RIM records all employee calls
Summary
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion admitted yesterday that it recorded all employee conversations in the interest of maintaining control over intellectual property.
Topics
RIM CIO Robin Bienfait (Credit: RIM)
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion admitted yesterday that it recorded all employee conversations in the interest of maintaining control over intellectual property.
RIM chief information officer Robin Bienfait, during an interview with ZDNet.com.au in Sydney, said that all actions carried out on RIM's internal network were logged, which meant that people who wanted to carry out private conversations might want to bring in personal devices.
"Everything I have that's on RIM is recorded and retained as RIM. So if they want to have a chat with somebody and it's not a chat that's within RIM's domain, then they may want their own personal device," she said.
When asked exactly whether it was conversations, rather than just written information she kept tabs on, Bienfait answered: "Everything. I record everything."
It wasn't a violation of privacy according to Bienfait, who maintained the workers were aware of the surveillance: "They're doing business inside of RIM. Everything they can say or do can be patented... We're not violating anybody's privacy. They're aware that their information is transparent and in visibility."
She added that as a company reliant on its intellectual property, RIM had to be careful. "Their running anything on the RIM network or in our space is something that we have to capture because of disclosure," the executive said.
There is also a high level of caution around the pre-release beta devices which circulate around for employees to act as testers and users. Employees have to keep the devices out of sight when they go off campus so as to avoid people taking photos of the new technology. "We have to trust that they guard it," the CIO said.
Sometimes, breaches have occurred, followed by quick action on the part of the company. "We go take a look at whatever the breach or the leak is and we track it back to who or whatever caused it and we take whatever necessary action," Bienfait said.
Generally, however, employees were quick to say when their devices had been lost in a taxi, she said. "Our people are really, really good. They know their obligations as a beta tester."
In such cases, RIM would wipe the device immediately, so that it was just a piece of hardware. "I can't melt it from the sky yet. I would like that," Bienfait said.
Employees needed to enjoy the opportunity to work with the devices they had a part in manufacturing, since staff can only use BlackBerry devices for work. Bienfait said she had never had to deal with a request to put the iPhone on the network.
She said it freed her from some of the problems which plagued other companies, where IT departments had needed to deal with people wanting devices to be hooked up to the network which might compromise security. "I think it is a challenge for the industry to be able to manage some of the Gen Ys," she admitted.
Yet the eat-home-cooking law didn't hamper employee individuality, Bienfait believed, as employees ran rampant with the customization of their devices. "You can be an individual in our space. You just have to use one of the BlackBerry form factors," she said.
This article was originally posted on ZDNet Autstralia.
Just In
While RIM certainly has the right to do all the things they are talking about, the terms and phrasing used give a creepy spin on how they go about protecting their IP. And she looks so friendly...
Everything about this makes sense to me.
RIM employees are working for an employer with extreme intellectual property issues.
RIM employees are being paid to WORK while they're at work, generally better than many employees are paid.
If RIM employees want to conduct private conversations or send personal e-mails, that's what personal cell phones, breaks, and time spent away from work are for.
Why whine about conversations/e-mails being recorded/logged when it's on the employer's equipment and the employer's time?
RIM employees are working for an employer with extreme intellectual property issues.
RIM employees are being paid to WORK while they're at work, generally better than many employees are paid.
If RIM employees want to conduct private conversations or send personal e-mails, that's what personal cell phones, breaks, and time spent away from work are for.
Why whine about conversations/e-mails being recorded/logged when it's on the employer's equipment and the employer's time?
Now get back to work.
there should be laws again that that insane woman should be send to mental institute freak
the whole system of IP, patents... is creepy and freak... for sure has to be possible to patent a product already done, a trademark... but trying to patent ideas or descriptions or ways to do something... is creepy, weird and freaky.
i've only one question, is her phone also recorded? is her email logged?
i've only one question, is her phone also recorded? is her email logged?
it's the whole system of IP, patents... that's creepy and freaky. for sure has to be possible to patent a product or trademark... but trying to patent ways of doing something, descriptions of products that they only exists in the mind/imagination of somebody... is creepy, weird and freaky.
btw... i wonder if her phone calls are recorded? her emails are logged? Usually the managers like this kind of control over the employees but not over themselves
btw... i wonder if her phone calls are recorded? her emails are logged? Usually the managers like this kind of control over the employees but not over themselves
We monitor all communications made on the companies servers or phone network.
