Why do admins insist on being so difficult to get a long with?

I’ve been at this job for over 6 years now.  I work in a research lab, developing systems and software.  Typically our lab has always been linux based.  Since the admins typically worry about the Windows labs and faculty Windows machines, the school has always let us do what we want with our computers.  It’s always been our responsibility to setup and admin our own machines.  Some communication and ground rules have been necessary for playing nice on their network, which we have always obeyed.  In the six years I’ve been here, we’ve never had a problem.

Recently there has been a push by the IT group to “gain control.”  This started off slowly when we willingly handed over some of our servers (web and subversion) to the linux cluster admin.  At first we shared admin access on these machines.  The admin’s kept them up to date, we setup whatever software environments were necessary.  We all got along and it was happy times.

As old machines were phased out, new machines were setup by IT and we were locked out.  There were a small hassles here and there, but they still weren’t touching our workstations or our development system, so we worked through it.  Slowly they have crept into our realm and taken away more and more of our machines.  They are refusing to allow me to put the new viscube on the network because I have admin on it.  Well no shit!  I setup the machine, and need to be able to install new libraries for developing on it. It is a research machine after all.  Now they said I have to take my laptop off the network.  Next it will be my workstation.

A full fledged war is breaking out. This is probably the most frustrated I have ever been at work.  I can see some systems where we don’t need access, but much of what I do is systems design.  Yes, that means I need custom distributions installed.  I need to be able to tweak kernel parameters, drivers, or reinstall the machine.  I need to be able to swap hardware, install new libraries, try new versions of dependencies.  IT seems to think that the issue is black and white, which of course nothing ever is.  I’ve just finished writing up several pages of justification on why we should still be able to have admin on our machines.

Next week the battle will happen and I feel like I’m on the losing side.  The dean is making the decisision and the network admin has been able to do such a good job scaring her, she’s barely willing to listen to us.  I am so frustrated by this whole mess, that I will seriously consider leaving my job if they are not willing to compromise.  I cannot continue to work in an unfriendly environment, and I will not work in an environment that keeps me from being productive!