Remote Desktop Abuse

[webnick]

I'm the first in-house web developer at a small financial corporation. Most of the other 15 in our dept work in COBOL. I've been feeling overly pressured by remote desktop use and am interested in others experience with this.

In the technology world, it seems reasonable that a supervisor may want to watch you code to see your work-flow or competency. Perhaps more so while starting out. I'm being watched for around 4 hours a day though and it seems to stifle conversation about projects.

Plus the network guy is always commenting about my work to others.

Have others worked through this?

[zerofool2005]

Im sure that you would actually have to sign a contract before they woul be allowed to do this. Its a breach of your privacy?

[Shrike]

I can't actually believe an employer would do that. To me that shows an utterly incredible lack of trust. Really if they felt the need to do that why would they hire you in the first place? I'd be out the door in that situation I think.

[zerofool2005]

Check in there policies. It must say something in there about it

[bradgrafelman]

Im sure that you would actually have to sign a contract before they woul be allowed to do this. Its a breach of your privacy?
Actually, probably not.

Who owns the computer? Who extended the privilege to use the computer? Who provides access to the network? Simply agreeing to work on the project (or perhaps you signed a general contract to work for them) is probably enough.

At my workplace, we actually use a similar setup - I wrote a quick script that silently pushes out a modified version of RealVNC to all computers. We can pop in and view a computer any time. We also use it to troubleshoot as well.

[piersk]

I think there's a difference between using it to troubleshoot and as tech support and watching you code. I'd hate that and definately couldn't work under those conditions. What reasons does your boss give for the need to do this?

[bradgrafelman]

Oh don't get me wrong, I would hate this as well - I'd either use my own laptop or get out pen and paper :p

[NogDog]

Plus the network guy is always commenting about my work to others.
Now that is something I would discuss with my supervisor as being an unacceptable work situation. It's (a) none of the network guy's business in the first place (other than facilitating the mechanism) and (b) extremely unprofessional and unethical in my opinion.

[MarkR]

I recommend you take it up with your manager as:

1. An unacceptable invasion of privacy
2. Possibly open to abuse by those authorised
3. Bad for morale

Of course staff in many other industries (e.g. call centres) have constant monitoring of their activities- but I'd like to think that we (developers) are trusted better.

Mark

[piersk]

<slightly off-topic>
I have a couple of friends who at one point in their lives have worked for Starbucks in the UK. They monitor everything you do. If you hit "Void" too many times (even if it's cos the customer has forgotten their wallet) you get a phone call from the US asking why. I'd hate to work for a company like that

</slightly off topic>

[bpat1434]

<slightly off-topic>
I have a couple of friends who at one point in their lives have worked for Starbucks in the UK. They monitor everything you do. If you hit "Void" too many times (even if it's cos the customer has forgotten their wallet) you get a phone call from the US asking why. I'd hate to work for a company like that

</slightly off topic>
Yeah, except isn't that a hind-view? Like if you're at the register, hit "Void" numerous times, then clock out go home, and maybe the next day / week you get a phone call, well rather the company? That seems more like it to me. Which isn't exactly the same, but close.

I have to say that you need to re-read your contract with the company. If it says that use of the equipment allows them to monitor your activities fine. But if it doesn't explicitly say that, you might have a thread to hang on to. It is a breach of privacy, but it depends upon the terms laid out in your contract and whatever else you signed to work there.

<off-topic>
I work at an ambulance company. In response to our non-trained drivers having accidents every other day, they installed those nifty "Drive-Cam" cameras in our units to record accidents and aggressive driving. "Aggressive" is defined as setting the camera off which is at like 1.5g's of force.

Now, it turns out, they're using it to also monitor conversations, patient care and other stuff. I know for a fact that I didn't sign any document that said they could watch the video and act upon my conversations. They haven't tried yet, but if they come after me for conversations, I'm throwing Constitutional Right #1 in their face: Free Speech.
</off-topic>

I wouldn't want to work where you work though. I can't stand people looming over my shoulder (or on the other side of the LCD screen) just watching what I'm doing, waiting for me to mess up. Not sure what country you're in, but I'd definitely look to the Better Business Bureau and an Ethics committee for some guidance if you didn't sign something saying they could monitor you.

[piersk]

Yeah, except isn't that a hind-view? Like if you're at the register, hit "Void" numerous times, then clock out go home, and maybe the next day / week you get a phone call, well rather the company? That seems more like it to me. Which isn't exactly the same, but close.

Sorry, should have stated, the phone call usually comes in about 5 minutes

[bpat1434]

wow... i'd hate to see the phone logs for a trainee's first day

[piersk]

When you're as big as starbucks, I don't think they're that bothered by the phone bill. Brings to mind the old joke

Is that your phone number? No, it's the phone bill

[vaaaska]

In a heartbeat I'd quit. And I would be sure to tell everybody I knew just why I quit. I'd probably even blog about it...and be sure to use their name as much as possible.

[goldbug]

They should question the network admin for coming up with such a weird spying scheme.

I mean, sheesh, if you want to spy on someone, you don't need Remote Desktop. Thanks to the joys of RPC, as a domain admin you can take a screenshot of any Windows machine on the domain without the end user knowing. ;)

Seriously tho... this practice is very shady. They should care more about the end product, not how you arrive at it, or if you happen to be IM'ing Jimmy at 3PM on a Tuesday.

[scrupul0us]

they have the ability here but you have to personally change the administrator group membership to remote operator for them to actually see and control the desktop

personally, i disabled all of that junk as it bogs my machine down way too much (I use AutoCAD 2007 ABS and it just lags with all their corp BS on there)

you want privacy, unplug the machine from the network

[webnick]

I'm already picking up his slack with systems work and server maintenance. I think if he had management experience, he'd be setting small goals or targets and testing on progress. But that's not his job. He's just the networking guy who's happened to be there 20yrs and is now abusing security privileges.

It's like being slimed out the door.