Monitoring/limiting of Web Usage -Reply

[Dan Lester]

Several thoughts on this.  

First, many companies have much more restrictive
policies on electronic access than we academics
are used to.  My wife is in a position similar to mine
with a Fortune 50 computer company.  They are
firewalled very well.  Web access is thru proxy
servers, which could (don't know if they do) monitor
who is going where to find what.  There are firm
policies regarding sexual harassment (as there
should be), including display of pornography.  If you
downloaded a "dirty picture" and the wrong person
came by your cube or office at that time you could
be gone.  Period.  No grievance, no hassle, no
questions.  Gone.  Email may be monitored, but in
fact probably rarely is.  She needs to be MUCH
more circumspect in anything she says on the nets
than I could even try to be.  (obviously, one good
reason I've spent my life in higher education, not in
the business world).  

Public libraries have a somewhat different issue in
some communities, that of "protecting the citizens
from nasty stuff".  Of course that is compounded by
children being there, which the academics and
business don't usually face.  

In academia there is indeed the academic freedom
issue, and of course privacy is usually regarded as
more important by academics (why is another
question that could use some analysis....although I
respect privacy I have none and want none...I have
NO secrets, nor will I ever...but that is another
issue).  

But for use by employees, the internet is a
management issue and NOT A TECHNOLOGY
ISSUE.  As I've suggested various places before, if
I wanted something to "let me goof off" I've a half
million books and several thousand current journals
that are quite adequate, thank you very much.  

As far as Acceptable Use Policies for employees
of various organizations, or customers of those
organizations,  several archives of them have been
cited here before, and a quick search should
produce them.

In most publicly funded libraries the monitoring of
patron usage would violate library privacy laws in
most states, and would certainly violate the Library
Bill of Rights.

dan


Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho, 83725
USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester at bsu.idbsu.edu     OR   
alileste at idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:    http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"   Kansas,
1979.