Roll on Big Brother.
1984 is upon us.
BB IS watching…. Very carefully

There has been an e-mail to the department where I work, from our manager, saying that the internal servers are being monitored and the individual PC’s files/folders and bookmarks of users can be inspected. In fact they are checked on a regular basis. Anyone suspected of accessing the internet will be further investigated and may be sacked.

This raises a question.
What about the data protection act ?? Does it apply on a personal level ?? Is this practice legal ??

Well as far as I am concerned the company can stick their internet servers as far as they will go.
I have no intention of ever using company internal servers for any kind of non work related activity.
All my Blogging is done from my home using my own personal PC and using servers that have no connection with the company I work for. In fact in the past I have deliberately gone away from using the servers supplied to the public by the company, they can stick there so called staff discount. I would much rather have nothing to do with them on a personal level and retain my privacy from them.

It is standard practice for the company to block access to anything they consider inappropriate on their servers. I have been advised that they have blocked access to Blogger etc. I wouldn’t know as I only blog from home.

Wait till they want a favour from me – they can take a running jump !!

Maybe I am being childish, but only as petty and childish as they are.
To know that I am being spied on. And the company to blatantly admit this. It really irritates me. It is a total abuse of technology….and then they have the nerve to accuse the staff of abuse !
How miserable and bloody minded can they be ?

I would like to point out that I do consider the company, a multi-national Telecomms supplier, are stuck in the Victorian times WRT people management.
They seem to think that the big stick method of management is the best one to use. Oh yes they make all the correct noises and go through the motions of being an enlightened 21st century caring employer but basically, deep down they are still stuck very rigidly in the 19th century.

As a worker I am monitored for quality and quantity of output. I work within laid down rigid practices and procedures. I am even taught how to think the company way!! If I deviate from the company policy then I am in trouble.
On an annual basis I am expected to produce evidence that I am doing my job properly, that I am upholding the company values. I thought this sort of thing only applied to the short contract high flying managers, not a lowly technician like myself.
As we are talking about wasting money I would like to point out that the management of this company are the worlds worst. The amount of management propaganda that were are deluged with is unbelievable.
Senior managers have meetings in exotic locations all over the world.
The company was supposed to be streamlining but we appear to have more managers now than we had ten years ago. I have nine levels of management !
What do these managers actually contribute to the company.
I remember last time the managers went on strike - the job actually ran better without them.