Dude, I cannot tell you how much your post speaks to me. As an IT technician, we have one simple rule at my workplace for when users need help. Call in a ticket. I try to explain to my users that 1) by law, I cannot make a change to the network without proper documentation, 2) By putting in a ticket, every change is tracked and everyone is accountable, and 3) it helps justify my position as well as 3 other positions who's responsibility is to answer the phones at the helpdesk.

But do my users do the IMPOSSIBLY simple task of calling in their problem or writing a simple email? Fuck no. Instead, they would rather stop me in the hallway, complain to me about how their computer is slow/program is broken, etc, taking up my time, and delaying me when I'm on my way to helping someone who *has* followed the correct procedure and placed a ticket. I will bend over backwards to help some one or point them in the right direction, but if there is procedure in place, then that comes first; especially when it could come around and bite me in the ass. (ie. security permissions, etc.)

Sadly, I too have become an asshole, as I refuse to help anyone until they follow proper procedure. I have begun to time how long they take when they stop me in the hallway and bitch, and then use that same amount of time explaining to them policy and procedure AGAIN(!), why their thinking is flawed, and what they can do to avoid doing it again in the future.

Sometimes you HAVE to be an asshole because that's the only way some people will learn.