On Wed, 2004-03-31 at 14:51, Benno wrote: > On Wed Mar 31, 2004 at 14:41:15 +1000, Bret Comstock Waldow wrote: > >On Tue, 2004-03-30 at 16:38, Howard Lowndes wrote: > >> <hfl> > >> I guess there are a few of out there that will be needing some legal > >> opinions on this one and some re-defined acceptable practice > >> conditions. It looks like a minefield. > >> </hfl> > >> > >> http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/s1077250.htm > >> > >> The New South Wales Government is moving to outlaw bosses spying on > >> workers' emails, unless they have a court order to do so. > > > >My first thought is "so what? get back to work". It's the company's > >time and money, etc. > > > >But then in light of the Wesco stupidity comes the thought of a person > >stalking another using their position in the company... It might be a > >manager that's wasting/misusing the company's time and money, etc. > > Wow, I'm amazed at this `workers as slave' mentality people have. I > would not like to work in an office, or for a company, with such > policies, it sounds like a depressing, draining, stressful environment > to work in. (I'd wonder how productive/creative a bunch of stressed > out and depressed emplooyees would be anyway.) > > Does anyone on this list really want to work in this kind of environment?
Reductio ad absurdum. Yes, anyone can use such an argument, and it's a great distraction. But that isn't the position I'm speaking from, although it's the position you may want to cast the discussion into. If I agree to paint the inside of your house, and root through your underwear while I'm there and drink your beer, I've broken my agreement, and your trust. I have no business doing that. On the other hand, you and I probably have no problem with me taking a personal call on my cell phone while I'm there, as long as I get my job done, and don't abuse any of your possesions while I'm there. It's less clear cut, but it might be resonable to assume you wouldn't mind me making a local call on your phone while I'm there if it's innocuous, say calling the office, or ordering lunch. I do that from work, and don't worry about it. But if I use your possessions to arrange a drug deal, or rack up a bill on a pay-per-minute call on your phone, I've taken what isn't mine from you. When I agree to represent somenone (i.e. be an employee), it's my agreement I'm giving. I don't abuse it knowingly. It isn't about them controlling me, it's about me taking responsibility for my agreements. It's their computer, their time, their business. I don't treat it as a straitjacket, although you might wish to pretend that's what I meant. It isn't. I treat it as a trust I've been given in return for my agreement, and I'm comfortable acting within that. I meant what I said, not what you said. Cheers, Bret > > Cheers, > > Benno -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
