IBM or Big Brother

With technology today, it is hard to tell where the convenience ends, and surveillance begins. Sometimes we are so enchanted by how easy it is to access any information we desire with the click of a mouse, we forget to consider just what is at risk. The woman in Keen's book, who had her most private AOL searches published, learned this the hard way. However, it seems that positive outcomes can also come from this "Big Brother" type technology. It's difficult to know the difference between helpful and harmful.

My friend Marion told me of an incident at her workplace, IBM, which seemed to illustrate this point. A Coworker of hers had been receiving inappropriate emails from her boss. The employee, not wanting to cause trouble in the office, as she would only be there for the summer, decided to just ignore and delete the emails. She continued to stay focused on her work, but found it difficult when her boss would not communicate in a professional manner. When the boss became irritated with the unrequited feelings, he began to blame the intern for missing work. IBM was able to investigate the correspondence between the two to see who was to blame, despite the fact that the emails had been erased. Because IBM has the evolved technology to keep such a close eye, they were able to see emails that the employee had thought were gone forever. This inappropriate boss, in turn, was fired. To add to the story, Marion informed me that all IBM employees must carry badges, which they must scan at various points in the building in order to gain access. This means that IBM knows where everyone is at all times. Is this a safety feature or is it an infringement on privacy?

I think that in cases like this, it is so important to be aware of your surroundings. It is vital to understand the way technology is being used in your everyday life. In the case of IBM, it was the mistake of the boss's. It was wrong for him to use the workplace as a forum for this type of behavior, and possibly even worse that he failed to understand that his emails would not go unseen by his superiors. However, it is scary to think that this type of surveillance leaves the workplace, and follows us into our homes. I believe that changes are needed, in the way that what we search for, look at, email, or instant message from private locations should remain just that, private. I do believe there should be exceptions however. I believe that if a person commits a crime in which their internet activity may have played a role, they forfeit these rights to privacy. Generally speaking however, I think it is important to understand that in this day and age, though you feel completely anonymous online, it may not always be the case. Lesson: Think before you type.