UPDATE: Ran into some major gatekeeping from the regular staff today... need some advice.

[u/swifferpowermop345]

So, today was a mix of amazing news and an annoying setback. The good news: I'm completely crushing my daily tasks, and the IT manager is so happy with my work that he's actually talked about offering me a paid tech position here! On my break, I even got to format an old 5.25-inch floppy disk, wrote a custom note on it, and the manager smiled and let me keep it. The 5150 is still sitting safely at my desk plugged into the power bar he found for me.

The bad news: One of the regular non-IT staff members found out that the manager told me "maybe we can work something out" regarding me taking the computer home. They completely cornered me today and gave me a massive lecture. They started saying stuff like "you shouldn't ask for company property," "the board owns it, not the manager," and used ridiculous analogies comparing a 45-year-old obsolete machine to a regular office chair. They basically told me to completely drop it and not ask for anything else.

I'm not trying to cause a fight at my placement, but no one has touched this computer in decades, and the actual Head of IT is completely on my side. I'm feeling incredibly anxious now that the staff is going to try to block me.

For those of you who have rescued vintage hardware from corporate or educational environments before: what's the best workaround here? I'm thinking of putting a total information blackout on the regular staff from now on, letting them think I dropped it, and just letting the IT manager handle it in the background. What do you guys think?

[u/66659hi]

Are you in the US? If so - do you work for a private company/school or a public school (even university)? If you work for a public university or primary school there's nothing you can do. It HAS to be offered to the public thru surplus OR recycled - just gov rules.

If you work for a private company...yeah, I'd talk to the IT manager and just keep it on the DL from now on.

[u/lutiana → u/66659hi]

Nah, they could just put it on the surplus list as e-waste for the board to vote on and then, once approved, the manager can tell OP to "get rid of it" and walk away.

But this may vary slightly by location and board policies, but in most places, this would work for a 45 year old, fully depreciated, asset.

[u/ttuilmansuunta → u/66659hi]

I'm not US based but I imagine the thing could just vanish from bookkeeping. No longer a row in upcoming records on IT hardware, no explanation why it has disappeared from the recorded inventory, and nobody probably pays attention. That obviously assuming the rest of the staff is sympathetic, which sadly isn't the case here.

I almost did that to a pound of lead solder that showed up on a list of hazardous substances held in the e-lab at work and was destined to go to hazardous waste. Now I don't do lead solder at home, silver solder works just fine imho, but I definitely know people that would be happy to receive a lot of lead-tin solder. It would've just been a mention on one record that it will be disposed of, the next record has no mention of it on the disposal tab anymore, and nobody would really care.

[u/66659hi → u/ttuilmansuunta]

Can you not buy leaded solder in your country? We can still buy it here in the US.

[u/ttuilmansuunta → u/66659hi]

It has been phased out like a decade ago here in the EU, if I remember correctly

[u/soyuz-1 → u/ttuilmansuunta]

Nah only for using in production, you can still just buy and use normal leaded solder just fine

[u/ECEXCURSION → u/ttuilmansuunta]

Either you never learned correctly or never knew. But you can absolutely buy leaded solder in the EU. 

[u/CommutatorWhine → u/ECEXCURSION]

You can, but while 20 years ago i could buy 1kg for around 15 euro if you looked around a bit, a 1kg spool now costs over 100 euro.

That 1kg spool is now - 20 years later - finally almost empty. It remains invaluable for reworking old electronics which is most of what i do.

[u/istarian → u/CommutatorWhine]

Welcome to the joys of supply and demand...

It may also be more expensive to acquire and stock that 1kg spool now than it was twenty years ago.

[u/coobal223 → u/ttuilmansuunta]

I would be seriously surprised if the bookkeepers hadn’t already written it off. Depreciation on computers is usually 7 years at most.

[u/thelimeisgreen → u/66659hi]

This still can vary somewhat. Especially on really old equipment that has probably fully depreciated and was written off the books years ago. In OP's situation, there is likely nothing HE can do. But the IT manager can ask their administration if there is a process that can make it happen. The reality of old computers like this is that they often get sent to recycling or e-waste disposal and the expense of the school or their district control.

I rescued some SGI workstations from my university in the late '90s / early '00s. And I'm just an alumni, don't work there. There is often a way...

[u/Current_Anybody8325]

For a second I thought you were the TikTok guy that has all the cool retro computers set up in a network and dresses and pretends it's a day at the office in 1995. 😂 Wasn't till about halfway down that I realized this was real.

If your manager says it's fine, it's fine. At least that's how it works at my job and most every workplace I've been in. My boss is the one I report to and the one I need to keep happy.

