The Age of Horrors has begun: Goodbye ProZ, I'm spied! Thread poster: Martin Schmurr
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Just one hour after I thanked Jerzy for resolving my problem with the "jumping mouse", my cursor set out for a slow walk across the screen.
But this time I knew why: My boss's son had just told me all our computers are now controlled directly by our boss (who is 1000 kms away at the moment), and he can even command our mouse.
Has anybody had a similar experience, or am I the first guinea-pig in the world?
I posted a question on ProZ today under someone else's identity...but tha... See more Just one hour after I thanked Jerzy for resolving my problem with the "jumping mouse", my cursor set out for a slow walk across the screen.
But this time I knew why: My boss's son had just told me all our computers are now controlled directly by our boss (who is 1000 kms away at the moment), and he can even command our mouse.
Has anybody had a similar experience, or am I the first guinea-pig in the world?
I posted a question on ProZ today under someone else's identity...but that's not very practical, I'll have to open a second one for myself...I'll ask a moderator...
Goodbye, dear ProZ friends! but I'll still be with you in the mornings when I am at school, and on Saturdays...
[Edited at 2003-10-28 08:35] ▲ Collapse
| | | | ncfialho (X) 
Local time: 11:38
German to Portuguese
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you should go freelance as an option then you will be your own boss
Best luck,
Natalia
| | | | Jeremy Smith
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:38
Member (2003)
French to English
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| Big Brother is watching you | Oct 27, 2003 |
Clever IT boffins who control the network of the companies people work for can indeed take control of any employee's computer. Don't ask me how, because I have no idea. Usual practice, however, would be to inform the employee beforehand a) out of general good manners, and b) to reassure them that their computer hasn't suddenly gone mad. It does seem rather intrusive that your employer didn't warn you beforehand.
| | | | | thanks, Natália, | Oct 27, 2003 |
that's the obvious answer, but my case is special: in that office only part of my work is translation (fortunately, because the texts are mostly boring, and they were boring too when I worked as a freelancer...)
but I also do programming on our translation systems, and that's much more interesting! and I'm the only one besides my boss who knows all the thousands of scripts...
well, Jeremy, he did warn me in time, because the "jumping" problem I had before, was due to th... See more that's the obvious answer, but my case is special: in that office only part of my work is translation (fortunately, because the texts are mostly boring, and they were boring too when I worked as a freelancer...)
but I also do programming on our translation systems, and that's much more interesting! and I'm the only one besides my boss who knows all the thousands of scripts...
well, Jeremy, he did warn me in time, because the "jumping" problem I had before, was due to the mousepad: http://www.proz.com/topic/15237
[Edited at 2003-10-27 18:02] ▲ Collapse
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| Can you elaborate? | Oct 27, 2003 |
Hi Martin. Are you exaggerating here? Your boss doesn't really "control your mouse," does he? I have heard of companies blocking certain web sites (In fact a friend of mine here has been unable to look for fitness clubs in town, because the computers at work block all web sites with the word "sauna").
But surely your boss has an interest in you having access to proz?
- Michele
| | | | Yongmei Liu
United States
Local time: 03:38
English to Chinese
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| Yes, it's possible with software like pcAnywhere | Oct 27, 2003 |
Michele Johnson wrote:
Hi Martin. Are you exaggerating here? Your boss doesn't really "control your mouse," does he?
- Michele
| | | | Aisha Rishi
Pakistan
Local time: 15:38
English to Urdu
+ ...
| It is possible | Oct 27, 2003 |
Martin Schmurr wrote:
Just one hour after I thanked Jerzy for resolving my problem with the "jumping mouse", my cursor set out for a slow walk across the screen.
But this time I knew why: My boss's son had just told my all our computers are now controlled directly by our boss (who is 1000 kms away at the moment), and he can even command our mouse.
Has anybody had a similar experience, or am I the first guinea-pig in the world?
I posted a question on ProZ today under someone else's identity...but that's not very practical, I'll have to open a second one for myself...I'll ask a moderator...
Goodbye, dear ProZ friends! but I'll still be with you in the mornings when I am at school, and on Saturdays...
[Edited at 2003-10-27 17:49]
This can be done by Remote Administrator or PCANYWHERE and similar programs. It is called remote access. They can control your dekstop with it.
I sometimes use remote administrator to help my friends with their computer problems.
| | | | | Remote Control for Mac | Oct 28, 2003 |
Martin Schmurr wrote:
My boss's son had just told my all our computers are now controlled directly by our boss (who is 1000 kms away at the moment), and he can even command our mouse.
Has anybody had a similar experience, or am I the first guinea-pig in the world?
[Edited at 2003-10-27 17:49]
Hi Martin,
since you wrote you are using a Mac, I think that your company is using Timbuktu Pro, Apple Network Assistant or, most probably, Apple Remote Desktop. For a short description go to http://www.lowendmac.com/lab/02/0104.html
and
http://www.apple.com/remotedesktop/
A few years ago I tested a remote control software for a big software firm, and I found the application very buggy, i.e. it could crash very easily the client machines when establishing a remote control session. I suggest to point out to the network administrator that you could lose all your work if he continues to open remote control sessions without asking for your preventive permission. This could be a problem far more important than the privacy issue. As far as I know, still this kind of software is not very reliable, and I think that, even on Mac, you could experience very very annoying problems in the future.
