Working for the USPTO

[Tobmapsatonmi]

I'm very introverted.

Old joke, stolen from engineers and applicable to patent peeps!

Q:  How can you tell if your patent practitioner is extraverted?

A:  When s/he talks to you, s/he looks down at YOUR shoes!

[Feta Cheese]

The rsp detects when you're logged in, and the drinking bird will prevent those annoying automatic log outs for no activity, no?

I agree with feta that if someone wants to game the system they'll be able to. It may be harder than before but still doable.

Like...during training for the RSP they specifically said that log-in time is not necessarily indicative of your actual working hours depending on how you work. Not only that but plenty of people work by having something going on in the background. Some of those people work better when something is playing in the background. That said taking a "30 min break" during the work day to play video games or whatever is rather questionable, but as I heard a popa rep once say "you're permitted reasonable breaks, and they consistently refuse to define what that means. as long as you get your work done I'd say any break is a reasonable break"

[fewyearsin]

As far as I can tell, RSP (record sharing platform, a system that monitors login/badgein and logout/badgeout times for examiners throughout the day) has been watered down enough that it will probably only catch the most egregious of time-cheats.  It literally only tracks when you lock and unlock your computer and when you badge in and out.  They have specifically said that they aren't monitoring what you do on the computer or network, just when you login and logout, as well as when you badge in and out in the building.

For me, it will help make sure I put my time in the correct days.  I usually work 45-50 hours a week and used to just put 8 in each day M-F.  Now I am more careful to put the right hours on the right day, and RSP will serve as a backup timekeeper, basically.

I was much more worried when they first announced it.  Now my concerns are just how they might expand the monitoring in the future, even though I work my required hours and do decent quality work, that kind of power in the wrong hands can be twisted to get just about anybody in trouble.

As we all know, you get what you measure, so now the Office will get more people logging in and badging in on time, and logging out and badging out on time.

[openpatent]

They have specifically said that they aren't monitoring what you do on the computer or network, just when you login and logout, as well as when you badge in and out in the building.

Not sure IG won't.

[steelie]

It literally only tracks when you lock and unlock your computer and when you badge in and out.  They have specifically said that they aren't monitoring what you do on the computer or network, just when you login and logout, as well as when you badge in and out in the building.

In the RSP training, they showed how RSP keeps track of the total time examiners are logged into their workstation.

RSP makes separate events for every workstation login/logout event, and accumulates the total online time for the day.

That's the time your SPE will see, and should match your time sheet.

You're allowed "reasonable absences".

[lazyexaminer]

I mean, the IG will do what the IG wants to do, regardless of the RSP or what the Office says. If the IG wants to go after people they don't need the RSP to do it. If steelie or anybody wants to watch tv while at their desk, preventing the automatic lock, the RSP isn't going to say anything negative about that. If the IG wants to go further I'm sure they can, but that's a different story and has always been the case.

To me the RSP seems to be just a cosmetic fix so that the IG and Congress don't turn up the heat. "Look, that problem that was in the papers was an isolated issue, we have addressed it, now we have all this data that X% of people are logged in at least Y% of the time, and people have to take coffee breaks and poop and some people like to read paper references so don't mess with our telework programs please."

I agree with fewyearsin. I probably sit at my desk for more than 80 hours a biweek and I think any breaks I take are reasonable, so the RSP isn't really going to affect me except to make it easier to fill out my timesheet accurately. At the same time I am not a fan of the principle of the thing and worry of more controls slowly being added piece by piece and I am not all that trusting that the people in charge will use it in a pure way (not speaking of the particular people in charge now, but just in a general sense). But there's not really anything I can about it except ensure that my RSP time and work time are pretty close.

[big brother]

They won't use it in an aggressive manner......as long as you keep your numbers up. At least that is how it worked with the electronic gate when we moved to Alexandria.

[two banks of four]

A little bit off topic, does anyone know how they use key-stroke logging and what sort of stuff they may decide to keep in one's "dossier?" 

