SparkFun Electronics Commentsurn:uuid:214d0e4e-f1b1-d287-ce26-ac5b4c9f82492024-03-28T22:47:36-06:00SparkFun ElectronicsKen5 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Ken5urn:uuid:c893201a-be10-edca-5973-dd0c1b3f38c42014-12-06T00:25:30-07:00<p>I'm surprised that you didn't just GPS enable the dogs so you could track which one pooped where :)</p>
EvilGenius121 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!EvilGenius121urn:uuid:6304a1e7-6d3f-113d-3896-ee91dc4731c12014-01-31T20:27:49-07:00<p>Actually, the allowance of dogs is one of the reasons WHY I want to work at sparkfun. Nice to see a place that is not 100% procedure and rules but actually allows a bit of leeway in things. Would I want to work at a place where everything has a rule? Not really. Anyways, dogs are so lovable. :P</p>
Customer #394180 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Customer #394180urn:uuid:0921aa96-f450-8ed5-4d07-5cf07745a9262014-01-31T06:05:53-07:00<p>OK, tnx for the clarification. Guess I should have kept my grandmother's VHS collection after all.</p>
Nic_B on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Nic_Burn:uuid:c4af49be-19e0-d674-d3b6-58d49fb837a92014-01-30T09:58:34-07:00<p>we have the file for the sign on our downloads page ;)
https://www.sparkfun.com/static/about</p>
Blacklab1 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Blacklab1urn:uuid:d2233900-e94d-29a4-71d6-44f2473a3ef62014-01-29T19:55:15-07:00<p>Who would want to work for a company that is not Dog friendly !!! IF RyeMac3 is so worried about a snoring dog taking so much of your time, maybe RyeMac3 should remember that in the US, people are suppose to take 15 min breaks every so often, which could be used as quick walkies. Dogs are great way to get people to exercise. Dog reduce stress. And sometimes people need a cold nose in the right place to get them motivated. I am just surprised that Sparkfun new building does not have a Doggie day care next to it. Anyway, I use to do business with companies who were ISO 9000 certified- you know what? I could not stand them, also they are no longer in business. Their priorities were in the wrong place, and you could see it in how their employees conducted themselves, and how they handle their customers. If having a dog force at work makes you more human, then that's who I want to do business with. Learn something from a Dog: Take the time to smell the roses, you might find something that might not have expected.</p>
Blacklab1 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Blacklab1urn:uuid:b2302edd-0cc5-004d-75c3-5ea5f68716f32014-01-29T19:36:43-07:00<p>I vote for the blinking Collar !!!</p>
l0gikG8 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!l0gikG8urn:uuid:49eadb3c-b22b-7034-4429-5dd645e5cded2014-01-29T17:03:51-07:00<p>I'd buy Spark Fun styled posters for electricity safety, soldering techniques, safe coding practices, or over-the-top technological like in <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=portal+safety+poster&tbm=isch" rel="nofollow">Portal</a>. But I don't think I'm very interested in the pet waste genre.</p>
Frencil on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Frencilurn:uuid:92ac97b8-a7e1-cd09-09e3-7bb7e4f818cc2014-01-29T16:05:36-07:00<p>Sorry, no official branch! Todd's just working from Maryland these days.</p>
Kamiquasi on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Kamiquasiurn:uuid:0f0b5b15-128a-09d4-0934-9bc3be9ce5ab2014-01-29T15:59:12-07:00<p>Right?? I just flew back from there! Between radioshacks only stocking cellphones and the closest thing to a place to get a decent soldering iron being a mom&pop hardware store, MD could do with an SFE branch ;)</p>
CS on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!CSurn:uuid:e1654ee7-0f16-849d-0733-7b19c10087c12014-01-29T15:54:51-07:00<p>Wait -- SparkFun has a Maryland branch?!<p>From the video, looks like it's maybe just someone working remotely, but I'd love to know otherwise.</p></p>
MikeGrusin on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!MikeGrusinurn:uuid:dc0c94d0-cdee-4a81-1b95-42cc2fab47182014-01-29T15:27:59-07:00<p>The signs were a custom job just for our building (and amusement). But if there's interest...</p>
AdamB on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!AdamBurn:uuid:5008f51d-0ed9-fd39-0cb9-d6bcc07023e62014-01-29T09:37:05-07:00<p>Thanks for the insight. I've noticed all the dogs at SparkFun on visits before but never realized the evolution behind that part of SparkFun culture. Hopefully other workplaces can benefit from your experiences.<p>PS: In the current version of the Dog Policy, there is an (apparent) typo: Under the heading for the "Running up to greet someone who has just walked into a common space" rule:</p><p>"Second offense: Dog must be <strong>leased</strong> at all times for one week." I really doubt SparkFun is interested in tenancy of dogs. Also, given it is at all times for one week it might be considered a violation of privacy (that my companion is leased while I'm not even at work!).</p></p>
Valen00 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Valen00urn:uuid:4f05f389-522d-e2ea-642d-c5fea136412c2014-01-29T04:26:54-07:00<p>Having a read of your policy I'd suggest a few small changes.
