[LINK] Work PCs

[Karl Auer]

On Mon, 2007-04-02 at 21:15 +1000, Howard Lowndes wrote:
> management channels so that it can be correctly reviewed.  In most 
> organisations there just is no need for almost any employee to visit 
> non-work related sites.

Nor to call non-work-related telephone numbers, eat anywhere but the
work canteen, visit anywhere between work and home, use any but the
work-supplied stationery, look out the windows...

OK, I exaggerate, but some level of Internet access is expected and I
would even say required if you want happy, satisfied computer workers.
And happy, satisfied workers, it has been shown time and time again, are
productive workers.

In my laqst few years, Internet research on a wide range of matters has
been part of the job - locating hardware, getting answers to
work-related questions. This research typically involved visiting
hundreds of sites, many of which I will never visit again. Getting that
lot onto a white list would have been impossible and a lot of work for
very little gain.

I would have had to have been privileged to have a computer with open
access - to be a have in an office of have-nots. Gee, that's a great way
to foster inter-personal goodwill.
 
So handle it the way you would handle any potentially damaging behaviour
- make everyone aware of what's OK and what's not OK, and deal with
infractions promptly and fairly.

Who cares what someone is browsing at work as long as the work gets
done?[1] If the work isn't getting done, *that's* the problem to be
addressed. You don't need technology, you need a good manager.

Regards, K.

[1] I know that's an oversimplification, but you get the idea.

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Karl Auer (kauer at biplane.com.au)                   +61-2-64957160 (h)
http://www.biplane.com.au/~kauer/                  +61-428-957160 (mob)