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Salesforce Uses Chatter To Monitor Employees

Posted by timothy on from the eavesdropping-on-their-own-eaves dept.

storagedude writes "At the launch of Chatter Mobile this week, Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff said he has been using the Facebook-like business service to monitor employee communications and identify a 'secret network' of employees who are influential in driving the business. Asked if employees felt like they were being spied on by Big Brother, Benioff replied, 'There are certain things appropriate in a business environment. We're not talking about a tea party, we're talking about how to get things fixed.' With 20,000 companies already using the three-month-old service, it is no doubt being put to similar use elsewhere. While Salesforce's use of Chatter to monitor employees appears to be legal, the issue underscores just how much social networks can be mined for information — even for things they weren't intended for."

4 of 82 comments (clear)

  1. I think its BS... by cybrthng · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Privacy shouldn't be ignored just because you work for someone. I remember when peopled used to give a shit and ask you how you were doing or actually paid attention to your job performance. Now i can socially network someone out of a job as well and these corporations still don't get it. Nice

  2. Legal...but Creepy by sycodon · · Score: 4, Insightful

    It's no different than management or its agents showing up at the same theater you do or restaurant with the intent on listening to your conversations. Or maybe crashing a neighborhood party and asking your neighbors about you.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
    1. Re:Legal...but Creepy by houstonbofh · · Score: 4, Insightful

      It's no different than management or its agents showing up at the same theater you do or restaurant with the intent on listening to your conversations. Or maybe crashing a neighborhood party and asking your neighbors about you.

      Only if they also own the theater or restaurant. Many people forget that the cell phone and computer and Internet the company pay for belong to them. If you want privacy, use your own computer, phone and Internet...

  3. Somebody finaly read last weeks The Economist by baomike · · Score: 4, Informative

    http://www.economist.com/node/16910031?story_id=16910031
    Mining social networks
    Untangling the social web
    Software: From retailing to counterterrorism, the ability to analyse social connections is proving increasingly useful

    It's still and interesting article.