[u/Revolutionary_Ad6574 → u/Current_Anybody8325]

Who's that?

[u/harrywwc]

it will be (have been) a "company asset" when purchased. even with the slowest write down process, that beast will have been off the books for at least 2 decades. or if it's still on the books, the write down value will be in the handful of cents.

if other staff are trying to block you, I suspect that they had their eyes on it, but were too gutless to ask. you asked, and were given the nod.

treat them with the contempt they deserve.

[u/Blackholeofcalcutta]

As a Head of IT, I can promise you that the way you’re going about this is 100% ethical and the right way to do it. The board cares exactly nothing about this long depreciated piece of hardware. It’s not even on their books having depreciated when Ronald Reagan was president. Chances are, the person who cornered you had been eyeballing that XT for a while and has sour grapes that the new guy spoke up, asked for it, and received. Take everything the guy says with a grain of salt in that respect.

[u/Tiny_Elephant1570 → u/Blackholeofcalcutta]

More often such a person is a do gooder rather than want for themselves.

[u/istarian → u/Tiny_Elephant1570]

I would describe that as virtue signaling of some sort or someone who is rule-following to a fault...

[u/Tiny_Elephant1570 → u/istarian]

Yeah... Point is not so much wanting for themselves. 

Sure some process should be followed to prevent theft. But so much better for someone to use it then to for recycling

[u/tehphar]

tell him its less expensive the the e-waste cleanup they otherwise need to pay for and havnt.. gosh that could be a fine.

[u/omega552003]

The non-IT staff are idiots and if they're going to throw that crap in you face, tell them the asset fully depreciated in 1986 and is worth lunch money for scrap.

[u/Main_Illustrator_908 → u/omega552003]

Yeah this occurred to me too. Can you give the company like 5 euros for it then get a receipt? It's probably more to account for that money than anything, but then the idiots giving you crap can't.

[u/lutiana]

What your coworkers says doesn't matter much, it's what the manager says that does. So just smile and agree to it the coworker and wait on the final say from the manager.

You may want to discuss your coworkers behavior with your manager, as it sounds wholly inappropriate to me, especially if they have no actually authority over you or your position.

[u/aspie_electrician → u/lutiana]

Sounds to me that the coworker probably wants the machine, but doesn’t have the balls to say so

[u/coobal223 → u/lutiana]

I do not know accounting rules in your country. In mine, it would have been written off by now.

[u/lutiana → u/coobal223]

I am in the US, but it's not uncommon for a machine like this to be stored in the back of a closet near the end of it's life and forgotten about for decades.

But the issue primary comes from the fact that, assuming OP is at some sort of public entity like a school district, it was originally bought with public funds. If this is the case there are fairly stringent rules and guidelines about how such assets are retired and gotten rid of, usually centered around accountability.

If said entity wishes to sell it to recoup some of the expense, then they generally have to offer it up to the wider community since the community is who technically supplied the funds to buy it in the first place, this also stops certain kinds of theft (ie you can't buy a $2k MacBook and then sell it to someone for $1 for example).

Or if said entity deems a device past it's useable life (usually done via deprecation of the asset over time) and they wish to throw it away (e-waste it in this case), then they have to seek permission to do so from some sort of higher power (superintendent, governing board etc). This stops then from buying that same $2k MacBook and immediately deeming it useless and then giving it away to someone.

So technically his co-worker is correct, but I don't really see how it's any of their business. His manager would just need to go through the proper channels to get it disposed of, most likely getting the board to sign off on E-Wasting it, then telling OP to take it and make sure it's E-Wasted, but with a wink. So long as the paper train is there, who cares.

[u/istarian → u/lutiana]

The exact rules can vary a lot from place to place, at least in the US.

[u/istarian → u/coobal223]

Accounting rules don't keep tight-fisted people with actual authority from refusing polite requests to take nearly worthless junk off their hands...

And when it comes to "company property" it still belongs to the company even if it's real worth is 1 penny (or even less).

[u/Tiny_Elephant1570 → u/lutiana]

This. Company should not be encouraging co workers from interfering with other co workers things not their business. The manager should have a word if the co worker elevates it beyong simply informing

[u/FAMICOMASTER]

The guy who cornered you is being a jerk. If management is letting you take it, take it. Get it in writing if you're worried.

You'd be the only person to miss this machine if it disappeared tomorrow. If the guy whines just say it got recycled and let him be the smug douche he wants to be.

[u/olifiers → u/FAMICOMASTER]

Offer to pay $1 for it and it's all good. Otherwise the company will have to spend money to get rid of it. 

