A Search Engine For Corporate Desktops

Chibi writes: "Wired has an article about Altavista creating a new application that allows corporations to search their own networks, e-mail systems, and computers. It allows for certain areas to be designated off-limits and companies can determine who has access to the application. They claim it is a tool to increase productivity, but what are the chances it will be used to monitor people instead?" As the article points out, if a business implements this kind of desktop snooping, though, they could face additional liability as well.

Comments

Corporate Monitoring

[jazman_777]

There goes the heyday of reading /. Surely this will reduce the incidence of sites getting /.ed.
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Ya know,

[VFVTHUNTER]

I like the Slashdot crowd, and I recognize that most people here are only paranoid in an intelligent fashion, but it seems like every article I see on here anymore is people whining about how this new technology X is going to be used against us.

The problem with this viewpoint it that it flies in the face of the fact that most of us think DeCSS should be legal. We sit here and say that the new X technology is bad because it will be used against us; Judge Kaplan basically said the same thing when he ruled against DeCSS.

The fact of the matter is, this new corporate technology does have a legitimate business purpose. The same can be (and should be) said for DeCSS. We don't come down against DeCSS just because it can be used for piracy; we should not come down on this because it can be used for snooping.

If you are doing sketchy internet stuff at work, either use PGP for mail and browse the web through www.safeweb.com, or SSH to your home machine and be sketchy from there.

Re:Ya know,

[dachshund]

We don't come down against DeCSS just because it can be used for piracy; we should not come down on this because it can be used for snooping.

The difference is that we (the "Slashdot crowd") don't have the capability to declare things illegal. All we can do is make a lot of noise and hope the powers that be will consider our opposition before they head down a potentially abusive path.

If the MPAA had restricted its complaints about DeCSS to a few web pages and newspaper articles rather than heading to court to flex their newly purchased laws, I don't think we'd all be quite as annoyed with them.

It's a two way street.

[tycage]

Why is it when Napster gets told, your product can be abused, Slashdot is quick to say that the users who abuse the system should be punished, not the system.

But when piece of software like this is mentioned, Slashdot jumps all over it because it can be abused.

Shouldn't we keep the same standard here?

Sure the software can be abused. That doesn't mean it will be. And if it is, it should be handled on a case by case basis.

--Ty

What!?

[zpengo]

This is getting absurd. It's a perfectly logical business solution, and hasn't anything to do with Big Brother.

Hey, did you hear that Windows has installed a "Find File" feature in windows so that my sister can spy on me?

Hey, did you hear that Google allows Government thugs to search my personal websites?

Hey, did you hear that flashlights a violation of our personal rights because they are being used to perform surveillance in previously dark corners of my garage?

Shut up already.

Re:It's THEIR equipment...

[_xeno_]

You've managed to inadvertantly hit onto something that really annoys me - the idea that if a programmer isn't writing code, he's not being productive.

and if they're getting it done in half the time, then spending the other half browsing porn and napstering, I'll want a goddamn good explanation

Well, I wouldn't be browsing porn or napstering, but I often read Slashdot after coding for a while. Why? What am I doing, reading Slashdot instead of working?!? ... Well, I'm trying to solve a problem. I've looked at the problem from one angle for long enough and now it's time to move on. It's not at all abnormal for me to come up with a solution to something after I've stopped actively working on it for a while.

In fact, generally speaking, if I were forced to be actively working on something every minute of an eight-hour day, my productivity would fall sharply. Many times I've spent an hour working on something, than left to do something else, and come back and looking at it fresh realized that instead of starting the variable with a "t" I meant to start it with an "r" - a stupid typo just wasted an hour of my time.

The bottom line is that computer programmers and network admins probably won't spend their entire day "working" - however, even when they're doing other "worthless" activities, their subconcious is still attacking something from earlier in the day, and when the programmer gets back to the task, they'll be far more productive than if forced to just pump out code all day.

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What difference does it make?

[wrinkledshirt]

Who cares if it gets used as a snooping tool? Most workplaces have agreements that don't allow you to use work email for personal use anyway, so if you agree to those terms, isn't any means the employer uses to enforce it also fair game?

The computers, network, servers etc. all belong to them in the first place.

Has great possibilities...

[__aaahtg7394]

Having worked in small- to medium-sized companies, I've been a bit spoiled with regards to interpersonal communication. But occasionally it's hard to find out who on the team has written a spec, or who has the source code to a component (CVS, i know... don't ask), etc. This would be great for that -- you don't have to go desk-hopping or send a broadcast email to find out who has what, you can just search for it.

As far as privacy concerns, well, don't store private things on your work machine. The software theoretically allows you to set certain areas as unindexed, but i wouldn't trust it at all. Look at it this way: would you leave private things in your (unlockable) desk before going home at night? Your computer is just like that in this system--it's a desk you can't lock.

I carry a backpack around with me when i go to the office; it contains random personal things, they don't go in my desk. Personal data should be in a data backpack of some sort, if you bring it at all.

All in all, i think this has more positive potential than it does negative. When it comes to productivity vs privacy at the office, i'll take productivity at the office, so i can get to my privcay at home.

Corporate "Intrusion"

[Migelikor1]

This is one of those things that shouldn't bother you unless you're doing something wrong. An employee is hired to provide a specific service to a company. The company, under a capitalist system, tries to use the employee to earn money. The best way to do so is to have the employee providing their given service at peak efficiency. If that employee spends all day downloading prOn or trying to get first posts on /., the company should logically either pay the employee less, or punish them. Sure, it'll make work suck, but that's a fact of life. (Office Space, anyone?) If all employees were forced to work straight through their workday, they'd have mental breakdowns, and corporations would shorten the workday. In short, this is just a move by businesses to make more money, and if you already do good work, it won't effect you. If you don't work hard, it may force you to. If it's used to make unreasonable demands, productivity will fall, and business structure will change.

It's THEIR equipment...

[hyehye]

and you shouldn't be doing anything on it or with it that they would not approve of. Why is it that so many people tend to ignore/forget property rights? Monitoring a home user is evil, monitoring your employees is just smart. If I'm paying someone to do work, I want to know that they're doing it - and if they're getting it done in half the time, then spending the other half browsing porn and napstering, I'll want a goddamn good explanation. Either reward them for their efficiency, or give them more work to do (probably accompanied by a raise due to their heightened value to the company). Sheesh, guys - if it's not your box, and not your network pipes, then shut the fuck up and recognize the owner's rights to his own property.