question please 14

[netnerdnerd9]

Hi this question is for the experts as I am not an expert.

I am wondering , if anyone can tell me the regulations with regard to making use of social networking sites at work? I work at an i.t company and they come down hard on us what is your feelings in this regard?

 

[SgtJarrow]

Greg,

I would consider certain forums of Tek-Tips to be "social networking", including this one. But on the other hand, I would not classify many of the forums here as social...If it weren't for some for the experts here volunteering their time and knowledge, I can honestly say some of my work would have been much more difficult. While I would consider many of the experts friends in a sense of the word, their help has allowed me to complete some jobs much more efficiently and timely than I would have otherwise. I treat this site as a necessary job-resource, with a few "social" forums thrown in.

=======================================
People think it must be fun to be a super genius, but they don't realize how hard it is to put up with all the idiots in the world. (Calvin from Calvin And Hobbs)

Robert L. Johnson III
CCNA, CCDA, MCSA, CNA, Net+, A+, CHDP
VB.NET Programmer

 

[gbaughma]

Oh, I agree 100%. The brain trust here at Tek-Tips is nothing short of phenomenal. I use Tek-Tips throughout the day, for both its technical and social aspects.

Luckily, I'm the network administrator, so I shouldn't get in too much trouble over it.



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[Diancecht]

Never! Forbid, ban and destroy tek-tips from your corporate environment! Giving any piece of liberty for employees will destroy your company!

Now serious. During my professional live I've found a strong correlation between lack of performance and network prohibitions. I cannot tell if the egg was there before the chicken, but that what I've seen.

If your staff is professional, knows their objectives and is commited to achieve them, no social network will stop them. If they don't care about that, then I would think if firewall rules are the way to go or I'd need to do other things.

Cheers,
Dian

 

[Glenn9999]

I'd like to ask another question - how many of us are responding to this thread (which isn't technical) during work hours?

I wish I *had* work hours to post this in...but anyway, when I was working, access to tek-tips was not allowed.

I'm waiting for the white paper entitled "Finding Employment in the Era of Occupational Irrelevancy

 

[SQLSister]

Dian, you need to grow up. The company has no business reason to allow you to do whatever you want on their property. If you don't like it, you will limit your employment prospects greatly because most companies will ban sites they see no reason to let you play on during work hours.

Honestly, I have never worked anywhere since there was Internet access at work where some sites were not allowed. The company knows there is no business reason for you to go to those sites and so bans them to avoid viruses, to avoid using too much bandwidth (I've never worked anywhere that allows streaming radio for instance using the company Internet connection), to avoid too much time spend not working and to avoid people viewing things (porn sites) that are not appropriate for work and which could get them in legal trouble if someone complained. Facebook is often banned because there is no legitimate work reason for you to use it at work. Tek-tips is usually not banned because there is a legitimate work reason to be there for an IT person. HR people might not be able to get to Tek-tips but can see Facebook as they have legitimate work reasson to use it to screen applicants.

"NOTHING is more important in a database than integrity." ESquared

 

[traingamer]

Now serious. During my professional live I've found a strong correlation between lack of performance and network prohibitions.

I'll assume, based on your posts here, that you have had a relatively short professional life.

At my current company (a very very large company in the healthcare industry), all external email is prohibited by policy and blocked by firewalls (not very expensive). Social networks, streaming media sites and many other types of sites are blocked in the same manner.

I've also worked at smaller companies where such sites were only banned by policy. As one of the people enforcing that policy, I usually turned a blind eye to transgressions that occurred around the lunch hour. But I had no qualms about reporting the constant use of social and dating sites which caused the firing of multiple employees. Each of them knew that we logged every site visited and chose to do so anyway.

Greg
People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom use. Kierkegaard

 

[Golom]

During my professional live I've found a strong correlation between lack of performance and network prohibitions.

And that would be the result of factual, unbiased research, would it?

More likely it is the result of your own wishful thinking since I'm not aware of anyone who has even attempted to correlate internet access restrictions with the corporate bottom line.

And while we're at it

And if I don't do my job, then I would expect my boss to investigate, and fire me if he detects I'm losing my time, with Facebook or with origami.

Sounds like a wrongful dismissal lawsuit to me.

If there were no posted speed limits and the cops gave you a speeding ticket based on their Ad Hoc judgement that you were going too fast, most judges would throw that out on the grounds that no law about speed existed and could not therefore be enforced.

Similarly here, with no policies about appropriate internet use, there can be no grounds for dismissal based on inappropriate use.