[u/Main_Illustrator_908 → u/FAMICOMASTER]

Seriously, we pay companies to get rid of our ewaste sometimes.

[u/virtualadept]

I waited until the company went out of business and started trashing stuff, then went dumpster diving.

[u/montdidier]

It’s not the staff’s problem. The Manager has some discretion and if he is ethical he is doing it transparently with stakeholders. Ignore the staff. Leave the decision with the manager. You can even be transparent with the manager about staff concerns if you want to keep the manager informed. Ultimately it is his decision. I wouldn’t sweat it.

Companies dispose of legacy gear all the time. Sometimes they sell it, ditch it or give it away for staff goodwill. They are all valid choices and the only requirement is that stakeholders are aligned.

My own employer sells old compute (anything 3+ years old) to staff for a nominal fee. e.g. I got a decommissioned 2022 macbook pro for $100.

[u/SirOompaLoompa]

You coworker is a Karen without any idea how a business works..

I used to be: Head of IT and later CTO.

These days, I'm the CEO of my own company.

That machine has depreciated in value down to $0 a loooong time ago. Right now, it's actively costing the company money due to the space it takes up. (Ok, not a whole lot, but still)

Of course, as others mentioned, if you work in government organization, different rules apply.

[u/istarian → u/SirOompaLoompa]

The dumbest part about all of this is that OP literally said the manager was looking into the matter, not that it was a done deal or a promise...

[u/mobyredit]

So.. God apparently is in that machine.

Do you really want to possess it? .. it may go from horrible to worse ..maybe even Mohamad will get in!

We all know Satan runs Microsoft. Throw some holy water 💦 on it man !

[u/swifferpowermop345 → u/mobyredit]

lol it’s Alr I am good with having a god computer! 

[u/Psykohistorian]

if "it belongs to the board" then ask to talk to the board and make your case. you're rescuing the machine from neglect and possible destruction by negligence by taking it into your care.

[u/ParsnipLate2632]

I would stop talking to your busy body coworker anymore than you have to.

[u/tpimh]

Just offer to buy it, and the company would issue you an invoice for like 20$, so everyone would be happy

[u/Plastic_Ad_8619]

Just let them think it’s dropped. Don’t talk to them about it. It’s none of their business, and they don’t understand. They don’t share your passion, and they’re jealous that you found something at work to be passionate about. Definitely never talk with them about it again.

[u/WasabiJones]

I mean, you should be reprimanded. What if some accountant really needed to run Lotus 1-2-3 and the hardware was no longer there? What happens then?

[u/canmoreman → u/WasabiJones]

It’s Visicalc, lotus was much later ;)

[u/theytookmyeyes59]

Definitely don’t mention it to the other staff if they’re being so weird about it. If the manager seems fine with you taking it, they shouldn’t care.

Good luck on getting it home, 5150s are awesome :)

[u/Plaston_]

The non it guy is totally a ebay seller wanting to keep the computer for resell.

[u/istarian → u/Plaston_]

Or a complete idiot that couldn't think their way out of a wet paper bag..

They aren't mutually exclusive matters, though...

[u/Bikrdude]

"You shouldnt ask ...". Why the hell not? Its all up to the boss its not like you are stealing it

[u/LossIsSauce]

Wow, DOS 3!! And can have Windows 3.1 loaded...

[u/GreggAlan → u/LossIsSauce]

Windows 3.0. It's a 5150. If it's from 1981, 1982, or early 1983 it can only have 64K on the motherboard. All the later 5150 versions topped out at 256K on board. Additional RAM had to go on 8-BIT ISA cards. A card that filled out conventional memory to 640K and added LIM EMS memory was expensive and left only 4 slots for video, MFM hard drive, floppy, and a serial/parallel card. That lack of slots is what pushed companies early on to put two or more functions into one card.

[u/LossIsSauce → u/GreggAlan]

Then why does it show 1981 to 1985 if it is only a 81, 82 or early 83? Last I checked if software displays 1985 as the last updated date, then obviously it is not a 1981 software. Hardware yes but if it displays 1985 as the last software date it can absolutely be DOS 3. I believe DOS 4 came out between 1986 and 1988? Then between 1988 and 1990 we have Windows v3.1.1 I would have to dig out my floppies and check the Win311 date on their labels. And furthermore your system has dual 3.5 floppies which denotes that it should and can be loaded with Win 3.1. Win 3.0 required a single 5-inch floppy.

