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

[Richard Atcheson]

On Sunday 01 August 2004 12:22 am, Adrin wrote:
> http://yro.slashdot.org/yro/04/08/01/022255.shtml?tid=123&tid=172&tid=10
>3
>
>
> Vernon Blake, an IT sysadmin for the Alabama Department Of
> Transportation, wanted to get evidence that his boss spent the majority
> of his time playing solitaire on his computer. Since emails to higher up
> supervisors were ignored, he installed Win-Spy, which grabbed
> screenshots several times per day over a period of 7 months. 70% of the
> resulting screenshots showed an active game of solitaire, and another
> 20% showed his boss checking the stock market. When he reported this to
> superiors, he was fired, even though he had 21 years of service in the
> position. His boss got a reprimand to 'stop playing games'. He is
> appealing his termination in court since he claims it was part of his
> job description to 'confirm and document' computer misuse for ALDOT.
>
>
> Hi Story  http://www.aldotwaste.com/
>
All of the defenders of this guy should read his letter and check his 
backup data before defending him any further. 

A lot of other questions should be asked about how and what he really 
collected. Unless the ends now justify the means, other things to consider 
is who violated what in this episode.  Which is the worst offense, 
misusing company assets by playing games or misusing company assets by 
inserting unauthorized spyware and spying on fellow employees?  My guess 
is the management thought the latter was much more egregious. While a 
company may have the right to monitor employees actions,  employees never 
have had the right to spy on their fellow employees. 

If you think it is ok to spy on fellow employees because you think they are 
violating some company rule, is it ok then to place cameras and the like 
in offices/bathrooms or other places because you think someone is doing 
something in those places that violate company policies?  What if he had 
not gathered any data of any wrongdoing?   Was he still justified to do 
the spying on his own initiative?

Obviously the people that terminated him had a look at what he did and how 
he did it and concluded he crossed some line.  

He apparently forgot that crusaders, since the word was invented, quite 
often get impaled upon the very cross they think they are defending.  One 
man's rightiousness is another's fanaticism.
ra