 

[kmcferrin]

And that would be the result of factual, unbiased research, would it?

More likely it is the result of your own wishful thinking since I'm not aware of anyone who has even attempted to correlate internet access restrictions with the corporate bottom line.

Like the say, the plural of "anecdote" is not "data".

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCTS:Hyper-V
MCTS:System Center Virtual Machine Manager
MCTS:Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator

 

[Diancecht]

Well, looks like the have the censorship forces countering. Don't worry, I have an English dictionary by my side.

Dian, you need to grow up

As I'm tall enough, I'll take I'm immature because I think that a responsible and professional worker doesn't need any site restriction to do his job.

Could be, but maybe I'm not the one who has to change his mind to the new times. Internet is becoming a real part of people's life and it's a powerful tool to get information of all kinds. It's a dynamical environment where todays rules won't be valid for tomorrow.

Just a while ago (even now), I guess many of you would agree to ban the blogspot.com domain. But there are a lot of technical, opinion and valuable blogs. Will you examine one by one to detect which one is useful and which one is not? Why don't let your workers choose?

I also guess many of you would have said some time ago: "I won't give Internet access to the employees, that's a complete waste of time".

If there were no posted speed limits and the cops gave you a speeding ticket based on their Ad Hoc judgement that you were going too fast, most judges would throw that out on the grounds that no law about speed existed and could not therefore be enforced.

So the solution for you would be to trick cars so they can't go faster than the maximum limit (120 kmph here)? I don't say there shouldn't be policies. Of course a porn site access can't be tolerable in a corporate environment. What I say is that a personal e-mail or a social network is not a crime.

When I hear about network access restrictios to Facebook, what comes to my mind is China government.






Cheers,
Dian

 

[Golom]

a responsible and professional worker doesn't need any site restriction to do his job.

Perhaps not but the sad fact is that not every worker qualifies as responsible and/or professional.
In a similar vein, society would need no laws if everyone was by nature, law abiding.

So the solution for you would be to trick cars so they can't go faster than the maximum limit (120 kmph here)?

That's a rather tired and transparent logical fallacy called a straw man.
Make up some weak argument, attribute it to someone else and then point out how absurd it is.

No. The solution is that we have laws, in this case posted speed limits, and a justice system to enforce them. In the company context the management of the company makes decisions about what actions its employees can or cannot take with the intent that those permissions or prohibitions serve some objective of the company. Sometimes those rules are wise and effective and at other times, less so.
One thing is however, quite clear. The company does have the right to promulgate such regulations, bound only by the legal framework in which they operate. You may disagree with their policy regarding internet access but, having accepted employment with them, you have implicitly (and in many companies, explicitly) agreed to abide by their rules. The condition is that those rules must be made clear. Something like "Use the internet responsibly." is more a fond hope than a statement of policy.

I also guess many of you would have said some time ago: "I won't give Internet access to the employees, that's a complete waste of time".

Since I'm really old and was around when the internet first came into being (thanks, Al Gore) ... Yes ... I would have said that because at that time it was a complete waste of time from a business benefit perspective. Times and the internet, have changed, and my attitude along with them. I regard the internet as an indespensible resource for any company operating in today's business environment. That doesn't equate with a need to provide access where there is no identifiable business benefit and is conceivably detrimental to the business's objectives.

What I say is that a personal e-mail or a social network is not a crime.

In the sense of a crime being a violation of the criminal code, of course it isn't. As an employee of a company however, you are bound by more than the criminal code. It is also not a crime to cruise porn sites but it is certainly a violation of policy in most companies.

You certainly can lobby your management to amend their policy about social networking or personal emails and, if they are reasonable and you present cogent arguments, they may respond favorably. Unless and until they do however, you are bound by the policies they have in place and your choices are to adhere to those policies, break the rules and risk disciplinary action, or quit and get a job somewhere else.

When I hear about network access restrictios to Facebook, what comes to my mind is China government.

China? I was expecting an example of Godwin's Law to appear at about this stage of the proceedings.

 

[MasterRacker]

You have two employees: Piffy and Squiffle. On Monday morning you give each a list of 75 tasks they need to have complete by the end of the day on Friday. Piffy and Squiffle both work hard and both complete their lists perfectly be he end of the day on Thursday. Piffy spends all day Friday screwing around on Facebook. Squiffle, on his own, finds another 20 useful tasks to complete.