If my employer doesn't trust me to keep confidentiality, why should I trust my employer to keep confidential the phone calls I make to doctor, wife, family, insurance co., etc.?
If my employer doesn't trust me to keep confidentiality, why should I trust my employer to keep confidential the phone calls I make to doctor, wife, family, insurance co., etc.?
I don't think RIM is doing this out of lack of trust. The woman in the article said "everything they do or say can be patented," and, sadly, that's not far from reality.
I think they're documenting prior art.
I don't think RIM is doing this out of lack of trust. The woman in the article said "everything they do or say can be patented," and, sadly, that's not far from reality.
I think they're documenting prior art.
good for them, I guess if they convince staff to work under
such conditions and they continue to innovate then such
behavior it justifiable. however, if they start losing ground to
other companies and find it difficult to attract developers and
talent to their platform then they may want to behave
differently - oops looks like they should start behaving
differently.
such conditions and they continue to innovate then such
behavior it justifiable. however, if they start losing ground to
other companies and find it difficult to attract developers and
talent to their platform then they may want to behave
differently - oops looks like they should start behaving
differently.
Big brother has arrived, why not say theres a boogey man around, sad, childish and just plan numb.
How to piss off your employeees, breed mistrust & develop insular departmental feelings.
Stalin would have been proud of you!!
How to piss off your employeees, breed mistrust & develop insular departmental feelings.
Stalin would have been proud of you!!
This is no different than what you should expect if you were to work at a government, and they don't even pay us as much as RIM employees. but for some reason, I still have coworkers...
I mean, we literally had users moaning at us that we couldnt save the voicemails they'd kept for the last 10 years when we migrated to a VoIP system from cisco, and everyone's happy and a-OK with our voicemails sitting in the email inbox, which is sunshine-law'd from here to the sky and back. And everyone knows we could turn on recording any time we want, and for certain customer-facing positions, we do at certain times. Nobody complained then. Hell, one employee asked us if we'd be able to search them like his emails...
I guess though, some people are mature and intelligent enough to understand that when you're using equipment that the taxpayers, or investors for that matter, have paid for, you have a degree of accountability to them.
The fact of the matter is that the RIM bosses have the burden of accountability to the stockholders, and it only takes one big publicized leak that RIM cant pin down to the minute of conversation for a single influential investor to bring a class action against them. Companies in RIM's position understand that, and I would hazard a guess that the employees of RIM understand it too.
It's not an internal trust issue. The RIM suit even went and said that RIM employees are very good about owning up when they lose a device. It's the big bosses, the Board, and the investors that you have to be accountable to, and you can bet if I was in her shoes, I wouldn't want my head on the chopping block any more than i'd want to report quarterly losses.
Data retention is a fact of life, and if you're not up to something wrong*, it's really quite useful.
*personal counts as wrong on corp or govt owned things, unless you just don't care about e-discovery and sunshine laws.
I mean, we literally had users moaning at us that we couldnt save the voicemails they'd kept for the last 10 years when we migrated to a VoIP system from cisco, and everyone's happy and a-OK with our voicemails sitting in the email inbox, which is sunshine-law'd from here to the sky and back. And everyone knows we could turn on recording any time we want, and for certain customer-facing positions, we do at certain times. Nobody complained then. Hell, one employee asked us if we'd be able to search them like his emails...
I guess though, some people are mature and intelligent enough to understand that when you're using equipment that the taxpayers, or investors for that matter, have paid for, you have a degree of accountability to them.
The fact of the matter is that the RIM bosses have the burden of accountability to the stockholders, and it only takes one big publicized leak that RIM cant pin down to the minute of conversation for a single influential investor to bring a class action against them. Companies in RIM's position understand that, and I would hazard a guess that the employees of RIM understand it too.
It's not an internal trust issue. The RIM suit even went and said that RIM employees are very good about owning up when they lose a device. It's the big bosses, the Board, and the investors that you have to be accountable to, and you can bet if I was in her shoes, I wouldn't want my head on the chopping block any more than i'd want to report quarterly losses.
Data retention is a fact of life, and if you're not up to something wrong*, it's really quite useful.
*personal counts as wrong on corp or govt owned things, unless you just don't care about e-discovery and sunshine laws.
Guess she'll have to use a pay phone when a corporate headhunter contacts her to offer her a job elsewhere.
1. math does not add up.
2. not good enough math for everybody - impacts recruitment and
retention
3. when companies send their employees on sailing, sports, golf and
other graft trips - are they listening?
4. i believe in the rights of the person over and above that of the
company - name a few american companies you actually trust with your
professional or personal privacy.
