Online privacy

[Greenday]

Greenday, the attitude of "what have I got to hide" is a dangerous one. At least in the US, you are innocent until proven guilty. The onus is not on you to prove that you are innocent, it's on them to prove you are guilty.

Don't give up your rights just because you "have nothing to hide." You may not have anything to hide, but you sure enough have plenty to protect...your rights as a taxpaying American citizen.

I'm assuming you're from the US.

Yes I'm from the US. As I said though, this is one that goes too far. My "nothing to hide" opinion usually comes in what people are doing something suspicious and get pissed that they are questioned about it just because they weren't seen doing something illegal.

And Flyn, the government doesn't need to pass a law like this to catch people looking at porn on their work computers at least. Working for the government, it's understood that everything we are doing is being monitored.

[Boozy]

well there is a third option-give them the passwords and then change them when you get home from applying-then if they cal you on it-say you did it because you're concerned about online security and your password were breached and you didn't want your accounts compromised....

I like this solution. Although it would be great if everyone who disagreed with the policy would make a big public stink about it and walk out, sometimes this isn't feasible. Sometimes you need the job.

But I'll bet you could get away with this once you've completed training and are more fully ensconced in the job.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Well, true you might need the job. But consider this: as much as you need a job, THEY need an employee. Remember that when you think you have to bend to something outrageous as this.

[AFPheonix]

There's no way I'd submit to that. It's not like I leave a huge blazing trail across the internet or anything, but it's still none of my employer's business what Captain Picard clips I'm watching on Youtube.

[Boozy]

Well, true you might need the job. But consider this: as much as you need a job, THEY need an employee. Remember that when you think you have to bend to something outrageous as this.

In this economy, there are millions more potential employees than there are jobs.

In good times, a well-qualified candidate has quite a bit of bargaining power. But not so much these days. There's another well-qualified candidate just around the corner, and he might be even more desperate.

In my current situation, I wouldn't accept those rules. I'd refuse to give that information, even if it cost me the job. But there are some people living on the edge of homelessness right now. They might need to swallow their principles to keep a roof over their kids' heads. I don't judge them for that.

[Rubystars]

I wonder if they would use it against you if you were a member of a, let's say, not so popular Web site, but that Web site was legal. For example we all know Customers Suck comes under heavy attack from people who hate it. For a long time I was a member of a science board where we debated with creationists. What if my boss is a creationist? Would he or she be able to give me trouble over my being a member of that board that argued for evolution?

There are other message boards that people are a part of that may seem weird to most people but are just interesting for the people that go there, like message boards about cryptozoology.

Other message boards have to do with mental health support, such as message boards about eating disorders or multiple personalities. Having to disclose membership on those boards would violate people's health privacy.

Then of course there are perfectly legal message boards which have very controversial topics attached to them which might get someone fired.

I hope that companies or local government groups never try this tactic again.

[Rapscallion]

I've not come under any particular attack because of CS.com, that I know of, but there's a good reason we advocate that people obfuscate their identities on there. CYA is the order of the day.

Rapscallion

[Cat]

That is the one thing I do like about my job. My boss's boss know we all mess aroun on the 'net (one tile I think we were all on the same board..not this or cs)

She just rolled her eyes and walked away. Our office is fairly lax.....as long as we get out work down.



I do try to only read, and not post....sometimes, I cant wait to get home to post

[Rubystars]

I've not come under any particular attack because of CS.com, that I know of, but there's a good reason we advocate that people obfuscate their identities on there. CYA is the order of the day.

Rapscallion

I thought people who hated it had caused it to go down a couple of times. I was really embarassed when I gave someone the URL of the site to share the board with them and they didn't understand why I'd given them a link to a porn site. I told them they must have made a mistake somehow because that's not what I intended to send to them. Sure enough when I tried to get there, somebody had made nasty stuff show up. This was a few years ago and I'm sure that site security is better now.

[BroomJockey]

I thought people who hated it had caused it to go down a couple of times.

No actual proof it was anything personal, as far as I know. Just a "because it was there" mentality. Raps can correct me if he has more information.