Monday 10 March 2008

Factman revealed, kinda

If this is true, Council's full time, and highly-paid staffer from the Cairns Works & Services Dept, has admitted writing as the mysterious "Factman".

Murray Langdale is Technical officer and Investigator at Cairns Works & Services, for Cairns City Council.

This is of note because, if Murray Langdale has been scribing entries on CairnsBlog over the last six months - even some of them - some serious questions need to be asked if this is an appropriate role for a Council staff member, especially during work time and on work computers.
  • ----- Original Message -----
    From:
    Murray Langdale
    To:
    wethepeople
    Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 8:31 AM

    No worries John ... Nothing personal, I admire go-getters like yourself.I just get so pissed off with the attitude of "change the Councillors and all will be better."

    It wont make any difference. Council has a depleted workforce, minimal technical and other professional staff these days.There is much better money outside with private employment.

    The demands on Council officers is growing by the day and at the same time, their numbers are being depleted.

    So I defend the efforts of the remaining few officers and workers against the overwhelming critisism [sic] that these blogs bring.

    I'm not absolutely pro Bryne [sic] ... I just stir things a bit to bring out some interesting responses.

    cheers
    Factman
    ======================
  • On 09/03/2008, Cairns Blog.net wrote:

    TO: m.langdale@cairns.qld.gov.au

    Is this true Murray Langdale, in an email you sent to John?

    Regards,
    Mike
    CairnsBlog@gmail.com

    =========================
    From: Ian Pearl
    I.Pearl@cairns.qld.gov.au
    Sent: Monday, 10 March 2008 7:50 AM
    To:
    cairnsblog@gmail.com
    Subject: RE: Factman reveled, kinda

    Mike,

    I suggest you need to discuss this private matter with him direct. He will be back in the country at the beginning of April.

    Regards,

    Ian Pearl
    Coordinator - Works Investigations
    Infrastructure Management
    Cairns City Council
    Tel: (07)4044 3134 Fax:(07)4044 3838 Mob:0428 735304
    Email:
    i.pearl@cairns.qld.gov.au

    =====================

    From: xstasee [mailto:xstasee@gmail.com]
    Sent: Monday, 10 March 2008 8:27 AM
    To:
    cairnsblog@gmail.com
    Subject: Re: Factman reveled, kinda

    Yep, you got me Mike ...

    I was stupid enough to not check my google account status.

    I guess you can do three things now ...

    1. Expose me as the nobody I am, (in fact, the Mayor doesn't even know me)
    2. Let Factman continue to add his "facts" as before
    3. Ignore me.

    I enjoy your blog, it's very entertaining.
    cheers
    Factman

    PS: Murray Langdale, born Wellington 1949, attended Rongotai College.
    Lived in PNG 1982-94, Holloways Beach, Cairns ever since.
    Loved the video of Wellington airport, I landed there 3 weeks ago.
    Presently in England with my wife having a well deserved holiday.
    Will miss the election but I would have voted for Margaret Cochrane. She's a good sort.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

i hope murray doesn't get in trouble :(

Anonymous said...

Huh....."some serious questions need to be asked if this is an appropriate role for a Council staff member, especially during work time and on work computers..."
Wake up to the REAL world Michael.
While working in the State Public Service in 1999/2000 I regularly saw public servants check their stock and shares during the day, send emails and videos. One customer service officer was even showing porno videos to clients at the front counter.
In fact the entire Departments network fell down several times because of a virus which was being sent through personal emails, viz: the "I LOVE YOU" Valentine's Day email. As staff came back from leave, they opened their emails up, and we went through the whole thing over and over.
Personal use of work computers is a real problem and needs seriously addressing.

Anonymous said...

The bottom line is that everyone on the Planet has an equal right to voice his or her own opinion without fear or favour. Anything short of that, even by pressure from anonymous, is censorship. Didn't we all say that we don't have to agree with another's opinion but we would fight to the death to give them, and us, the right to have an freely expressed opinion? Since when do we have to think it's smart to find out who is behind a nom de plume anyway? Syick with the subject people.

Anonymous said...

Factman sic Fatman sic Murray Langdale ... please have the courage to meet me face to face on your return, to discuss your derogatory / defamatory Cairns Blog comments about me. John Babet spokesperson CRAG

Anonymous said...

