Hotmail: Not Safe For Work?

silentknight writes "According to MSNBC, web-based e-mail providers such as Yahoo and Hotmail may not be a haven for your private e-mail anymore. At least not while you're at work. SpectorSoft is introducing eBlaster, which aims to "secretly forward all e-mail coming and going through such Web-based accounts to a spy's e-mail". Corporations will most likely argue that, because of sites like Internal Memos, companies need to keep a tighter grip on the information that flows in and out of their companies. But attempting to spying on private e-mail?? In the words of Homer J. Simpson: "Butt out, Buttinsky"."

Comments

To be honest

[ObviousGuy]

The time you spend at work, you ought to be working, not sending personal email, making personal calls, or anything besides work-related stuff.

Now this becomes a little tough because we aren't automatons and have lives outside of work that need tending to. However, to expect that what you do within the walls of your company is private is laughable.

Just assume that everything you do there is under surveillance. Heck, all your thoughts are already belong to them.

Re:To be honest

[nagarjun]

However, to expect that what you do within the walls of your company is private is laughable.

That's highly culture specific. For example, most Asian companies usually do not insist that *whatever* you do on company time is teh company's. Heck, I did not even sign a contract to that effect.

Re:To be honest

[Mr_Silver]

The time you spend at work, you ought to be working, not sending personal email, making personal calls, or anything besides work-related stuff.

Which is fine until you point out that the flip side of this is that you'll only work your contracted hours and never think about work outside of work hours.

If a company is going to totally restrict what you do during work hours then they shouldn't expect any favours back - especially when a better job comes along as you'll be the first out of the door.

It works both ways, they make your working conditions pleasant and you reward them with loyalty.

Re:To be honest

[RailGunner]

If a company is going to totally restrict what you do during work hours then they shouldn't expect any favours back - especially when a better job comes along as you'll be the first out of the door.

Quite honestly, you should do that anyways. Company loyalty is a complete farce. Most companies treat people as "human resources" anyways, and in most companies your employment is "at will".

Quit giving your lives and your hearts and your souls to a company like that. You'll be much happier if you think of yourselves as mercenaries - do honest work for honest pay. If you think a management decision is stupid, as long as it's legal / ethical, then kick back and remember that they're paying you to work, they're not paying you to care. Example: Say some pointy haried boss wants you to implement a horrible User Interface. You know it's a bad idea, that it'll be clunky. GO AHEAD AND GIVE THE PHB WHAT HE/SHE WANTS! Let them deal with any consequences. If a company starts reading your private email, then quit. Find something else.

And this isn't a bad attitude. When you're at work, you should perform your duties to the best of your ability. However, when you're not at work, forget about work. And if someone offers you a better job, then TAKE IT. Start putting yourselves and your families over your jobs. Ultimately, your own self and your family is far more important then a company that's here today, gone tomorrow.

Look what company loyalty got employees at Enron and WorldCom.

Make all changes retroactive, technology-wise

[SirSlud]

The best way to make people rise up against this is simply to encourage employers to try to apply the goals and reasoning of software like this against traditional communication services.

How many people you think would be cool with their employer listening in on their personal phone calls, and opening all their personal mail that gets sent to the office?

Apply it to everything, and people will understand that this is an encroachment on what we currently have, not a reasonable measure for dealing with a newish technology.

Re:Make all changes retroactive, technology-wise

[gmhowell]

Ditto some of the other replies. NO mail gets delivered in my office until it is opened. Even stuff that says "personal and confidential" is opened. It's a safety issue. There have been a couple of death threats throughout the years. It's also my facility. I paid for the person opening the mail, I paid for the post box. Trust me, I have no interest in reading a subpoena from your divorce attorney. I really don't. But if that's a death threat, I owe it to you AND THE OTHER EMPLOYEES to tell the cops.

In our employee handbooks, we reserve the right to monitor calls. We never have, but we can. We allow a few calls (lots of mothers in my office. Lots of calls to/from the office to make sure the kiddies got off the bus okay) which is no big deal. Same thing with... A million little things. People are more productive, like you say, if they don't have to stay at home to wait for a package, to order a repair of their appliance, etc. But some people abuse the privelage.

It's a balance that has to be struck. What seems to work is when we suspect someone of abusing the phone, we just remind them that we allow limited personal calls, and that we can monitor their calls to see if they are abusing the privelege. The offending behavior stops within hours:)

And to the naysayers who say 'ignore company loyalty'. I've got news for you: it's a chicken and egg problem. I'll extend loyalty. We've got employees working for us who were around in the Ford administration. Until they retired, there were a couple of employees who changed my diapers. They gave their loyalty. We reciprocated. Need 2 months off for back surgery and recovery? No problem. Hope you get better. We'll keep your chair warm for you. OTOH, you think we're only good for a paycheck? Well, screw you. When times get tight, you'll be first on the chopping block. We'll find a way to save the person who stayed late to finish up some work.

Loyalty works both ways. I think some of the children on slashdot forget that.

Heh

[zapfie]

Their computers.

Their network.

Their time.

Their money.

'nuff said.

Re:Heh

[Rude Turnip]

OK, then the following changes will take place:

1. Pay for all my work clothes.

2. Pay for my fuel expenses going to work.

3. Pay me for all the unpaid overtime spent in the office *and at home*.

4. Pay me rent for using my home as temporary office space (see item 3).

5. Pay my cable modem/DSL bill for VPN'ing over the weekends.

Re:Heh

[Dan Crash]

Their toilets.

Still think you don't deserve any privacy?

Re:Ooh, goody...

[Latent IT]

You're leaving out one major point -

When we (meaning the IT department at my company) monitors what users are doing, either on the internet, or anything else, they're not just doing it on company time...

They're doing it with company computers.

the system

[mattdm]

So it's feudalism at work; democracy on your own time.

Your words could apply just as well to someone justifying plutocracy as the logical system of government for a nation -- the wealthy landowners get to make the decisions, because they literally own the country. Somehow, in these modern times, we've decided that that's just not acceptable anymore. Why do we still put up with it at work?

Rights vs brains

[MountainLogic]

Sure, it's the company's system, but any smart manager knows that allowing employees to take an occasional personal phone call or email is going to make for more productive worker. Someone stewing about a sick child because they can't get a call from a caregiver is far less productive than a worker getting a quick email every hour with the childs temp.

There are two types of workers, those who WLL get the work done regardless of distractions and those who will NOT get the workdone even if placed in a locked room. Hire and trust good people! Big brother tactics just makes the productive people less productive and won't fix the duds.