2. not good enough math for everybody - impacts recruitment and
retention
3. when companies send their employees on sailing, sports, golf and
other graft trips - are they listening?
4. i believe in the rights of the person over and above that of the
company - name a few american companies you actually trust with your
professional or personal privacy.
Do we, as parents, have the rights over what our children watch? Do we have rights to view their computer browsing or emails? Do we have the right to tell our children that we feed them, cloth them, and provide shelter, so we have the final say in their private lives?
We have reasons that are acceptable to us as to why we do, and so does a company like RIM.
We have reasons that are acceptable to us as to why we do, and so does a company like RIM.
employer:employee :: parent:child?
The Parent has the knowledge and experience to understand the ramifications of bad choices made by those in their care, so our "word is law", and we monitor thier lives to protect not only their interest and futures, but that of the entire household.
Is that not the responsibility of any company; to protect the entire "household" from bad choices made by an employee? Can they not chose the lengths as to which they go to protect that, as we do as parents?
Is that not the responsibility of any company; to protect the entire "household" from bad choices made by an employee? Can they not chose the lengths as to which they go to protect that, as we do as parents?
Also As a Parent up to 16 , 17 years old you can have the final word , after that you will receive the middle finger and the next thing youll see is a closing front door. The child you tried so hard to raise and protect is now a grown up and manage there own decision. And Leaving for college god knows where.
Employees are the same there no recession in IT yet in canada RIM could receive a few middle finger
Depending if when your hired by RIM is a known fact .... I just hope that they pay a hell lots more that competition . Or the would receive the middle finger.
Employees are the same there no recession in IT yet in canada RIM could receive a few middle finger
Depending if when your hired by RIM is a known fact .... I just hope that they pay a hell lots more that competition . Or the would receive the middle finger.
As a parent, it's a responsibility to monitor what your child does, and to retain records. There are a lot of good reasons that have analogs in the corporate sector.
For instance, lets say someone threatens your child in some way, or makes sexually explicit advances. You would want to know, and if there are records you can keep, you'd want to be able to expose those to the police in order to catch the child predator.
RIM and it's executives, are obligated to protect their IP just as if it was their own child, and must monitor and record any situation they can where it might be exposed. Since they have the legal right on their equipment, they have to cover themselves.
For instance, lets say someone threatens your child in some way, or makes sexually explicit advances. You would want to know, and if there are records you can keep, you'd want to be able to expose those to the police in order to catch the child predator.
RIM and it's executives, are obligated to protect their IP just as if it was their own child, and must monitor and record any situation they can where it might be exposed. Since they have the legal right on their equipment, they have to cover themselves.
Basically you're saying that if paternalism is appropriate in parent-child relations then it's appropriate in employer-employee relations.
Can the employer say what your bedtime is?
Can the employer say what your bedtime is?
I am so sick and tired of people injecting KIDS into everything. **** the kids. Leave the kids out of conversations and out of politics. Please. Hitler loved to use the kids to get what he wanted to.
during break time you can do what the shiit you want. your employer have no right checking your own stuff. that a breaking of my f... privacy
Yes you can do whatever you want during your breaks however I don't think there are many employers who state that employees can use the companies phones to conduct their personal business.
If I want to make a call home or any sort of personal call I will use my mobile phone, unless of course I don't mind the call being saved on our servers.
If I want to make a call home or any sort of personal call I will use my mobile phone, unless of course I don't mind the call being saved on our servers.
It may be shock-horror to some, but at least she's up front about it - how many other concerns do this on the sly? It's a big deal if analysis of the captured transmissions goes outside the remit of protecting IPO... sadly, if HR eventually get their mitts on it, everyone will be scrutinised to the 3rd politically -correct degree...
My company installed phone recording equipment in the last year. At least in Ohio the law is quite clear--you MUST let your employees know their conversations are being recorded.
Of course these are *land lines* but the principle would be the same for cell phones.
The law says you must announce it to callers before connecting them--the old "This call may be recorded...blah blah blah."
Personally, I don't have a problem with it. Everyone involved made very sure to be upfront about it, it's in the employee handbook, anytime someone calls one of our lines it's announced.
Nothing on the sly about it.
I don't think *ANY* US company could record calls surreptitiously. Not sure about the EU--especially Britan, what with the craze for cameras everywhere and ID cards and the like.
Of course these are *land lines*
but the principle would be the same for cell phones. The law says you must announce it to callers before connecting them--the old "This call may be recorded...blah blah blah."
