it's really a work-related question, but I wanted more traffic.
anyway: guy that works with me, more or less (he's not physically in the lab right now), asks me to do some measurements, for a paper where his name is second and mine is third (order is related to the effort the author put in the work, in scientific papers). I try, send him the data, saying: it is not possible to do this on my instrument. I can't see the signal, AS YOU KNEW.
He reples: one way or another, we need the data, either on your instrument or mine. now, he never allowed (ALLOWED, I repeat) me to use his instrument in the past, so I'd waste about 1 week to figure it out. I have a paper with my name first to write before I leave the US (March 28th), and my boss, who is the one who is paying me, wants me to concentrate on that. I wrote that back to the guy, and I know he's gonna reply to me we need those measurements. Well, guess what: if I had 6 months before leaving I'd do them. They want them ASAP. I can't.
I was thinking of thelling boss: I can't do this measurements, the position of my name in the paper implies that I am no really involved (I fabricated those thigns we need to measure, I think that's it!), I can't spend all my time on that.
What do you think? He (the other guy) is really stressing me out. I really think he should come here and do the stuff himself, but *he has no time*. I am sick and tired of being bossed by him. But I don't think it's the case to say that to my boss.
Before you actually get your boss involved, maybe you should tell the other guy that your boss wants you to concentrate on your current paper and that's where you need to devote your energies. Sorry if it holds up your measurements. Thanks for understanding, etc., etc., etc.
If he still gets in your face about it after that, then I'd go to the boss and tell him what's going on.
I had already done that: told the guy: sorry I really can't do that yadda yadda - and he still said - we need that stuff NOW! so, I went to my boss - and was really kind. He suggested I ask another guy who is using our stuff to do the measurements in return for what we allow him to use. It's a good solution, b/c they really are not difficult (I'll show him once and he'll know what to do), only long and tedious.