I'd allow people to bring in more than one dog (perhaps 2 or 3) provided they are under effective control of their owner, and don't bother other people as group. IE all the same rules apply but the dogs are treated as one unit.
I have 2 small dogs who go everywhere together, I'd hate to think how lonely one would be home alone all day if I brought the other to work.
I can see bringing 2 St Bernards possibly causing a problem (well ok more of a problem than one St Bernard lol)<p>I'd suggest that owners must be in effective verbal control of their dogs while they are playing in the off leash area, perhaps require this to be demonstrated? Perhaps also require this for the dogs "induction" IE the dog should sit when told to (by its owner). I'd also suggest that the dog be under the physical control of the owner when leashed, I've seen a german shepherd drag its owner around the dog park on his face because he wasn't physically up to restraining it.</p><p>I'd also allow roughhousing provided it is ok with the other owner. A husky and a boxer will play more vigorously than a pair of caviler king charles ;-> if its not OK then the owner of the bouncy dog should leash it. If a big dog "pounces" a small one that counts as an attack, they aren't playing with a dog they are playing with food :-<</p><p>As for non castrated animals needing to be on a leash at all times WTH man?
My two are both "intact" males and we have no problems at the (off leash) dog park, There are plenty of castrated dogs that hump my boys (as well as everybody else) its part of normal dog behaviour though perhaps one we find hard to deal with.</p><p>I would however suggest a rule of not allowing any dog in heat into the office as that will set everybody off desexed or not.</p></p>
ctdahle on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!ctdahleurn:uuid:cb34793f-3d05-ab02-7653-21605891108b2014-01-28T19:51:16-07:00<p>But isn't there an ISO standard for creativity, and a rubric, and a fill-in-the-blank official form?</p>
bbotany on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!bbotanyurn:uuid:53df2084-6d29-3ea6-2962-a164be9373e82014-01-28T12:30:49-07:00<p>\<hint>I can not find the sign: neither by looking under swag nor by searching (tried "bag", "dog", "poop", and "sign").\</hint><p>(edited grammar for!)</p></p>
Marvin on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Marvinurn:uuid:42df3d7e-412c-d078-08b9-6f0d1e0d93662014-01-28T11:08:48-07:00<p>Please, don't <em>ever</em> even consider getting ISO 9000 certification. That is the single most certain way of destroying any known form of creativity know to man.</p>
chartle on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!chartleurn:uuid:765cd9cd-d4fe-35e6-559b-0d20ec16fdd82014-01-28T11:07:51-07:00<p>You are worried about dogs? I guess you missed this from some months past.<p><a href="https://www.sparkfun.com/news/911" rel="nofollow">How do I beer?</a></p></p>
diz on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!dizurn:uuid:0c523d50-7175-b508-9b4f-30f310183ad92014-01-28T10:56:37-07:00<p>There are plenty of studies on how amenities in the workplace affect productivity. I'm sure the pets do wonders for morale and health and, as a result, actually increase productivity instead of decrease it as you assert. I applaud SparkFun's desire to be different. If you want stuffy corporate slave-driver culture, there are plenty of options for you.</p>
brennen on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!brennenurn:uuid:dbacb03e-c130-4d69-6f0c-a3440a24f3c22014-01-28T10:52:43-07:00<blockquote>
<p>I don’t know, but I feel a little weird about getting my electronic components from a company that has 30 dogs running all over the place.</p>
<p>If what the discerning customer truly seeks is an electronics company without dogs running around, it's probably a safe bet that most of the market that <em>isn't</em> SparkFun already meets this constraint.</p><p>If we don't fill this niche, then to whom is the dog-oriented electronics enthusiast to turn? What we have here is, in words an MBA might recognize, a competitive differentiator.</p></blockquote>
M-Short on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!M-Shorturn:uuid:79e46dc2-a6a2-14fd-e0a2-0109d66d13032014-01-28T10:39:26-07:00<p>Honestly most dogs sit quietly under their owners desks most of the day, or for the more mobile people quietly at their heels. All employees get 2 15 minute breaks as well as up to an hour for lunch. That's more than enough time to take your dog out, get some play time in and feed yourself. While not everyone one is a dog lover, I love dogs and love being able to go play with a dog for a few minutes when I'm having a rough day and need a break. All in all it is pretty low key, and tends to be a big moral booster (read 'increased productivity').</p>
