My point is that it does not matter if the decision making process is discretionary, automated, or a combination. An executed trade is accounted for...
My nephew has been manager here for years, and I would really doubt that he would care, other than to provide you with any resources you might need. I'm not challenging you, but there is a big difference between showing interest in what we all do (we do share a lot within the firm), and jumping on some else's program. FWIW, we do get approval for automated programs from GS, but we do not ask for any specific code. When you were here, you may have met one of the groups that does zillions of line items daily with their (very costly) programs, and they have been doing that for years without any fear of interference from any of us. In any event, showing interest vs. gaining some "inside" info may have been the culprit here (sorry for any confusion). All the best, Don