Are They Watching Us?

[Bago]

Ah right. I'll have to remember the maxim: "If in doubt actually /read/ other posters comments."

 

Darn right I would - I've worked in tech support for about 10 years and I've yet to work in a company that does!

Different type of companies may outsource different 3rd parties to install the softwares?

 

I work in IT too, and I know that monitoring systems were put in, and I knew that my access was also questioned too. This came from the guy in infrastructure. At the end of the day, it's down to how individuals accepts such things. Either play by the company rules, or not at all. I wasn't that much of a rule player. But there u go... For me, I rather eleviate stresses via posting on sites like SF than to be controversial and make demands on the job.

 

I also remember someone getting sacked for downloading something from their own personal PC to their own laptop. This caused a big hoo-hah as to state whether it was company resources or not anyway.

[SleepyHead]

Different type of companies may outsource different 3rd parties to install the softwares?

 

That's a possibility, but seeing as I'm sysadmin I'd know about it! I think it depends on the size of the organization you work in, and the kind of software they use. SMEs often use M$ without monitoring software simply because monitoring software of the kind we're talking about is either UNIX-based or well outside budgetary allowances.

 

This came from the guy in infrastructure.

 

That's me!

 

 

I also remember someone getting sacked for downloading something from their own personal PC to their own laptop. This caused a big hoo-hah as to state whether it was company resources or not anyway.

 

Well they own the laptop and there's usually some caveat in your employment contract to say "Don't abuse your privileges", but I've worked in companies where that kind of clause is used as an excuse for senior management spying on their employees, and besides I'm thoroughly disenchanted with the IT industry at the moment. Never seems to make things better - only ever seems to make them a different kind of same.

[Joanl]

I was waiting for some workmen to come and fit a new window in the bathroom. I sent my daughter an e.mail at work, saying "Bathroom is all stripped now ready for the men to come"....it went into their quarantine system and it was ages before she got told about it...by internal phone.

 

Be careful is what I say:thumbsup:

[Bago]

That's a possibility, but seeing as I'm sysadmin I'd know about it! I think it depends on the size of the organization you work in, and the kind of software they use. SMEs often use M$ without monitoring software simply because monitoring software of the kind we're talking about is either UNIX-based or well outside budgetary allowances.

Well, unless you're involved with monitoring ALL machines, how do you know what's been installed onto each individual client?

 

That story I talked of, was from a guy in one business unit. Not all clients are monitored, and not all company setup with regards to IT are the same. Anyway, I won't go down that route of discussion. I think you know what I mean though.

 

Well they own the laptop and there's usually some caveat in your employment contract to say "Don't abuse your privileges", but I've worked in companies where that kind of clause is used as an excuse for senior management spying on their employees, and besides I'm thoroughly disenchanted with the IT industry at the moment. Never seems to make things better - only ever seems to make them a different kind of same.

If you're a geeky person, then yes, you may allow that, and the trust is there. However, business managers think for the business, they don't think IT. Not all managers think IT. So... it is better to follow the rules really. Better companies may have a clause that says in the working manual "discuss this with your manager" to at least allow some kind of autonomy.

 

I have heard that governmental departments or agencies are much stricter with regards to IT usages. I had a friend who was in accounting for National Audit or other. She told me that someone was indeed fired for their net usage. Maybe the person was made an example of, or indeed, the manager was trying to be seen to be doing something. That was a while back when IT usages and privacy data was all the hype. Some MOD contracts are much stricter too. I don't blame them.

 

Introducing Professionalism is not necessarily a bad thing.

[Roop]

I dont think half the time they dont bother going throught the logs.

 

One chap at ours got the heave ho because of net abuse I think. I suspect it was more because he was useless and they wanted shot of him but you never really get to find out.

[Lindos]

I once worked with a girl who got the sack for inappropriate use of email and internet at work. Can the various I.T. sections really see where we've been even if we delete history, files and cookies? I'm a bit worried about it because I sometimes nip on of a day when I'm bored.

 

In a word, yes.

 

They can screen for inappropriate words, addresses and web sites. They can produce a log of your activity, in some cases down to individual keypresses.

 

When I was net admin for my ( a previous) company, I had all emails containing my name copied to my inbox.

[Lindos]

I dont think half the time they dont bother going throught the logs.

 

One chap at ours got the heave ho because of net abuse I think. I suspect it was more because he was useless and they wanted shot of him but you never really get to find out.

 

Your absolutely right. If they want rid of you, first thing they do is raid your email and web logs...

 

It really is standard practice.

[marc1990]

Ah, but all that shows you is when the user's requested a new page, not when they stopped looking at the old one. To know when they've stopped looking at the old one you'd have to monitor the active window in the OS (or the applications they have open) and link that to the activity in their browser - or is that what you meant?

 

While I'm sure this is possible it's been my experience so far that most companies simply monitor page-loads (either at the firewall or via the proxy) rather than the whole kit and caboodle.

 

*edit*

 

Incidentally - f you load a page at 9 in the morning and leave your browser window open all day that doesn't mean you're looking at the net, even if the page is being refreshed even now and then. To be looking at the net you have to be actually looking at it, if you catch my drift.

 

children! you're both as clever as each other ok

[Bago]

Your absolutely right. If they want rid of you, first thing they do is raid your email and web logs...

 

It really is standard practice.

Sometimes I find that it's a mixture of both. Then again, isn't that with any work? Be there to make me money, or be out of a job etc etc.

[mikey10]

thanks for all that. i dont have a problem with the sites i only go on this, sheffield today, newspapers,bbc etc. i sent an email the other day, to the star newspaper, a letter, and a thing flashed up that said inappropriate use your email has not been sent, please contact IT if you wish to send it. ive had this a few times in the past but nobodies ever said owt. going back to the girl the company were trying to get rid of her because she was a poor timekeeper etc. so i think it was just an excuse. basically i worked there and she emailed me when i'd left and vice versa, she mentioned a customer was sexually harrassing her, which he was, and they just got rid of her.