Article Blog #5

Article: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/09/24/snooping.software.efootrprint/index.html

Resource: http://www.antamediabandwidth.com/control-or-spy-on-employee-internet-use/

This article is about a program created by a U.S. firm called Cataphora, which states on their website that their program “encompasses a large number of techniques for analyzing emotive tone in electronic communications” (cnn.com). The program is basically a way for companies to spy on employees to see their effectiveness while at work. It’s goal is to separate productive workers from slackers. The only problem is that some employees feel as if a big brother is watching over their every move. There are mixed opinions from employees who know that their employers use this tactic. CNN states that, “What Cataphora does is look at the patterns an individual creates and how they fit in the general patterns of communication in the office in order to discern who are the effective workers and managers.” The idea of employers spying on employees has caused a sense of distrust in the work field, and has also lead to a bit of paranoia within companies. Another argument against this program is that; how much can we really trust these computers, and that people tend to believe what their computer tells them more than they should.

I think that people’s outlook on this topic will depend on which side they are on. I can see the benefits of having it if I were the head of a company because I would want to know who is being productive and who is falling short of expectation. The computers that people use at work do not belong to them, and if I am a business owner and want to know how my supplies are being used, then by golly I will. “If you own the equipment you have a right to know what people are doing with it. If you’re responsible for employee behavior you are also entitled to know just what that behavior is” (antamediabandwidth.com). However, how can employees learn to trust employers show signals of distrust, "It is a powerful signal that you do not fully trust the people you are paying or perhaps don't invest the time and care to properly manage them” (cnn.com). Employee’s could become afraid of the extra surveillance that is being focused in the work place, and possibly lose their creativity due not being able to explore the web for idea’s. Who is a computer to judge whether or not a person is being productive. There are a number of ways a company can deal with this situation, but the best way in my opinion is to block certain websites that may have no use in helping your company. “The next stage is to block named websites…This completely avoids and privacy concerns while achieving the basic aim, which is reducing time and bandwidth on such visits or “web-surfing” (antamediabandwidth.com). This topic is a double-edged sword, and both sides have valid arguments.