Personally, I don't have a problem with it. Everyone involved made very sure to be upfront about it, it's in the employee handbook, anytime someone calls one of our lines it's announced.
Nothing on the sly about it.
I don't think *ANY* US company could record calls surreptitiously. Not sure about the EU--especially Britan, what with the craze for cameras everywhere and ID cards and the like.
Whats next, reading everybody emails is it state interest, terrorism.
where does it end, thin end of the wedge!
Its phone tapping (control) by any other name.
I quote " all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others"
G.Orwell-Animal Farm
where does it end, thin end of the wedge!
Its phone tapping (control) by any other name.
I quote " all animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others"
G.Orwell-Animal Farm
It's OK, two things fall on the same category, one all
employee are provided a computer, e-mails is the
electronically recorded word (written) and the organization
has ALL the rights to keep and scrutiny it; well! RIM provides
you the phone, then the spoken word gets recorded and
keep for scrutiny... Yes all fall into intellectual property and
confidentiality agreement. Do not use your business devices
for personal matters.
employee are provided a computer, e-mails is the
electronically recorded word (written) and the organization
has ALL the rights to keep and scrutiny it; well! RIM provides
you the phone, then the spoken word gets recorded and
keep for scrutiny... Yes all fall into intellectual property and
confidentiality agreement. Do not use your business devices
for personal matters.
I suppose you might be right, given an employee agreement, that RIM
has its rights. But should they? Do you value the person or the company
more? I put a lot of value in the person. Others may consider that by
virtue of putting a tool in your hand that the person buying the tool owns
everything you do. Should this apply to hammers, phones, computers,
software, etc? Arguable? Yes. Absolute? No.
has its rights. But should they? Do you value the person or the company
more? I put a lot of value in the person. Others may consider that by
virtue of putting a tool in your hand that the person buying the tool owns
everything you do. Should this apply to hammers, phones, computers,
software, etc? Arguable? Yes. Absolute? No.
I, too, value the person.
However, as the owner of a small business, meaning I work bizarre hours for any client that will hire me for whatever they are willing to pay me in this economy...
...I would LOVE to work for a company that would pay me to work an 8-10 hour day with breaks I could use to make calls on my personal cell phone. That company could record my calls on their phones, track my e-mails on their computers, and use video surveillance on my every move while at my desk.
Salaried employment is a wonderful thing, and the company you work for has every right to ensure employees are working during work hours, conducting personal business on personal time, and protecting the company's interests while at work.
However, as the owner of a small business, meaning I work bizarre hours for any client that will hire me for whatever they are willing to pay me in this economy...
...I would LOVE to work for a company that would pay me to work an 8-10 hour day with breaks I could use to make calls on my personal cell phone. That company could record my calls on their phones, track my e-mails on their computers, and use video surveillance on my every move while at my desk.
Salaried employment is a wonderful thing, and the company you work for has every right to ensure employees are working during work hours, conducting personal business on personal time, and protecting the company's interests while at work.
yep, but i bet you couldn't actually do it for very long. and of course easy
to say in this economic climate. Don't worry you will be able to work
from the beach again in a couple of years.
to say in this economic climate. Don't worry you will be able to work
from the beach again in a couple of years.
I tell all new employees (and remind the current ones) that the company owns the communications network, and has the legal right to record any communications using the network. Period. That's the law, and you don't have to like it. But don't be surprised if you get fired for something stupid you said in that email, phone call, text message, or chat session
and upfront about it. If the employees are aware of this, it seems fair enough for them.
But what about the other side of the conversation? Here in the UK, it used to be illegal to record telephone conversations without the other party's knowledge. Not sure if it still is, but people phoning INTO RIM haven't signed any waiver about their rights. Maybe the IP is on the other foot (or something).
But what about the other side of the conversation? Here in the UK, it used to be illegal to record telephone conversations without the other party's knowledge. Not sure if it still is, but people phoning INTO RIM haven't signed any waiver about their rights. Maybe the IP is on the other foot (or something).
yep, treat adults like children and you may be able to
predict the results - Bold.
predict the results - Bold.
man, it does seem like there are two camps.
1. loyal to people and their individual rights
2. loyal to the man and their rights
my problem with 2 is that shareholders have shown
incapable or unwilling to hold a company accountable - so
have governments.
So, this worries me. That it does not worry all, worries me
more.
