Microsoft: Open workplace internet or lose your staff
Wednesday, August 23, 2006 by Island Dog | Discussion: WinCustomize News
A Microsoft Senior Desing Anthropologist said job seekers will think twice about working for a company who locks down the internet during work hours.
She says, "These kids are saying: forget it! I don’t want to work with you. I don’t want to work at a place where I can’t be freely online during the day."
I'm sure people will take different stands on this issue because businesses say that allowing open internet will cause less work to be done throughout the work period. Others seem to say it will be a benefit to the employee.
What do you think?
She says, "These kids are saying: forget it! I don’t want to work with you. I don’t want to work at a place where I can’t be freely online during the day."
I'm sure people will take different stands on this issue because businesses say that allowing open internet will cause less work to be done throughout the work period. Others seem to say it will be a benefit to the employee.
What do you think?
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ctt1wbw
Reply #22 Thursday, August 24, 2006 7:34 PM
Reply #22 Thursday, August 24, 2006 7:34 PM
Oh yeah, the internet is sooooo dangerous! Lock it down!!! God forbid I check the news or submit an assignment at college!!! I'm stealing company time!!! Oh my GOD!!!!!
Aleatoric
Reply #23 Friday, August 25, 2006 2:19 AM
Reply #23 Friday, August 25, 2006 2:19 AM
Ms skybright,
While it was not my intention to target your position in particular (I simply quoted it as a specific example of an opposing viewpoint), it's still pretty obvious that you harbor some sort of resentment about what others get to do at their jobs. Otherwise, why would you even bother to develop a negative opinion about it? And while it's true that everyone has a right to their opinion, said opinion doesn't really count for much unless you can back it up with some kind of evidence. And to quote your post again, if your sisters' employers don't have a problem with the way they use the net, then you don't really have any kind of leg to stand on when complaining about it, even if you *feel* it's somehow 'wrong'.
And all opinions or personal desires aside, it comes down to a simple statement of fact: the employer gets to choose what kind of internet access is allowed or acceptable, and the employee gets to choose whether or not they're willing to work for an employer. No force is involved on either side of the equation.
Just as an example, I work for a large, geographically diverse company with revenues in the billions. We're allowed IM clients (we actually have a corporate version installed as part of our base image), we're allowed relatively unfettered internet access (subject to the obvious restrictions, porn and the like), and our employees are measured based upon the work that they're required to do, not based upon the whims of a micromanaging control freak who loses sleep at the thought of an employee 'wasting' time to go to the bathroom.
My company has not self destructed as a result of this behaviour. We have not suffered some postulated lack of productivity. Our IT and PC services departments are not swamped by spyware/malware/unauthorized software installations, etc. We treat our employees as adults, and hold them comcomitantly responsible for their actions, and we don't have the problems that apparently plague the day care centers that are masquerading as other companies seem to have.
There are jobs that don't require any internet access at all (things like call centers, etc.), and there are jobs where internet access is a clear cut productivity enhancer and knowledge tool. And there are legitmate steps that can be taken to handle the vast majority of issues. A 'one size fits all, LOCK IT DOWN' policy not only doesn't fit all cases, it is fundamentally stupid. An IT department that cannot make that distinction is doomed to fail, sooner or later, because they are constitutionally unable to adapt.
While it was not my intention to target your position in particular (I simply quoted it as a specific example of an opposing viewpoint), it's still pretty obvious that you harbor some sort of resentment about what others get to do at their jobs. Otherwise, why would you even bother to develop a negative opinion about it? And while it's true that everyone has a right to their opinion, said opinion doesn't really count for much unless you can back it up with some kind of evidence. And to quote your post again, if your sisters' employers don't have a problem with the way they use the net, then you don't really have any kind of leg to stand on when complaining about it, even if you *feel* it's somehow 'wrong'.
And all opinions or personal desires aside, it comes down to a simple statement of fact: the employer gets to choose what kind of internet access is allowed or acceptable, and the employee gets to choose whether or not they're willing to work for an employer. No force is involved on either side of the equation.
Just as an example, I work for a large, geographically diverse company with revenues in the billions. We're allowed IM clients (we actually have a corporate version installed as part of our base image), we're allowed relatively unfettered internet access (subject to the obvious restrictions, porn and the like), and our employees are measured based upon the work that they're required to do, not based upon the whims of a micromanaging control freak who loses sleep at the thought of an employee 'wasting' time to go to the bathroom.
My company has not self destructed as a result of this behaviour. We have not suffered some postulated lack of productivity. Our IT and PC services departments are not swamped by spyware/malware/unauthorized software installations, etc. We treat our employees as adults, and hold them comcomitantly responsible for their actions, and we don't have the problems that apparently plague the day care centers that are masquerading as other companies seem to have.
There are jobs that don't require any internet access at all (things like call centers, etc.), and there are jobs where internet access is a clear cut productivity enhancer and knowledge tool. And there are legitmate steps that can be taken to handle the vast majority of issues. A 'one size fits all, LOCK IT DOWN' policy not only doesn't fit all cases, it is fundamentally stupid. An IT department that cannot make that distinction is doomed to fail, sooner or later, because they are constitutionally unable to adapt.
indigonecro
Reply #24 Sunday, August 27, 2006 12:50 AM
Reply #24 Sunday, August 27, 2006 12:50 AM
This is a "touchy subject" for anyone really..
Though, the obviousness of the situation shall hold true to this topic...
Companies shouldn't "Lock Down" the net.. That's just stupid and in many ways irresponsable on their bahalf...
However, using "Web Blocking" software such as WebSense (to name one).. Is probably the best way to handle the situation. Allow only sites that would be beneficial for company use.
But, block everything else, including search engines... And do also make sure to block all of those Anon Proxy sites.
A lot of companies don't, so that means the web blocking software they have is utterly useless... There are also many techniques to block web blocking softwares via Perl script methods. ... So, in accordance to blocking the sites, they'd also make sure to block all other open ports that aren't vital to their business necessities.
Period. ::cough::
Though, the obviousness of the situation shall hold true to this topic...
Companies shouldn't "Lock Down" the net.. That's just stupid and in many ways irresponsable on their bahalf...
However, using "Web Blocking" software such as WebSense (to name one).. Is probably the best way to handle the situation. Allow only sites that would be beneficial for company use.
But, block everything else, including search engines... And do also make sure to block all of those Anon Proxy sites.
A lot of companies don't, so that means the web blocking software they have is utterly useless... There are also many techniques to block web blocking softwares via Perl script methods. ... So, in accordance to blocking the sites, they'd also make sure to block all other open ports that aren't vital to their business necessities. Period. ::cough::
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Reply #21 Thursday, August 24, 2006 11:46 AM