The Hidden Internet War
by Marti Talbott

Amy Carroll (fictitious name) was a talented, easy going Supervisor, good to
her employees and seemingly dedicated to her job. But in this small office,
away from the traffic of other employees, something was wrong. Amy was
becoming an Internet addict.

Access to the Internet was required to complete certain functions of her job
and at first, she only wandered to other sites for a few seconds at a time,
bookmarking them for a later visit.

The Company was fairly liberal about Internet use during breaks and lunches,
but it frowned on abuses and made their position well known. Rumor had it
they occasionally check up on Employees. Nevertheless, Amy couldn't resist.
Without the Internet at home, she was constantly thinking of things she could
look up at work like medical conditions, available apartments, traffic cams,
weather reports, breaking news, and the list went on and on.

Then one day it happened. She got so engrossed in a website, a full hour
passed and it wasn't her designated lunch time. Shocked and frightened, she
called a friend and quickly learned how to cover her tracks. For three full
days, she abided by all the rules. Then it occurred to her that knowing how
to cover her tracks offered her a new kind of freedom. Amy was back on the
Net! At the same time, she began delegating her work load to the employees
under her a little at a time, careful to keep herself informed so she could
answer questions from her superiors. She thought she was home free.

She was, of course, doomed to failure and eventually Amy got fired.

Was she a good Supervisor? Yes, in the beginning. The company truly hated
to let her go and now had the expense of training someone new. So what's the
answer for employees like Amy?

Keeping closer tabs on employees is the wrong answer. It carries a stigma of
mistrust and most employees are not abusers. The answer is in computer time
sharing for abusers. Set up a few computers with Internet access and
schedule times for work related use. Employers will feel less like prison
guards and employees less like prisoners.

Marti Talbott is the Author of:
"A Shattered City - Earthquake in Seattle"
www.carsonbooks.com