I remember a moment about a year ago when some report or academic article came out suggesting that there was some evidence of workplaces becoming more democratic, in a general and widespread sense. I ddn’t believe it, and said so, somewhere.
Thanks to Euan, linking to Suw Charman’s Strange Attractor, here’s a more realistic … imo … but hard to believe example of what management and executives generally think of the potential of blogs. Like Suw, my flabber is gasted.
At least now it’s clearer that many workers are cuaght up in the adult version of grade school … detentions if you step out of line, no recess, and for sure don’t read any nasty blogs that might have something resembling information on them … and heaven help the employee who blogs. The cited report even has some prison (er, school) rules in case some employees DO blog.
Thank goodness I am no longer a management consultant who might have helped to create and implement such idiocy - or at the very least nodded and said something like “it never hurts to be careful” .. so that the billing would continue.
From a report titled Web Logs: Blog Threat Management, by Janus Risk Management
Blogging is rapidly emerging as a threat to Internet users.
A blog (short for weblog) is a personal journal that is frequently updated and intended for general public consumption. Blogs generally represent the personality of the author or reflect the purpose of the Web site that hosts the blog. While blogs have a legitimate use, online journals pose serious threats to enterprise confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Blogs are potentially contributory to regulatory non-compliance in that blogs may not be documented communications and may also violate privacy considerations.
This presentation is designed for distribution to employees to raise their awareness of the importance of using extreme caution if and when it becomes necessary to visit blogs as part of the employee’s job performance.
This presentation provides specific information about how employees can reduce the risks associated with blogging and also at the end of the presentation there are three versions of a web log or blog policy. You can select the policy version most appropriate for your enterprise, brief employees on the need for the policy and the actual policy, and integrate it into the existing enterprise acceptable use policy.
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November 19, 2004 at 1:55 am
Anonymous
This is a riot. At first past I thought it was warning against employee blogging, but now I see it’s against employees reading blogs? How on earth is that going to compromise corporate non-disclosure, privacy, regulatory compliance, etc?
Oh—the blog might have a hit counter that records IP addresses. “Golly Gee, here’s another hit from citigroup.com. Poor bastards must be bored to tears over there.” Next thing you know, everybody knows that Citi is a dull place to work, and God damn! the entire system comes crashing down like a house of cards!
They’re asking over 1000EU for this piece of shit? There’s a sucker born every minute. And a lot of them are in upper management.
(BTW, why Interieur?)
November 19, 2004 at 2:00 am
Anonymous
Parce que la proctologie est un travail qui se retrouve a l’interieur du corps.
November 19, 2004 at 9:38 am
Anonymous
There are three types of sites blocked at work: sex(porn), games(gambling) and opinion (increasingly, blogs) Opinion it would seem is a Sin.
November 19, 2004 at 10:15 am
Anonymous
So this Janus Risk Management outfit is the lawyerly arm of a mutual fund company. Basically. The fearful and anal flank of the faith based money marketeers.
So, yeah, they’re advising a big YELLOW ALERT CAUTION because well, hey, you just never know…
The walls are up. They’re not coming down. And the siege is underway.
These are the two faced gatekeepers. Keeping an eye on your money while eyeing your money.
I guess bloggers are a representation of that third eye: the unmanaged. Let’s keep that third eye blind.
November 19, 2004 at 11:03 am
Anonymous
Yeah, good point, Brian.
How much more stupid can it get, huh ? Opinion is out there (forget about the “truth”), and it could be dangerous. Back to work now, kids … er, people.
Unbelievable … I never thought I’d grow up and live in a world where people my age or younger … and sometimes not as bright or honest or hard-working as me … could be my boss and because they’re my boss hold sway over my life, through fear .. of unemployment.
Gadzooks, it’s all nuts … the “mass customization” of fascism … personalization rules !