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Advice Line | Bob Lewis »
Safe computing and related matters
Dear Bob ...
Two questions for you that don't have anything at all to do with each other, even though it probably sounds like they do. :-)
First, I've been tasked with writing a policy for safe computing practices, which policy is to be sent to everyone at this site once a month. I know how to compute safely, of course, but I find myself at something of a loss for drawing up a list of basic do's and don'ts. Do you know of anyplace that has any kind of "template" I might be able to follow?
Second. not long ago, a user brought his laptop to me, saying he was having trouble connecting to the corporate WiFi connection. I investigated the settings until it appeared I had corrected the problem, then, to test it, I maximized the browser window that he had left minimized on the task bar. This window was full of porn. (And I mean porn, not just Playboy centerfolds or the like.)
I did my job and reported him, but that got me wondering -- what exactly is the difference between that and a formal complaint? If I were any other type of employee and saw that on a user's computer, I'd definitely complain, and I'd even be complaining to the same people with whom I filed the report because of the corporate structure. But I somehow get the feeling that, as the one who is tasked with reporting network usage violations, I don't have the right to complain about network usage violations. I'm not sure I'm phrasing this question clearly enough, but I hope you can see what I'm getting at.
- Exposed to yuck
Dear Exposed ...
Just an opinion: If you know how to compute safely, you'd find the exercise of figuring out what you know to be very worthwhile. Watch yourself work and look at what you do and don't do.
If you are looking for on-line resources, you shouldn't have much trouble finding lists that correspond to your own thought processes. I Googled "safe computing practices" and found quite a few sources. My suggestions here are:
1. Don't just get one. Choose based on your actually agreeing with what's said.
2. Don't just cut-and-paste. That's plagiarism, unless your source agrees to let you do so.
3. Assuming your source doesn't, find two more, combine them, re-write the exact phrasing, and footnote them. This follows the rule that copying from one source is plagiarism but borrowing from three is research.
To your other question:
Ewwww! What kind of moron would leave a computer with a browser window open to a porn site?
I guess that's a self-answering question.
My question is, what is your complaint? Yes, yes, I know employers are supposed to protect employees from this sort of thing, but really they aren't. They're supposed to expend a reasonable effort to minimize the chance of it happening. There is no such thing as eliminating the risk.
I'd say that reporting the occurrence and the employee was the right step. Filing a complaint is only appropriate if you report it and the response you receive is, "What are you complaining about, you prude! And what was that URL again?"
- Bob
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January 31, 2007 | Comments: (0)
Safe computing and related matters
Dear Bob ...
Two questions for you that don't have anything at all to do with each other, even though it probably sounds like they do. :-)
First, I've been tasked with writing a policy for safe computing practices, which policy is to be sent to everyone at this site once a month. I know how to compute safely, of course, but I find myself at something of a loss for drawing up a list of basic do's and don'ts. Do you know of anyplace that has any kind of "template" I might be able to follow?
Second. not long ago, a user brought his laptop to me, saying he was having trouble connecting to the corporate WiFi connection. I investigated the settings until it appeared I had corrected the problem, then, to test it, I maximized the browser window that he had left minimized on the task bar. This window was full of porn. (And I mean porn, not just Playboy centerfolds or the like.)
I did my job and reported him, but that got me wondering -- what exactly is the difference between that and a formal complaint? If I were any other type of employee and saw that on a user's computer, I'd definitely complain, and I'd even be complaining to the same people with whom I filed the report because of the corporate structure. But I somehow get the feeling that, as the one who is tasked with reporting network usage violations, I don't have the right to complain about network usage violations. I'm not sure I'm phrasing this question clearly enough, but I hope you can see what I'm getting at.
- Exposed to yuck
Dear Exposed ...
Just an opinion: If you know how to compute safely, you'd find the exercise of figuring out what you know to be very worthwhile. Watch yourself work and look at what you do and don't do.
If you are looking for on-line resources, you shouldn't have much trouble finding lists that correspond to your own thought processes. I Googled "safe computing practices" and found quite a few sources. My suggestions here are:
1. Don't just get one. Choose based on your actually agreeing with what's said.
2. Don't just cut-and-paste. That's plagiarism, unless your source agrees to let you do so.
3. Assuming your source doesn't, find two more, combine them, re-write the exact phrasing, and footnote them. This follows the rule that copying from one source is plagiarism but borrowing from three is research.
To your other question:
Ewwww! What kind of moron would leave a computer with a browser window open to a porn site?
I guess that's a self-answering question.
My question is, what is your complaint? Yes, yes, I know employers are supposed to protect employees from this sort of thing, but really they aren't. They're supposed to expend a reasonable effort to minimize the chance of it happening. There is no such thing as eliminating the risk.
I'd say that reporting the occurrence and the employee was the right step. Filing a complaint is only appropriate if you report it and the response you receive is, "What are you complaining about, you prude! And what was that URL again?"
- Bob
Posted by Bob Lewis on January 31, 2007 06:39 PM
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Three books. Three ways to change the world, your life, or at least Bob Lewis' bank account. Leading IT: The Toughest Job in the World distills the world of IT leadership into eight learnable skills and gives you concrete, practical techniques for each one of them. Bare Bones Project Management: What you can't not do makes project management manageable, even for first-time project managers with no formal training in the discipline. ManagementSpeak: What managers say/What they mean … well, it won't help your career, and won't make you a better manager. Mostly, it will make you chuckle, guffaw, and maybe even chortle. Make friends - it's the perfect gift for anyone who has ever suffered through one of those meetings. Order your copies today! |
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