1. loyal to people and their individual rights
2. loyal to the man and their rights
my problem with 2 is that shareholders have shown
incapable or unwilling to hold a company accountable - so
have governments.
So, this worries me. That it does not worry all, worries me
more.
At what point did an employer become required to provide you with internet access to be used for personal business at work (yes even on your break)? While you are on the clock you are being paid to do the job that you have been paid for whether that be car assembly or beta testing the new BB storm. She did not say that employees were not allowed their own devices, quite the opposite. It has merely been established that what goes on the company network is company property and is subject to recording in order to protect company IP. If you need to do personal things online you can do that at home or use your personal device. Again, while companies are required to give you x number of breaks in a day they are not required to give you internet access and telephone access to do with what you will during these hiatuses from doing your job.
I'm not in complete agreement with what's being said here.
First off, let's say your a sales rep being paid salary and commissions.. You're not an hourly employee and you could work 1 hour all year, as long as your client base brings you the revenue RIM is not watching over the hours you put in.
Next, the expectation that 'only business' happens at the place of employment doesn't quite line up either. Have you ever received a call from your wife at work?
While I do understand that RIM has made their policies known to their staff I'm not a big fan of all this big brother stuff.
The ture issue here (as has been the case for years with digital rights management) is that technology progresses before security measures do. At some point in time, users will have an easy way to manage what networks their phone uses but today there's no easy way to know if a given call, email or web session, is riding a corp VPN or a carrier network.
The notion that users should carry numerous phones is crazy. The technology is only 'half there'. You can have numerous email accounts with diff network settings today, you should be able to have similar functions for SMS, IM or voice calls. We'll get there eventually.
...Just one guys opinion.
First off, let's say your a sales rep being paid salary and commissions.. You're not an hourly employee and you could work 1 hour all year, as long as your client base brings you the revenue RIM is not watching over the hours you put in.
Next, the expectation that 'only business' happens at the place of employment doesn't quite line up either. Have you ever received a call from your wife at work?
While I do understand that RIM has made their policies known to their staff I'm not a big fan of all this big brother stuff.
The ture issue here (as has been the case for years with digital rights management) is that technology progresses before security measures do. At some point in time, users will have an easy way to manage what networks their phone uses but today there's no easy way to know if a given call, email or web session, is riding a corp VPN or a carrier network.
The notion that users should carry numerous phones is crazy. The technology is only 'half there'. You can have numerous email accounts with diff network settings today, you should be able to have similar functions for SMS, IM or voice calls. We'll get there eventually.
...Just one guys opinion.
that an employer is not required to give you telephone let alone internet access outside what is reasonably required for you to do your given job. Using that definition, there should be a reasonable expectation by the employer that when you are using their hardware/network you are in essence on the job if not necessarily on the "clock."
I agree with you that we will likely as not get to a place where we can simply change the mode/profile on our BB or iPhone from work to home and chose how we want to place calls and send emails, but until then I don't think that it is unreasonable to carry two devices if you wish to keep the personal, personal and the professional, professional.
I agree with you that we will likely as not get to a place where we can simply change the mode/profile on our BB or iPhone from work to home and chose how we want to place calls and send emails, but until then I don't think that it is unreasonable to carry two devices if you wish to keep the personal, personal and the professional, professional.
watch iPhone sales increase for RIM employees on their break
At what point did an employer become required to provide you with air to breathe or allow you to think non-work related thoughts during workhours? If you have a headache; stop thinking about it, it's the company's head, not yours.
Just kidding. But bring your own airsupply with you to RIM just in case...
How much IP does RIM lose when employees use their personal equipment? There could be many patents lost there.
Just kidding. But bring your own airsupply with you to RIM just in case...
How much IP does RIM lose when employees use their personal equipment? There could be many patents lost there.
Isn't this pretty typical of corporations? I know whenever I call up customer service there is always the "This call may be monitored for quality assurance" speech at the beginning. Even my employer has it.
I work for a mobile phone network and all calls have been recorded for quite some time. It's no different to your emails being monitored which lots of companies do.
The debate is interesting and I have noted that due to
regulations and conservative managers that demand
control over resources and minds that one other impact is
an increase in mac sales, probably iPhone sales too.
My boss doesn't let me use the company laptop anymore
(or work from home the way I used to) and I found that it
sucked for using iTunes anyway, so I'm going to get a mac
at home.
All anecdotal- but my oil company friends all contemplate
buying a mac for home more and more these days. Wonder
if RIM employees will actually go out and buy an iPhone
due to crappy corporate policy and in fact RIM gets the
benefit in the long run. Employees using iPhones will teach
them some things they may not have known otherwise.
