[ale] OT: Well it is going to hit the list sooner or later.

[Jeff Tillotson]

On Aug 1, 2004, at 10:23 AM, Mike Panetta wrote:

> The only problem with that I can see is your boss will never sign a 
> letter saying that
> you can spy on him.

Then you wait for your boss's boss to give you the letter.  Sysadmin 
does not mean police force.

>
> Who watches the watchers?
>

Thanks Alan Moore.  If you take action, which without permission is 
vigilante action, you can't expect to be treated like a hero.  If he 
was addressing the higher ups and they didn't seem to care why did he 
expect anything different?  Things I have learned the hard way include 
thinking I know all the variables to a situation.  That is basically 
what a chain of command is all about.  He addressed his problems to 
higher power and was unhappy with the result.

> Oh, and why is what he did unethical?  Why is trying to save taxpayers 
> (or
> in the case of a private company, shareholders) money by checking that
> someone is doing the job they are payed (and payed very highly
> in the case of CEO's and such) to do, and not wasting money by slacking
> off.

So it is the sysadmin's job to monitor employees for slacking off?  So 
what about the secretary who browses to wedding planner sites and such. 
  Should he report them?  Does his job description read "enforce your 
level of ethics at all cost"?

> Why is it unethical for someone lower down in the company to use
> the means he has at hands

Because many times the people lower have a power and ability far 
superior to anyone above them.  This is the case for a lot of 
sysadmins.  Is it okay to use a power in anyway you, the power holder, 
see fit?  Having ethics is one thing.  Thinking you can enforce your 
ethics on others is another.

Regards,
Jeff