Frencil on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Frencilurn:uuid:27505d19-8c90-2fca-6253-c8d1b68c69e92014-01-28T09:53:55-07:00<p>Pretty sure tony was referring to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OnpkDWbeJs" rel="nofollow">this scene from Stripes</a>.</p>
Customer #394180 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Customer #394180urn:uuid:fc5ca59f-e670-4a57-cec7-a7b6660727622014-01-28T09:51:57-07:00<p>Who's Francis?</p>
Customer #514383 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Customer #514383urn:uuid:ceb09fe9-d0cd-afe2-b114-bd954d595f442014-01-28T09:40:04-07:00<p>Our office has an outdoor doggie daycare within a mile of the office and offers a 40% reimbursement just like with child care. It's great because there is a nice trail to and from doggie daycare which I typically will run to pick him up and drop him off from the parking lot. It also allows the pooches to be integrated into the environment before and after work with other co-workers and their animals.</p>
TFlock on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!TFlockurn:uuid:32e77ca5-23dd-d81b-50f7-a32bc40779a72014-01-28T09:34:46-07:00<p>Ya know, perhaps we could keep them all in one room and rig up some kind of methane generator. Go green!</p>
R_Phoenix on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!R_Phoenixurn:uuid:083f3402-8ff3-8f69-4f56-de086237ece42014-01-28T08:59:46-07:00<p>Do you support a day care center as well?</p>
Robotguy on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Robotguyurn:uuid:bc7c7c43-a290-67fc-d848-d4a6a344555d2014-01-28T08:53:21-07:00<p>"The canine-ical form of this document lives in SparkFun’s internal wiki site."</p>
RyeMAC3 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!RyeMAC3urn:uuid:5237c7d3-3375-eb3d-479f-2513811ec36b2014-01-28T08:40:53-07:00<p>Maybe pets in a smaller setting is OK, but I think there's no room for it at a huge company like SparkFun. I don't think people should be bringing their pets to work. I don't care what the dog owners say. Every minute that's spent tending to their pups is time taken away from work. I for one would not care to work in an environment where people were allowed to bring their dogs to work. There's just no place for it. I think you guys have gotten lucky up until now. You should ban dogs at the workplace before you end up with a lawsuit. Are you guys ISO 9000 certified? How does that play into things? I can't image any company getting any kind of decent cert while they have dogs roaming around the place. I don't know, but I feel a little weird about getting my electronic components from a company that has 30 dogs running all over the place. It may not be "rampant" like I imagine, but you can't deny the public's perception. And sometime perception is everything. Facts don't matter once the perception has been made. It might just be bad for business. I'd love to work for SparkFun, but putting up with 30 dogs would be a deal-breaker. Have you guys lost any good talent because of the dogs?</p>
BBB on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!BBBurn:uuid:39ee7629-c844-fdd2-3031-1787d5ec9bba2014-01-28T05:44:40-07:00<p>we have created all these autoimmune disorders by overly sanitizing our environment. The best thing you can do to promote a healthy immune system in your babies is to get a dog.</p>
KM4HPK on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!KM4HPKurn:uuid:71d60e75-1fb2-b11e-8f73-1d5f5c250bef2014-01-27T21:05:20-07:00<p>Or not. :(</p>
KM4HPK on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!KM4HPKurn:uuid:bfcd9aae-beba-d8e4-5c11-dfead00cae492014-01-27T20:38:59-07:00<p>Anybody notice that you can email the dog owners?</p>
t-storm on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!t-stormurn:uuid:ac116054-bbba-5014-2fb8-0dd2b44cf3072014-01-27T16:45:23-07:00<p>Lighten up, Francis.</p>
Melt-O-Tronic on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Melt-O-Tronicurn:uuid:375d8113-bafc-51ce-7404-b53d3739f23c2014-01-27T16:28:38-07:00<p>That picture of Cora has me rolling! It's a perfect combination of pooch snoot, lens, lighting, background, etc. I love that pic!</p>
todd on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!toddurn:uuid:127be02e-e744-f607-8421-65d5256897142014-01-27T15:22:44-07:00<blockquote>
<p>Do you guys have any husky’s?</p>
<p>Here's <a href="http://youtu.be/zTsl4gSf3xE" rel="nofollow">a video of Coda saying hello</a> from SparkFun's Maryland branch.</p></blockquote>
