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System Adminstration and Corporate Ethics?

Not-a-BOFH asks: "About seven years ago while SysAdmin'ing for a (then) small software company, I was approached by the CEO regarding a technical issue. He explained to me that he got a bit hot headed at another employee and sent said person an email that he now wished he hadn't sent. His request to me was to dig through this person's email and delete it before he came in that morning. As the SysAdmin, this was certainly possible for me to do, but I've always tried to remain ethical when having such access to sensitive documents. In the case of email, I explained to the CEO that to me it was like tampering with the U.S. Mail, and I wasn't comfortable doing it. Long story short, my boss had no issue with it, and wound up doing it anyway. Looking back now, I'm not really all that surprised that that decision of mine led to my getting fired, but I've always wondered how many other people have had similar situations happen to them, where personal ethics and CEO heavyhanding came into play, and their job security suffered from the clash."

7 of 192 comments (clear)

  1. Ask Slashdot? ? by Trusty+Penfold · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    What's the question again?

  2. Analyze this! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    You're an idiot, and now you're an unemployed idiot!

    Moral: The boss is *always* right, this is the culture you Americans have given the world. If the boss's actions turn out to be wrong, *he*'ll get fired, and you should be golden.

    But now, you've been insubordinate. That will hound you for the rest of your life. That's another great contribution of American culture!

    One little mistake, and your entire livelyhood is in jeopardy! Ever wonder why people are so violent in that shithole of a country? There's one reason!

  3. Ohmigaw, you're an idiot! by itwerx · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    (Disclaimer: I am presuming that this didn't happen decades ago before all the lawsuits over email)

    This is not flamebait, it's a simple fact. It's been proven time and time again at just about every level of the United States legal system that a company has every right to do whatever they want with their internal email. They own it!
    Your CEO is/was head of the company, right? - QED

    Hell, I'da fired you too.

    Well, okay, maybe it is a little flamebait-ish, but geez!
    (Hmm, dirty thought, did Slashdot editors just fall for a cleverly disguised troll?!? :)

  4. 7 Years ago!?! by aufecht · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    7 Years ago and you are now just getting around to posting it on Slashdot? Why didn't you contact Taco about this when he was still in his dorm room fiddling with Chips & Dip?

  5. should have mv'd it to your $HOME by DrSkwid · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    and then read it

    jeesh, dont they teach you anything in America ?!

    --
    There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
  6. Re:BOFH with Ethics? by LWolenczak · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    I wrote my post as In my last two jobs, I was MIS. I was the dude.

    Re: establishing views, thats my opinion. Your STUPID if you expect your employer to NOT monitor your activites. Most companies that I have worked with have policies that all electronic communications generated from the office are property of the company, where in the company has exclusive rights to the material.

    Besides, most smaller companies (atleast here in north carolina, don't have a written policy re: email.) If you are the dude, what you says goes.

    As for myself being fired. Most likely true. I worked for a failing outsourced IT firm They knew I was not going to let myself be screwed by them, so they took preemptive action, and canned me.... Offically because I deleted my email, ofcorse, they trashed the server with my mailbox on it the same night.

    Thank you for your rant.

  7. Ethical issues with supporting M$ software by BroadbandBradley · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    I don't know about any of you other Linux Zelots...

    but when I get to where I work and have to log into that wintooK screen it makes me feel dirty and unclean.

    is this an ethical issue or am I just sick in the head?