Apart from this, I think that you could continue to use the Proz com community for your work: you do translation tasks at your company, and if you can access the Internet, I don't see any misuse of the network in accessing an useful site for your translation tasks.
Most notably, also without remote control software, a network administrator could easily access the Internet logs for every user in the LAN. So, concerning your privacy, I think that nothing really changed, but your perception of being spied.
Bye and Good luck!
M.
[Edited at 2003-10-28 01:41]
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| thanks to all of you! of course my | Oct 28, 2003 |
boss has to allow me to ask KudoZ questions, but he might see my 2920 points (+ 15629 browniez) and wonder how I got them...and follow the link to my profile page and those from there to all my pages I created on ProZ.com...it's true I didn't create them in the office as they didn't work on Mac, but not all of them are meant for him to see...
So Apple says:
"With Apple Remote Desktop you can reduce downtime and let people be more productive."
- in other words no employee... See more boss has to allow me to ask KudoZ questions, but he might see my 2920 points (+ 15629 browniez) and wonder how I got them...and follow the link to my profile page and those from there to all my pages I created on ProZ.com...it's true I didn't create them in the office as they didn't work on Mac, but not all of them are meant for him to see...
So Apple says:
"With Apple Remote Desktop you can reduce downtime and let people be more productive."
- in other words no employee will ever dare leave his/her computer unused for a minute because he/she will be told off immediately...
Your crash argument, Massimo, is not for me, I'm afraid: my boss would answer: well, you saw I moved your mouse, and your computer didn't crash!
[Edited at 2003-10-28 08:34] ▲ Collapse
| | | | | Of mice and men | Oct 28, 2003 |
Hi Martin,
Maybe you should bring your kitty to scare the big bad mouse off!
Seriously, though, it all sounds rather intrusive. Surely what you do in your own time, is your own business?
Maybe you should stop accessing ProZ while in the office and just do it when you are at home.
Good luck!
| | | | Mónica Machado
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:38
English to Portuguese
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| You can't progress without anybody to know... | Oct 28, 2003 |
Hi Martin,
I thought about your problem and reached the conclusion that we can't progress without anybody knowing about it. This is, if you have your own projects (not related to the company you work with) and can't advertise them, what's the point? Also, to keep doing both tasks will you need to call yourself a different name - change identity?
If you don't do the other projects at the office, I don't see what the problem is. Unless you have signed one of those funny... See more Hi Martin,
I thought about your problem and reached the conclusion that we can't progress without anybody knowing about it. This is, if you have your own projects (not related to the company you work with) and can't advertise them, what's the point? Also, to keep doing both tasks will you need to call yourself a different name - change identity?
If you don't do the other projects at the office, I don't see what the problem is. Unless you have signed one of those funny exclusivity contracts many companies like offering... And having hundreds of points in Proz is good, isn't it? Maybe your boss will be proud and willing to give you a salary increase next time you ask one:-) knowing your own value.
Well, I wish you all the best. Try keeping your own life also because you might need to leave that office one of these days, anyway.
Best regards,
Mónica Machado (MIL)
English into European Portuguese Translator
Member of APT and IOL & Associate Member of ITI
Portugal
E-mail: [email protected]
http://monicamachado.planetaclix.pt ▲ Collapse
| | | | | thanks Mónica! | Oct 28, 2003 |
I don't think my boss will be proud of my KudoZ, because I'm supposed to work for him during office hours and not for ProZians...
This morning as soon as I had switched on my computer, he called! I was in the bathroom, so when I got back I opened a new document and wrote in big letters:
"sorry sir, I was in the bathroom; I suppose you haven't installed videocameras there yet!"
he didn't call me again!
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Mónica Machado
United Kingdom
Local time: 11:38
English to Portuguese
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| Separate the waters | Oct 28, 2003 |
Hi Martin,
In that case the only solution is to separate the waters. Work for that company in your working hours and do any other Proz tasks or others as extra.
That will calm things a bit. But don't give up of anything you do, just make a few changes. Let's say... go around it:-)
All the best
Mónica
| | | | | It is bad manners. | Oct 29, 2003 |
Martin Schmurr wrote:
My boss's son had just told me all our computers are now controlled directly by our boss (who is 1000 kms away at the moment), and he can even command our mouse.
...
[Edited at 2003-10-28 08:35]
The technology is old hat. Any lay hacker can do that. Especially when he himself is the systems administrator. The point is, your boss hacking into your machine without your knowledge is simply a case of intrusion into your privacy. Which is rank bad manners.
| | | | | thanks Mónica, I'm | Oct 29, 2003 |
beginning to get accustomed to not having anything to interrupt my boredom at work...
and yet I have to post KudoZ questions now and then...
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