there is a “suggestion box” link on the front of the new intranet site. I’ve expressed my displeasure with this new “feature”. And in the mean time, I’m just going to lock my screen when I leave for the day instead of logging out. That way I won’t have to deal with IE launching when I log in any more.
Edited on Aug 20th 2005, 15:05 by Hooloovoo
Update: They’ve turned off the logon script that resets my IE homepage for me. Never did receive a reply to my feedback. I wonder if it was planed that way all along…
Edited on Sep 24th 2005, 01:40 by Hooloovoo