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When Petty Meets IT: The Genius Net Nanny Revenge That Had a Whole Factory Fuming

Let’s be honest: everyone secretly enjoys a good tale of workplace mischief, especially when it involves a touch of technical wizardry. Enter u/ImThe1Wh0, a former project manager with a Top Secret clearance, a heart for overworked IT folks, and just enough righteous pettiness to pull off a prank that would make any sysadmin proud. What started as an ordinary last day on the job turned into a months-long “glitch in the Matrix” that left an entire plant scratching their heads—and exposed a few lazy habits in the process.

Imagine: you’re the last one out, shutting down the lights, when you stumble upon a workstation blaring Fox News and Newsmax. What do you do? If you’ve got admin access and a score to settle, you seize the opportunity to sprinkle a little chaos—one blocked website at a time.

When IT Gets No Respect (and Fights Back)

Anyone who’s worked in a company with government contracts knows the drill: security rules, visitor logs, the whole nine yards. But not every company treats their IT department as the digital superheroes they are. In this particular Midwest facility, IT was the unloved stepchild—overworked, underfunded, and dismissed as mere roadblocks to “productivity.” The result? A tightly-knit alliance between the writer (the project manager, with plenty of IT chops) and his friend, the head of Cybersecurity.

With trust—and admin credentials—in hand, our hero helped lighten IT’s load. Need a new access point? He’s on it. Running cable across the roof? No problem. It was a classic case of “if you want something done right, do it yourself.”

But when his IT friend skipped town for greener pastures, the admin access lingered like a digital skeleton key. And on his own last night, with the glow of partisan news sites lighting up the empty office, inspiration struck.

The Sweet Science of Petty Revenge

Let’s break down the brilliance of this move:

  1. Opportunity Knocks: Unattended workstations, careless users, and a blanket admin password—a trifecta for mischief.
  2. Low Risk, High Reward: With no cameras, generic admin accounts, and inbound-only keycard logs, there was no easy way to pin the deed on anyone. Even he forgot about the access!
  3. Double Whammy: Not only did he block distracting news sites, but anyone who complained instantly revealed they were goofing off instead of working. It’s like setting a trap that only catches the truly idle.

And the best part? Months later, the staff is still perplexed. IT, already drowning in tickets and budget cuts, shrugs it off as a glitch—ignoring the low-priority, weekend-only complaints. Meanwhile, those who try to protest only dig their own graves: “Wait, why were you trying to watch Fox News during your shift, anyway?”

The Workplace Morality Play

Sure, some may cry foul—blocking websites without explicit authority isn’t exactly best practice. But let’s be real: in the battleground of office politics, a little poetic justice goes a long way. Especially when it shines a light on the real problem: a company culture that undervalues IT, and employees who think their shift is Netflix and chill.

This story is more than just digital hijinks; it’s a lesson in the power of the overlooked. IT professionals are often the unsung heroes, quietly patching holes and keeping the lights on—literally and metaphorically. When companies treat them as afterthoughts, they risk more than just slow WiFi; they miss out on allies who could make their lives a whole lot easier (or, in this case, a whole lot more complicated).

Revenge: Best Served Encrypted

As for our protagonist? He’s out, he’s free, and he got to enjoy a snow day chuckling at the chaos he left behind. The plant manager’s call for help rebooting the solar panels was a perfect reminder: sometimes, the best way to help is to know who’s worth your time—and who’s not.

So next time you’re tempted to leave your work computer unlocked or think IT is just there to nag you, remember: your digital destiny might just be in the hands of someone with the keys to the kingdom—and a wicked sense of humor.

What’s Your Petty Revenge Story?

Have you ever pulled off a harmless act of digital justice in the workplace? Or are you plotting your own masterpiece? Share your stories in the comments below—because nothing brings people together like a little shared schadenfreude.

Inspired by this Reddit post from r/PettyRevenge, upvoted by thousands who appreciate a well-played IT prank.

Original Reddit Post: Before I quit my job back in August, I forgot I did something petty and net nanny'd the workstations