I maintain a reference database, and I sometimes write a quick blurb about what is disclosed.  Usually, I write something like [surname of the first/sole inventor] is directed to [a particular field of endeavor] and discloses [xyz].  Happens that the first inventor of a particular reference has a run of the mill German last name.  When I typed the inventor's last name followed by "is directed," my screen froze, and then something popped on the screen momentarily before everything returned to normal.  It could have been a coincidence, but I wonder that perhaps the phrase I typed is considered to be politically sensitive by the surveillance software, and that the typing triggered a recording of some sort of monitoring system.

as another poster mentioned,  with the amount of info they have on you allows them to do some unseemly stuff 

[steelie]

A little bit off topic, does anyone know how they use key-stroke logging

In the IG report, they stated that unlike the old routers, the new CISCO routers maintain continuous connections (not dropping/reconnecting, rather updating within short intervals), so I was under the impression that they use the router connected/disconnected history.

[Feta Cheese]

From what I heard, putting a key-log requires director approval or something and isn't something they do as a general rule except to catch people suspected of abusing t&a

[steelie]

A little bit off topic, does anyone know how they use key-stroke logging

In the IG report, they stated that unlike the old routers, the new CISCO routers maintain continuous connections (not dropping/reconnecting, rather updating within short intervals), so I was under the impression that they use the router connected/disconnected history.

They did say in the RSP Q/A .. that if your cable goes down (so you're disconnected), and you stay logged into your latop .. then later on .. when you reconnect ... it will credit you for the time you were logged into your laptop.

So, at least, they must be looking at the workstation login/logout records.

[Rabid Levity]

It could have been a coincidence, but I wonder that perhaps the phrase I typed is considered to be politically sensitive by the surveillance software, and that the typing triggered a recording of some sort of monitoring system.

as another poster mentioned,  with the amount of info they have on you allows them to do some unseemly stuff

To ensure safety, you need to envelope the distal portion of the monitor in aluminium foil.

Same thing with your Samsung or Sony "smart" television, which otherwise will beam a constant image of you to the federal government.

They are out there; and They are always watching.

[kokushibyou]

If anyone is struggling at GS-7 or 9 or even 11....get out before its too late and you have no useful engineering skills left.

This.  Being an Examiner at the USPTO is a very unique career path.  It has no branches.  You become an examiner, and can get promoted to do more examination in less time, until you are a Primary. Then you dead end.  Further career options are pretty limited.  Maybe become a SPE.  Maybe get a law degree and try for PTAB, Petitions, Office of Solicitor, or some of the other JD-required jobs at the PTO.  But I can't really think of any outside, non-PTO job that being an examiner prepares you for.  In most cases, if/when you leave, you are starting over.  So if you are not ready to commit fewer than 2, or more than 10 years to the PTO, best get to gettin'.

Hi all, I am one of the new Examiners still on probationary period from the hiring of 1/17/2017. As I'm approaching the one year mark the more concerned I grow about my future as while I am meeting my production as a GS-7 I feel like I am working way too hard at it and I've seen some similar opinions as the one this post is quoting. Still being new, is this a big problem or will it eventually click for me as some of my other colleges have suggested happens? What was the catalyst that helped the job "click" for you? If the overwhelming advice is still to get out, what are my options? With limited engineering experience before coming to the office and now with my time at the office how do I even market myself?

Any help/advice is appreciated.

[abc123]

If you have a good supervisor, you can probably work it out if you are reasonably competent. If you have a bad supervisor, maybe not letting you allow any cases, then it is possibly hopeless. Just remember that if you decide you want to leave, you should start looking early while you have a job, since not having one will make it a lot harder. Also, remember the economy is good right now, so if you do end up leaving, you can hopefully find the job that you want.

One more thing. Some people take examining too serious, writing long office actions that are kind of pointless. I once knew someone who would proof read every page of the specification. Believe it or not, the PTO outsources this function to people in prisons who proof read the case after it is allowed. The search is the key. If your SPE wants office actions as thick as the Gutenberg bible, you probably won't be examining very long. Anyway, good luck.

[bluerogue]

I don't know if it's a big problem or not.  I knew a couple of guys who had issues at 1 year, was stressing, etc., but ended up just fine.  They still struggle a bit, but are managing a decent career.  I know of many primaries who also are struggling.  It depends probably.  It did seem that for those who were struggling at 1 year had something click by year two.  Honestly, if it doesn't click by year two, I don't think it'll get any better.  Examining is a bit of a rote job.  Also, you'll be getting better at searching and writing OAs so that should come easier. 

Like abc said, if you have a good SPE, it can probably work out.  I'd echo his advice about the work you're putting in as well.  Do what you need to.  We're not given enough time to do a great job.  We're given time to do a reasonable job.