-----Original Message-----
From: Reckhard, Tobias [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, September 20, 2000 13:36
To: 'Noonan, Wesley'; 'mimo'; '[EMAIL PROTECTED]'
Subject: RE: blcking sites
I know I'll regret it, but I'll step in here a bit.
[it seems mimo said:]
> This is when the concept of PC "personal computer" changes to CC "company
> computer". I'm not saying I like it, but this is what management is
> demanding.
>
[to which noonan notes:]
> I suspect that view is largely due to the fact that the company, not the
> employee, buys the computer. IOW, it is the companies "personal computer",
> not the employees... but I could be wrong...
>
> I guess I'll take the unpopular view. I agree wholeheartedly. I didn't buy
> the computer, so I have no rights to it. If the company wants to run SMS
> against it, monitor it, etc. more power to them. It's theirs anyway.
>
[Tobias:]
The difference is that they're not so much monitoring the PC as they're
monitoring the user. I couldn't care less if they monitored the PC I'm
using, checking how much power the CPU is spending, the fan turn rate, bus
utilisation, whatever. When they start watching what I'm doing I grow wary.
I don't know about you, but I don't like being under surveillance. I'm
pretty sure it would have very adverse effects on my productivity and would
induce a feeling of hostility towards those monitoring me -- they obviously
don't trust me, do they?
[Wes]
It isn't about trusting *you*. You have personalized something that is not
personal. The company is responsible for the employees actions. I know if I
am responsible for something, I want to know what is going on with it. Which
means if I am responsible for employees, yes, I want to know what they are
up to. Companies take the same view. Since they are ultimately responsible,
they have a stake in knowing what their employees are doing. The employee
never gets sued for their actions. The company does.
[noonan again:]
> My PC is at my house, where it belongs. They want me to work from my
> house,
> they give me a computer to do so. It works both ways. :)
>
[Tobias:]
I understand you to mean that you feel that a PC the company gives you to
work on at home is yours? Now that's a concept I don't get. I'd definitely
consider it the company's -- if they wanted it back, I wouldn't have much of
a choice, would I? I might feel more free to install what I want on the
machine and to make private use of it, but not much more than about the one
in the office.
[Wes]
You misunderstand me. If they want me to work from home, on a PC they will
(potentially) monitor, they will provide me a computer. If they want to
monitor their equipment, fine. But don't monitor the equipment I own. IOW,
at my house I make a very big distinction between equipment I use for
personal use (surfing for porn or whatever else I feel like doing) and
business use (which is used solely for business use - no personal use what
so ever). This prevents any confusion on the part of me, or my employer.
[mouss actually:]
> so what? I prefer to have people who watch porn and are efficient over
> those who are "normal"
> but produce nothing.
>
[noonan, yep:]
> If you mean at work, I can only assume you have not worked for a company
> who
> has been sued (successfully) for sexual harassment as a result of people
> surfing for sexually explicit content. What goes on at home is no ones
> business, but at work, the company - not the employee - is held
> responsible
> in the courts for such actions, or at least that is how it works in the
> US.
>
[Tobias:]
You could try to enforce a policy of no-porn technically, but ultimately,
you've got to fail if the 'offenders' are dedicated enough. It's nothing
there's a technical solution for and technical means can only serve to aid
the administrative means that can actually take care of the matter.
Agreed. Far too many companies believe that technology will solve
administrative issues. For example, "rather than enforce a no porn policy,
lets implement technology to stop the porn". This is partially successful at
best.
What the technology can do though (i.e. periodic monitoring of the logs), is
illustrate when those administrative issues have been compromised, so that
the appropriate action can be taken, which IMHO means talking to the
responsible party. If a company does anything less, they will lose in court.
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