By the measure of assigned tasks, etc. they are both excellent employees, but wouldn't you rather have more Squiffles than Piffys?

Jeff
[small][purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day
"The software I buy sucks, The software I write sucks. It's time to give up and have a beer..." - Me[/small]

 

[gbaughma]

It really is up to the employer.

Most employers that I have dealt with will say that updating your facebook on your lunchbreak on company computers isn't a big deal.

However, even if I only spend 5 minutes an hour Tweeting or updating my facebook page, that works out to 3.3 hours per week that you got paid to sluff off.

That is 8% of your work week. It doesn't sound like a big deal at first, however you should consider taking an 8% pay cut; because your boss is looking at it as you're wasting 8% of your time.

It is not YOUR computer, it is not YOUR network. You are there to do a job. It is no different if I took 5 minutes out of each hour to do basket weaving in my office.

Eventually, my boss is going to notice the baskets, and wonder how I have time to weave a basket a week on HIS dollar, and a) give me more work, b) give me less money or c) find an employee without a basket weaving addiction.



Just my 2¢

"What the captain doesn't realize is that we've secretly replaced his Dilithium Crystals with new Folger's Crystals."

--Greg

http://parallel.tzo.com

 

[kmcferrin]

Eventually, my boss is going to notice the baskets, and wonder how I have time to weave a basket a week on HIS dollar, and a) give me more work, b) give me less money or c) find an employee without a basket weaving addiction.

I'm sorry to hear about your problem, Greg, and even more sad to discover that there are no clinics that treat basket weaving addiction. I think we need to get a telethon started.

________________________________________
CompTIA A+, Network+, Server+, Security+
MCTS:Windows 7
MCTS:Hyper-V
MCTS:System Center Virtual Machine Manager
MCTS:Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization
MCSE:Security 2003
MCITP:Server Administrator
MCITP:Enterprise Administrator
Certified Quest vWorkspace Administrator

 

[Andrzejek]

I wonder if we would have this discussion if I would paraphrase the OP this way:

I am wondering, if anyone can tell me the regulations with regard to sleeping at work? I work at an i.t company and they come down hard on us what is your feelings in this regard?

I don’t know about you, but I always feel better refreshed and ready to work after a nice, long nap. My boss will be ecstatic to know that I will be a lot better and productive employee after 3 hours snooze….

Have fun.

---- Andy

 

[SQLSister]

MasterRacker
Perhaps it's a personal lack on my own part, but I think it would be hard for me to maintain a straight face if I got a resume from anyone named Piffy or Squiffle.

On the other hand,(and this is true story) we once sent a team out to a Navy activity consisting of three guys whose last names were:
Boozer
Looney
and Loop

The activity called us up to see if it was a joke when they got the visit request letter. For some reason Piffy and Squiffle brought this story back up from the recesses of my memory of 30 years ago.

"NOTHING is more important in a database than integrity." ESquared

 

[MasterRacker]

SQLSister,
Glad I could help restore your memory. ;-)

Actually, those are first names. They're brothers: Piffy and Squiffle Blogoneepler.

Jeff
[small][purple]It's never too early to begin preparing for [/purple]International Talk Like a Pirate Day
"The software I buy sucks, The software I write sucks. It's time to give up and have a beer..." - Me[/small]

 

[Welshbird]

I've just checked the wording on my contract, and it states that I shall in good faith devote all of my time attention and skill to the busines and to act loyally and faithfully.

That doesn't remove my right to nose on facebook at lunchtime, but it does make me think more carefully about it!

Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[Golom]

willif
Seems you have a faith-based job (good faith, faithfully).

If they really wanted to, a company could conceivably construe ... devote [red]all[/red] of my time ... to mean that none of your time can be used at your own discretion.

 

[Welshbird]

Golom - I don't - honestly. Be I guess you could say I do work for a company that has a great culture.

Fee

"The cure for anything is salt water – sweat, tears, or the sea." Isak Dinesen

 

[Dinkytoy]

However, even if I only spend 5 minutes an hour Tweeting or updating my facebook page, that works out to 3.3 hours per week that you got paid to sluff off.

That is 8% of your work week. It doesn't sound like a big deal at first, however you should consider taking an 8% pay cut; because your boss is looking at it as you're wasting 8% of your time.

It is not YOUR computer, it is not YOUR network. You are there to do a job. It is no different if I took 5 minutes out of each hour to do basket weaving in my office.

Dare I ask your interpretation should the employee spend an extra 40 minutes at work a day or more beyond his/her given hours working?