However, in the end it is likely to work against RIM as
employees may not want to share that with their employers
that drove them away from their technology platform.
regulations and conservative managers that demand
control over resources and minds that one other impact is
an increase in mac sales, probably iPhone sales too.
My boss doesn't let me use the company laptop anymore
(or work from home the way I used to) and I found that it
sucked for using iTunes anyway, so I'm going to get a mac
at home.
All anecdotal- but my oil company friends all contemplate
buying a mac for home more and more these days. Wonder
if RIM employees will actually go out and buy an iPhone
due to crappy corporate policy and in fact RIM gets the
benefit in the long run. Employees using iPhones will teach
them some things they may not have known otherwise.
However, in the end it is likely to work against RIM as
employees may not want to share that with their employers
that drove them away from their technology platform.
Confusion Consultants has ALWAYS listened to all of my phone calls and always will, until such a time as we actually hire some other employees.
Daniel
CEO, CTO, CIO, Janitor
www.confusionists.com
Daniel
CEO, CTO, CIO, Janitor
www.confusionists.com
Tell em something I did NOT KNOW!
In my 35+ years in the work force, I have seen this abused by both employers and employees alike.
I have seen employees use company fax lines for sending 50+ fax pages internationally more than a handful number of times!! I know one boss that was not too happy to see THAT bill. I have seen employees taking calls 'on the clock' for their side jobs tying up the incoming lines blocking calls from legitimate customers. I have also seen the reverse.
In the days before cell phones were common, I knew of employers that would piss and moan about an employee making a quick call on the way out, to see if their spouse needed anything from the store. I have seen co-workers in an office building where the incompetent PHB's that mismanaged WROK PALACE get theirs one day. That company's PHB refused to allow ANY personal calls in or out of the office - for any reason. Since the office space was rented, the co-workers were able to "rent" a closet from the building owner, and had a phone line installed with an answering machine for "personal use only". One nasty summer thunderstorm later, and the PHB's phone system was F----d. He was NOT allowed to use the employee "owned" co-op phone. They told him to go find a payphone. I have also seen the barely controlled, simmering rage felt by an ex-employee when an incompetent PHB hung up on his wife's call and not tell anyone about it. When he got home that evening, he found out that 4 members of his family lost their lives in a plane crash. All I would have to ask is: "How would YOU feel" Because of his anger, that employee quit immediately - NO NOTICE GIVEN! And, IMHO, not required. That PHB belonged to a rare species - Assholus Colossus!!
In my 35+ years in the work force, I have seen this abused by both employers and employees alike.
I have seen employees use company fax lines for sending 50+ fax pages internationally more than a handful number of times!! I know one boss that was not too happy to see THAT bill. I have seen employees taking calls 'on the clock' for their side jobs tying up the incoming lines blocking calls from legitimate customers. I have also seen the reverse.
In the days before cell phones were common, I knew of employers that would piss and moan about an employee making a quick call on the way out, to see if their spouse needed anything from the store. I have seen co-workers in an office building where the incompetent PHB's that mismanaged WROK PALACE get theirs one day. That company's PHB refused to allow ANY personal calls in or out of the office - for any reason. Since the office space was rented, the co-workers were able to "rent" a closet from the building owner, and had a phone line installed with an answering machine for "personal use only". One nasty summer thunderstorm later, and the PHB's phone system was F----d. He was NOT allowed to use the employee "owned" co-op phone. They told him to go find a payphone. I have also seen the barely controlled, simmering rage felt by an ex-employee when an incompetent PHB hung up on his wife's call and not tell anyone about it. When he got home that evening, he found out that 4 members of his family lost their lives in a plane crash. All I would have to ask is: "How would YOU feel" Because of his anger, that employee quit immediately - NO NOTICE GIVEN! And, IMHO, not required. That PHB belonged to a rare species - Assholus Colossus!!
What I do on my own time, what I invent or think or dream up and develop, on my own time, is my own work and you have no right to any portion of it UNLESS you wish to share in my expenses - right down to supplying me with food, electric, cars, mortgage etc. If you wish to "own" me then you pay for everything, including the losses. Not just the potential upsides. Screw you, you Hitlers. We already know just how seriously RIM takes IP laws anyway.
Notice how this slimeball twists the meaning of "trust" in her statement about beta testers having access to new technology: "We have to trust that they guard it," the CIO said.
What a little turd.
What a little turd.
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