April 14, 2010 at 8:24 pm
Comments posted to this topic are about the item Talking Back
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April 15, 2010 at 5:50 am
FYI: The Ben Silverman blog link points to a parked webpage at Go Daddy.com
April 15, 2010 at 5:57 am
I work for a foreign-owned company and a few years ago they had to institute some new policies around blogging and cell phone use on the job.
People are permitted to blog and surf the web during say, lunch, but it is strictly prohibited and strictly enforced during work time. Our CEO is a decent fellow but as he argues; "Do you work for a software company, or are you a journalist just parking your fanny at a software company?"
Our biggest problem, however, came a few years ago with cell phones - which are now strictly prohibited at all times within our building unless you are in your own office, or the atrium. At one point we had so many people making cell phone calls and tinkering away on their Blackberrys that there was no doubt productivity was taking a big hit. Worse, we even had an iPhones war where people were buying basically useless apps, just to come in the next day and show their co-workers what they got. Since we instituted this policy, its clear the office is more calm and for now, appears more productive.
To me personally, an old man in the high tech business, I find it somewhat ironic that I got into this business to help people be more efficient in their work. Now, some 30 years later, we use that technology to do less work, and waste time with more useless "fun" that serves basically, no purpose other than to give people a digital shout-out. Funny how life can turn things around on you...
April 15, 2010 at 6:15 am
blandry (4/15/2010)
I work for a foreign-owned company and a few years ago they had to institute some new policies around blogging and cell phone use on the job.People are permitted to blog and surf the web during say, lunch, but it is strictly prohibited and strictly enforced during work time. Our CEO is a decent fellow but as he argues; "Do you work for a software company, or are you a journalist just parking your fanny at a software company?"
Our biggest problem, however, came a few years ago with cell phones - which are now strictly prohibited at all times within our building unless you are in your own office, or the atrium. At one point we had so many people making cell phone calls and tinkering away on their Blackberrys that there was no doubt productivity was taking a big hit. Worse, we even had an iPhones war where people were buying basically useless apps, just to come in the next day and show their co-workers what they got. Since we instituted this policy, its clear the office is more calm and for now, appears more productive.
To me personally, an old man in the high tech business, I find it somewhat ironic that I got into this business to help people be more efficient in their work. Now, some 30 years later, we use that technology to do less work, and waste time with more useless "fun" that serves basically, no purpose other than to give people a digital shout-out. Funny how life can turn things around on you...
not everybody uses it to do less work, so feel good about that 🙂 IMHO, one useful thing like the #sqlhelp hashtag on Twitter makes all the noise worth it. Although there's a lot of noise.
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How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
April 15, 2010 at 6:19 am
No policy here as of yet, no real blogging going on, but some of our local competitors have PR blogs that are used to good effect, so I think there probably will be at some point. I'm about to start an internal blog just to keep record of all the training topics that my team comes up with.
I would imagine that folks would use blogs at SSC, I probably would if I had more time, and it would be a great place to get your feet wet with serious professionals looking over your shoulder. So that's one vote.;-)
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How best to post your question[/url]
How to post performance problems[/url]
Tally Table:What it is and how it replaces a loop[/url]
"stewsterl 80804 (10/16/2009)I guess when you stop and try to understand the solution provided you not only learn, but save yourself some headaches when you need to make any slight changes."
April 15, 2010 at 6:40 am
We have no bloggng policy per se at my employer. We we have a strict policy of no personal internet use at the office. It is not allowed, ever, not even at lunch time. It is considered an inappropriate use of band-width. Reports are generated on the top users of bytes and the most number of web sites visited. If you come in the top 10 you are called into your supervisers office and asked to explain every web site visited as work related. Last week, I came to the top because I was doing a lot of research (for coding) on the web. I was nervous all week, racking my brains as to whether I had clicked on a link about something non-work related. It is a miserable environment. After this policy came down about have the department bought iPhones so we could check our personal email and look up things on the web while at the office.
Terri
To speak algebraically, Mr. M. is execrable, but Mr. C. is
(x+1)-ecrable.
Edgar Allan Poe
[Discussing fellow writers Cornelius Mathews and William Ellery Channing.]
April 15, 2010 at 6:54 am
The whole freedom of speech argument is a misapplication of the first amendment.
The first amendment states:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
So congress cannot prevent you from speaking, but that's not the same as not having consequences for speaking. An employer can't force you to not blog, or take down a blog that it doesn't like. Your speech is protected, but it can have consequences such as losing your job.
April 15, 2010 at 7:10 am
I should blog, but not at work. Just never seem to have the time for it. Too busy with all the things I should blog about. 🙂
- Gus "GSquared", RSVP, OODA, MAP, NMVP, FAQ, SAT, SQL, DNA, RNA, UOI, IOU, AM, PM, AD, BC, BCE, USA, UN, CF, ROFL, LOL, ETC
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April 15, 2010 at 7:14 am
We are allowed personal use of the internet during lunch and breaks, but we are never allowed to go to Facebook, YouTube, or other places like that. I believe it is because of the time-wasting potential and the virus potential.
April 15, 2010 at 7:44 am
blandry (4/15/2010)
"Do you work for a software company, or are you a journalist just parking your fanny at a software company?"
Priceless! and spot on too. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
April 15, 2010 at 8:45 am
Interesting editorial. I really think companies should have and enforce internet use policies. I've never worked for one that does, but I know I need to more judicious with my use of the internet at work and I am trying to be as evidenced by lower participation on the SSC forums recently:-D
As far as a blogging policy, I am currently in a unique situation as a "self-funded" employee at New Tribes Mission where one of my responsibilities is to regularly communicate with the people who provide my salary. One of the ways I can do that is through a blog, which my employer hosts. There is a policy in place about what we can and cannot share on our employer-hosted blog, mostly it is around not sharing sensitive information, but it also includes not criticizing the leadership of the organization. There are some filters in a place that let you know when you may have violated the policy which also alerts someone in the Communications/Marketing department. Because this blogging is part of my job, it is allowed and even encouraged.
Jack Corbett
Consultant - Straight Path Solutions
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April 15, 2010 at 9:35 am
Microsoft:
"As a general rule, Microsoft has a very simple policy on blogs: We expect employees to be smart and exercise good judgment. ..."
(links to 22 FAQ topics follow; no hard don'ts)
April 15, 2010 at 9:39 am
Revenant (4/15/2010)
Microsoft:"As a general rule, Microsoft has a very simple policy on blogs: We expect employees to be smart and exercise good judgment. ..."
:w00t: I was wondering why they call them "Mickeysoft", now I know. 😀
"Technology is a weird thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other. ...:-D"
April 15, 2010 at 9:59 am
My company has a policy that blocks any web address with the word 'blog' anywhere in the link. Do you know how frustrating that is when I am using BOL???
I only use the internet at work for work related info. Anything personal I do on my iphone. 😉
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Remember as you walk down lifes road, don't forget to stop and pee on the bushes - Thordog[/font]
April 15, 2010 at 11:10 am
Steve, at the end of the blogging editorial you wrote: "Also, should we implement blogs at SQLServerCentral.com? We're torn and not sure anyone cares to read, or write, here, but I wonder if anyone would use them."
No, I avoid blogs unless I run across a link to a specific post on a topic I am researching. :-)Please spend your energy on adding even more great articles (which are focused and subject to some editing and proofing before publishing) here on SSC.
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