What does it say about all those who claimed Factman was Terry James.

Best laugh i've had in a while. I can image Terry siting back and yelling PWNED....

Anonymous said...

I am concerned not only for Factman's job when he returns but also for the moral and state of the CCC. This is just the situation you might have with a bully at the helm and people working under enourmous pressures to try and do their jobs in a small town and limited job prospects.

To the CCC staff, a note from a person who has at times been very critical of this council and I am sure this applies to other critics as well, that those of us who have had dealings with individual staff members, have mostly had courteous and efficient service. Sometimes it is noted, that when you say your name, we are told, that "oh you have to go through public relations for that information" , meaning that our our names are blacklisted and Council have a procedure for dealing with us whingers/troublemakers etc.

I beg to differ with Murray's comments that it won't make a difference having new councillors. If you get a new mayor and sweep out the old bent and useless councillors with a broom, you will get a fresh approach and support like you have probably never had. It might just help to change the awful working conditions and culture that you poor sods have had to bear. My thoughts on the subject for what they are worth.....

Anonymous said...

Not fair Mike ...
My email to John O'Grady was from my home, in my own time, and from a google address.
Whoever altered it to read as though it was a Cairns City Council is being dishonest.
I have NEVER used Council facilities or time to post on this blog.
But, like everything else on this blog, what do you believe, I mean, there are several posters that use "Factman" as a name.

Anonymous said...

If the CCC didn't block the site, then you could say they didn't have an issue with staff using/viewing it.

Anonymous said...

Why this obsession who Factman is Michael?

I've been named as ...

1. a local developer
2. Dennis Quick
3. Gary Schofield
4. Terry James

Who cares?

It's what said that matters.

Anyway, my last post for a while, my wife says to me, "enjoy your holiday and forget about Cairns and Council for the next 3 weeks".

She's right.

All the best to all for the coming election and I look foward to working with the new Councillors that get elected.

The people will have spoken.

Anonymous said...

I would guess that whoever wins this election, Murray Langdon can kiss this his council gig "goodbye".

Anonymous said...

Doubtless, some sycophantic "snitch" has been in and ran so fast they set up a wind tunnel in informing the Mayor and other Councillors who "Factman" is.
Bullies need these sorts of "enablers" to function. (And they don't find a shortage of these crawling, brown nosing weak individuals either.)

Anonymous said...

Murray Langdale (aka Factman) makes the following comment in his email;

“Council has a depleted workforce, minimal technical and other professional staff these days. There is much better money outside with private employment. The demands on Council officers is growing by the day and at the same time, their numbers are being depleted.”

If that is the case, I would like to ask why so many of the very qualified and dedicated staff of the Douglas Shire Council have been treated so appallingly in the transition process to the new Cairns Regional Council. Some of these staff have been effectively demoted by two levels and as a result many have sought employment elsewhere and/or left the area altogether.

It is not very smart management of the process. These staff are dedicated and whilst their salaries would be guaranteed for 12 months, it has been professionally insulting to them to have been treated in such a way.

One has to ask why Factman, knowing that this staff problem exists, would vehemently defend Byrne who has publicly defended Noel Brigg’s implementation of the transition process?

Anonymous said...

Factman, who cares and who is obsessed with who factman is??? You are!!, you have busted urself by showing your motivation to be one of Narcissism. how emabrassing for you being a grown man n'all. I wonder if u understand wot i mean by this? Alas I suspect you do not.

Anonymous said...

OMG! He used email and the internet at work. I don't know about the council, but where I work we are allowed to use the computers and 'net for personal reasons before and after work, during lunch and at morning / afternoon tea breaks. It's the 21st century, get a grip!

Oh, by the way, great way to ruin someone's life - I can only imagine that this guy's job is now on the line. Freedom of speech and anonymity go hand in hand, or are you one of these fascist that think "people only want to be anonymous if they have something to hide"? I hear George Bush has some position in his government for people like you. I'm surprised you even have an Anonymous option on this blog... Oh wait, its a Google blog... and their matra is "Don't be Evil" well that explains it I suppose. You could take some lessons from them.

Arr, I've just red that comment moderation has been enabled on this blog, so I doubt that this message will get posted, but if you really are as supportive of free speech and transparency, then I challenge you to post this.