Workplace surfer may catch break

[Itsme]

Workplace surfer may catch break

ASSOCIATED PRESS

May 8, 2006

Surfing the Web at work is equivalent to reading a newspaper or talking on the phone, a New York judge said in recommending the lightest possible punishment for a city worker accused of disregarding warnings to stay off the Internet.

The case involved Toquir Choudhri, a 14-year veteran of the Department of Education, whose office computer had been used to visit news and travel Web sites.

“It should be observed that the Internet has become the modern equivalent of a telephone or a daily newspaper, providing a combination of communication and information that most employees use as frequently in their personal lives as for their work,” Administrative Law Judge John Spooner said in recommending only a reprimand for Choudhri last month.
The judge noted that city agencies allow workers to make personal calls if it doesn't interfere with their job performance.

[mcs328]

I agree. Some people read a whole book at work and/or have those types of jobs where their work involves whatever comes up that second.

[eSDee]

I may have to block Myspace.com from my network. I walk by a lot of people's desk and see that they have it minimized at all times, and pop it up whenever possible. We have received complaints so I might just nuke it altogether.

[Airencracken]

I sleep at work! :D

[eSDee]

Yeah but you're in a union man. It's required ;)

[kgsilvas]

The judge's ruling is almost identical to our longstanding company policy on Internet use. It's basically just like local calling.

[DaFunkyUnit]

The judge's ruling is almost identical to our longstanding company policy on Internet use. It's basically just like local calling.

basically, its all good... except for p0rn.

[Thesifer]

I may have to block Myspace.com from my network. I walk by a lot of people's desk and see that they have it minimized at all times, and pop it up whenever possible. We have received complaints so I might just nuke it altogether.

I just always wonder what the problem is as long as people are getting their work done.. That's why I always surf around the filters with a filter of my own.. shrugs.

[eSDee]

I just always wonder what the problem is as long as people are getting their work done.. That's why I always surf around the filters with a filter of my own.. shrugs.

In our case patients were complaining that the receptionists weren't paying attention to them. I observed from a distance. They were all on Myspace.

[bagel]

If people are forced to eat at their desks (for example, eating a bagel every morning) they should be allowed to surf the internet during work hours as well (in moderation). If a company doesn't want them on the internet, they need to hire IT people who know how to just block out the internet completely. Sounds to me like it is bad management more than anything else.

[rajatQ2]

i've got a friend in the software industry who watches movies at work. Full length movies! he puts his monitor behind the outward facing wall of his cubicle. never gotten caught and he plows through his netflix queue