![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3W-DpDaPVR2xYbmY_2Degx2GL_QrqLNkcTE-eHAik2c46FDdV2d10JTzL31g8Sdhu8DzTF6qx2JS7N7yutKNEh3qEvkliMyVc3LZfMCwCgIEZMYEVtjPYRHT5kDldtm5ATdxXv-K2eIkF/s320/TPSreport.png)
The lowly T.P.S. report: this form, filed in triplicate, is too often the only reprieve overworked engineers get from days filled with otherwise-productive engineering. It's a way for middle management to communicate with the verbally-challenged plebs that their goal isn't a product, it's a paper trail, and a gentle reminder that you're not being paid to make a product, you're being paid for engineering time.
It's government thinking in the corporate world—a beacon of hope for post AIG/Bear Stearns capitalism. New capitalism isn't about taking risks and innovating, it's about going with the flow and keeping your job, and T.P.S. reports do just that.