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Comment by ok_dad | Hacker News Reader

Reminded me of the emails we constantly got with the subject “BANG A GONG!!!” at my last work place. It was only for sales achievements, and I never saw an email like that for any other department. It was nice they used the same subject every time, so I could filter them out.

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Heh. Reminds me of this time a startup I worked for got acquired by a big financial firm in New York City - we roll into work the first day and at like 10:00 AM this woman starts ringing an actual cowbell and shouting “Standup! Standup Everybody!” They would literally call the developers into the daily standup like they were a herd of cattle.

I cannot stop laughing! Was the standup even about stuff developers would care about, or did they force you to listen to entirely unrelated financial status updates?

One week at one of my jobs they went around the place with a megaphone shouting at everyone before a weekly company all-hands. "It's all hands time!" etc. I walked out the door instead.

One of the few HN comments that doesn't need more cowbell.

It was only for sales achievements, and I never saw an email like that for any other department.

Sales people ringing a bell in the office when they make a sale is traditional in certain sales environments. When I worked in radio, the sales people did it. I've seen food truck operators and baristas do it when someone tips.

It's related to the expression "ringing your own bell," which means to be shamelessly boastful.

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