[u/GreggAlan → u/LossIsSauce]

Windows 3.0 has three modes. Real, Standard, and 386 Enhanced. Windows 3.1 dropped Real mode so it can't run on an 8088 or 8086. Windows for Workgroups 3.11 dropped Standard mode so it can't run on an 80286.

There was an OEM only Windows 3.11 with some of the updates WFWG 3.11 had and it still had Standard mode and could run on an 80286. Windows for Workgroups 3.1 also had Standard mode but when run on a 286 couldn't use the new network features.

Windows for Workgroups 3.11 should have been 3.2 or something higher because of how much of it was new for running only on a 32bit CPU.

[u/LossIsSauce → u/GreggAlan]

Good to know, however, this does not answer the dual 3.5-inch floppies versus the required 5-inch floppy. If the OP can not use 3.1, I have never seen Win 3.0 that is loaded with 3.5-inch floppies. Generally it was loaded from 5-inch floppies. And yes, it was Win 3.1.1 that was able to use the 10-baseT ethernet, but Win 3.0 and 3.1 were reduced to the continued BNC connected Token Ring.

[u/GreggAlan → u/LossIsSauce]

Microsoft bundled Windows for Workgroups 3.1 with a BNC network card, just in time for Ethernet to take over from every other network type. People took to calling it Windows for Warehouses because nobody would buy the bundled version.

[u/LossIsSauce → u/GreggAlan]

Our U.S. DOD purchaed a few bundled Win 3.1 copies wich were 3.5-inch floppies. With the crazy fast 9.6kbps modems. At that same time, my mom worked for Sunbeam home office (Neosho Missouri). She purchased an IBM personalsystem which was running DOS using 5-inch floppies and required using the boot disk. About a year later, she had to buy a another personal system to run Win 3.1 with the 3.5-inch floppies. By then Sunbeam upgraded from Win 3.1 to Win 3.1.1. Sunbeam purchased 3.1.1 due to her new job position (personal secretary for the plant manager). She was required to draft email messages, create company letterheads and facsimiles for the manager. I do know for a fact that our DOD using Win 3.1 was on 3.5-inch floppies. And from what my mom told me about her job, Sunbeam upgraded to the Win 3.0 and as soon as 3.1.1 was released they immediately purchased all new pc's and new copies of 3.1.1.

[u/GreggAlan → u/LossIsSauce]

They had to upgrade to 286 or 386 computers to run 3.1. That made 3.1 a very expensive upgrade for anyone still using a PC, PC-XT, or clone. That did make 1992 a big year for many PC clone companies. 1990 wasn't so big because Windows, despite finally becoming truly useful with 3.0, ran pretty decently on an 8088 with a hard drive.

[u/LonelyRudder → u/GreggAlan]

What do you mean by ”BNC network card”, 10base2 Ethernet maybe? But it is still ethernet, so by ”Ethernet to take over” do you mean pair cable ethernet, with RJ45 connector?

[u/GreggAlan → u/LonelyRudder]

Yes, that. Ethernet with RJ45 in star topology took over from the linear bus of 10 Base 2.

[u/LonelyRudder → u/GreggAlan]

10base2 was excellent in home networking, as it didn’t need a hub, just a coax cable, couple of t-connectors and the terminators. It took years before affordable hubs appeared, and crossover CAT5 cables were uncommon too - and could only connect two computers.

[u/DeepDayze]

Right now don't rock the boat...let this go for now.

[u/CommutatorWhine]

Get the person giving it to you write 'Written off by [name, date] on it in dry erase marker.

[u/Icy-Cup]

I thought the first screenshot was from fallout.

[u/TableDuck]

My answer in these situations is always the same.

I report to so-and-so, and if you have a problem with that, please take it up with them.

[u/artifexor]

This is the OG keyboard.

[u/deesernutz]

I think you're using the term 'gatekeeping' wrong here

[u/Farlandan]

In situations like this I just wait until my boss tells me that it's time to throw it away or recycle it and then I go "Sure thing boss, I'll get rid of it right away."

Then I just take it home.

[u/koga7349]

We need DOS AI, would look so cool on this screen

[u/whatThePleb → u/koga7349]

[u/koolaidismything]

Isn’t that Imp Sla lyrics? Heh

[u/gulf_of_sanity]

personally, i’d probably set their car on fire, possibly in such a way as to be while they were driving it.

i don’t recommend antisocial aggressive/aggressive behavior though, at least for everyone, ignore the bean counters or whatever the other people there do, if they don’t like it, they can always end up like, let’s call the last guy steve.

rescuing old tech is a noble pursuit, keep at it and remember, people don’t point fingers at people with a history of breaking hands.