# how can a file automatically delete itself after some time / some years.



## kenny1999

my company recently requires all the staff to submit the soft copy of our files (which is our innovation with painstaking effort) to their computers to serve as the property of the company so that they can use it repeatedly in the future painlessly, effortlessly. And the fact that we are not going to get any reward or a rise in the salary. Some of us thinks that it is very unfair but we have no choice but to do so. However, we don't want our "property" to become their "property", so I am here asking for help if someone knows any programs or trick to impose to a file such that it can delete itself after some years or a fixed period of years? I hope the program/code/script can be always sticking to the files in nature so that it will still work when the files are moved or copied and pasted to somewhere else. 

The program can be simple or even a bit tricky is ok, since, luckily, our company is not dealing with IT or high-tech products, we don't have computer genius here, but I don't want to hire hackers to hack them because it is illegal.

Thanks all


----------



## tlarkin

Yes this is easily possible with scripts, but I have to wonder, why do you want this?  Plus, this sounds like tampering with company policy which is something I suggest you do not do.

If your job sucks, start looking for a new one. I know that may not be possible in this economy but you shouldn't do anything that would risk you getting fired.

Plus, if the system is not stable, and the time/date get reset, your files will delete which is not a really good idea.


----------



## PohTayToez

Why do you think that setting up files to be deleted would be any less illegal than hacking in and deleting them?  What we're talking about here is company property, and destroying it through any means is going to be illegal or at least set you up for a nice civil suit.

It's not uncommon for companies to take ownership of anything developed by their employees on company time using company resources.  If they don't get the end result of your time and work then what are they paying you for?


----------



## kenny1999

PohTayToez said:


> Why do you think that setting up files to be deleted would be any less illegal than hacking in and deleting them?  What we're talking about here is company property, and destroying it through any means is going to be illegal or at least set you up for a nice civil suit.
> 
> It's not uncommon for companies to take ownership of anything developed by their employees on company time using company resources.  If they don't get the end result of your time and work then what are they paying you for?




The reason is simple. The time and amount of work compared to the salary I get is VERY VERY MUCH NOT proportional. I am not paid only to help them to create new things / new files. The amount / time of other work has already made it very unfair (It is not illegal but unethical). By the way, how about the OT? We don't have over time payment! I sometimes need to do the work at home not because of my inefficiency but their harsh workload! 

I am willing to do the innovation / file, and to let them use my innovation /file when I am "here", as you said, they are paying me. But how about the future? when I quit? They certainly will use my work to help them create money, so who pay for me then? My file / innovation has time value, do you think they will pay for the time value after I leave some time in the future?! Certainly NOT!

So, get back to my question, I hope some scripts. Thanks people!


----------



## kenny1999

tlarkin said:


> Yes this is easily possible with scripts, but I have to wonder, why do you want this?  Plus, this sounds like tampering with company policy which is something I suggest you do not do.
> 
> If your job sucks, start looking for a new one. I know that may not be possible in this economy but you shouldn't do anything that would risk you getting fired.
> 
> Plus, if the system is not stable, and the time/date get reset, your files will delete which is not a really good idea.



Thank you for the constructive comment.

But what is the scripts then? 

Referring to your questions

1. I don't mind my files get deleted if the time /date changed / reset, no problems at all, it is their business,by the way, they are all computer idiots so I can have thousands of excuses to explain that in case this happens.

2. I can't change jobs at the moment for some reasons. By the way as you said it is econmically depressed and most jobs suck so it is meaningless to jump from one hell to another.


----------



## tlarkin

The reason why time/date sensitive scripts are bad, is because if the time/date ever resets, and you aren't using NTP servers (that are redundant), it will trigger the script.  Which could easily cause undesired results.

Also, you should probably read your employment contract.  I am pretty sure anything you create under company time on company property, is company property.   

Developers don't get to take their source code when they change jobs.


----------



## PohTayToez

You've already been paid for your work.  It may not be what you deem "fair", but it was a previously agreed upon amount.  You've agreed to do x work for y dollars, and for _you_ to go back on that is unethical.  You can quit at any time at which point any work you do will be your own and you can do what you want with it, but as long as you work for this company the work you do for them is _theirs.  _

I'm not saying your company is in the right, I have no idea what the conditions are.  What I'm saying is two wrongs don't make a right.  Is it really worth getting sued over just so you can have a little bit of revenge?  If a bunch of files go missing and they've all been created by the same person, do you not think that your company will know who to look at?


----------



## kenny1999

tlarkin said:


> The reason why time/date sensitive scripts are bad, is because if the time/date ever resets, and you aren't using NTP servers (that are redundant), it will trigger the script.  Which could easily cause undesired results.
> 
> Also, you should probably read your employment contract.  I am pretty sure anything you create under company time on company property, is company property.
> 
> Developers don't get to take their source code when they change jobs.




Hi, NTP server? what is that?

undesired results? what do you mean?

By the way, I hope we can stick to the technical discussion. I am not in U.S. or any European countries. In fact I am in Thailand. Our situation here is very hard for the outsider to understand.................Please stick to technical discussion


----------



## Nanobyte

kenny1999 said:


> .........Please stick to technical discussion


You don't seem to be getting the polite hint - this forum is governed by laws which forbid participating in or encouraging criminal acts, wherever they may be.  This thread needs to be terminated.


----------



## S.T.A.R.S.

Yes it is possible to do this.You would need the program that runs in the background and which would delete any of the files you want on the specified time/date wether it is for 2 hours,2 years,on 03.06.2013 and so on...

This is usually useful if you want to get rid of the junk 

If you want,I can make you the program for that.Here is my contact mail address: marin.j@hotmail.com


----------



## tlarkin

S.T.A.R.S. said:


> Yes it is possible to do this.You would need the program that runs in the background and which would delete any of the files you want on the specified time/date wether it is for 2 hours,2 years,on 03.06.2013 and so on...
> 
> This is usually useful if you want to get rid of the junk
> 
> If you want,I can make you the program for that.Here is my contact mail address: marin.j@hotmail.com



It is still not recommended because if your time/date reset it could trigger unwanted results.   The only time you want to do time/date triggered events is for automated back ups, and then perhaps maintenance.  I would never recommend automated deletion of files, unless you had redundant back ups of them.


----------