Frencil on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Frencilurn:uuid:daafed38-c142-521e-b9ef-7cbbbb40e1462014-01-27T12:36:25-07:00<p>I don't know of any huskies in the building now, though I haven't met all the dogs so there could be one somewhere. There have been some huskies in the past though. One of our developers who now works remotely has a couple and one of them was a big lazy fluff ball that you just had to love.</p>
Conn on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Connurn:uuid:d92c6549-5ed6-0a33-6afb-81e2ec5ae7cf2014-01-27T12:03:18-07:00<p>Do you guys have any husky's?</p>
Frencil on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Frencilurn:uuid:2ad45cd7-9ba8-4145-a58d-3a2f50267fd72014-01-27T11:58:55-07:00<p>All applicants are asked if they have issues with dogs, be it an allergy or something else that might adversely affect their ability to be around them. So far we've been lucky and no applicants have reported anything critical. Should we have a qualified applicant with a severe allergy or other issue with dogs, though, we could probably figure out the necessary segregation to keep that applicant safely removed without it affecting their work. I suppose we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.</p>
Customer #394180 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Customer #394180urn:uuid:96c41f2c-9fb9-7a43-c11b-0d0d0550c5492014-01-27T11:49:00-07:00<p>What happens when someone with a dog allergy applies for a job? Or if an employee's kid develops a dog allergy and goes into anaphylactic shock and dies when mom or dad come home with dog hairs on their clothes? Lotsa good lawyer bait here.</p>
scharkalvin on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!scharkalvinurn:uuid:5ac46e3e-abee-bc2a-96cd-21f8bdc62a112014-01-27T10:51:33-07:00<p>Sometimes dogs and cats do get along, especially if they've lived under the same roof for a while.
A friend of ours had two dogs and three cats. Two of the cats always hid from the other cats and most people, but the thrid one wanted to be friends with everyone. She often went for a ride on the back of the Black Lab (who didn't mind at all).</p>
sgrace on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!sgraceurn:uuid:50d975a6-22a7-f0b5-6ea4-88ca23a798ff2014-01-27T10:47:30-07:00<p>Do any dogs have a title in the company? If so, can we see some of the titles? Cause whenever I stop by SFE, I see a bunch of dogs and I wonder what their titles are. I mean, working for a company and having no title is a bit odd...</p>
Improvised Dynamics on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Improvised Dynamicsurn:uuid:f753cd94-f369-37e1-01fc-b18740eca9db2014-01-27T10:22:51-07:00<p>That's actually one of his favorite spots to relax.</p>
Frencil on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Frencilurn:uuid:496dbd3b-d91f-1e96-2f4e-17f4ffa8af852014-01-27T10:18:48-07:00<p>I had no idea, and I would have loved to meet her. Because cats are awesome (I'm assuming that's a cat...)</p>
RobotDude on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!RobotDudeurn:uuid:e1c4e71d-816c-1f22-a961-a5512f774d772014-01-27T10:11:40-07:00<p>Can't wait for the first 'Child Tribunal'</p>
sfunguin on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!sfunguinurn:uuid:f64bdb26-2e79-7509-7fd2-a55e7cd0d3fa2014-01-27T10:01:29-07:00<p>Ms. Kitty Meow came for a morning visit once, but was evacuated before any dogs arrived.</p>
brennen on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!brennenurn:uuid:b2ea6b3f-0824-d3cf-b5c3-1e97ff0ae4242014-01-27T09:52:46-07:00<p>I heard something to the effect that they actually had to take number of dogs into account when speccing out HVAC stuff for the new building. Apparently they generate a fair amount of heat, if nothing else.<p>(Edit: Naturally, this is actually covered in the post. Disregard me I am an idiot.)</p></p>
EvilTwin on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!EvilTwinurn:uuid:fc1c71e7-4d48-a162-28b8-8708491588712014-01-27T09:23:50-07:00<p>Then maybe there should be canine oriented SF Swag? maybe a Frisbee, or a bowl, how about a blinking collar?</p>
Jason77 on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Jason77urn:uuid:3d7e8549-e5a7-36b7-0b91-32c5582f5bc42014-01-27T09:20:42-07:00<p>Did the HVAC guy have to calculate farts per mammal? Because I know some dogs...</p>
Gizmoguy on You have been randomly selected to serve on the next Dog Tribunal!Gizmoguyurn:uuid:7b4487f5-5efc-1384-e15e-6bd24f9358f92014-01-27T09:04:44-07:00<p>Does Tesla have trouble relaxing next to the jacob's ladder? :)</p>