Fun in the sharktank

[Patiod]

From "Sharktank" a feature of "Computerworld Magazine". http://www.computerworld.com/departments/opinions/sharktank/0,4885,100191,00.html where IT folks send in their "fun" stories about the joys of IT.

Today's is one of the best ones I've read in a long time

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Hey, if you can't trust IT, who CAN you trust?

CEO decides that his company is getting too much spam, so word comes down to this pilot fish in IT: Find a better spam filter and get it working pronto.

"This I duly do," says fish, "and I get the latest all-singing, all-dancing heuristic-learning spam filter that can constantly adapt to new types of spam as they appear.

"But first it has to be trained. This requires me to read all the e-mails coming into the server and train the spam filter for a period of time."

There are meetings. There are presentations. Finally, top management decides to go ahead. And for the next two months, it's fish's job to read the mail.

And fish takes pains to make sure everyone understands what's going to happen. "Announcements are made throughout the company of what is to take place," fish says. "Our Internet policy is rewritten and agreed to by all employees so I am allowed to perform this necessary service for this period.

"On Day 1 of the start of the learning process, one of the first e-mails I read is from the (married) CEO's lover, very saucy and totally non-unreadable.

"By the end of the first week, I've learned who is gay, who is having affairs, who is running their own business on company time, who is sending out resumes and who hates who.

"I also learned that the CEO is planning to move the company 50 miles away and sell it in six months' time."

At the end of the first week, fish is called into a management meeting for an update on progress of the spam-filter project. He reports that the filter has already reached 96% efficiency.

And he does it with a straight face. "I have to force myself not to grin knowingly at various people I now see in a new light," says fish.

"It's written in our ISO procedure documents that all e-mails, incoming and outgoing, are archived for five years. But I guess people don't read those.

"I look forward to next week's e-mails."

[tsakshaug]

1. I read this regularly

have an rss feed to the site. good reading. Some of us do set up filters and read through email at work...it is amazing what people write.
Whoops that accidently went to the wrong person.....

[Patiod]

3. Question from a clueless user: what about freemail accounts?

Let's say I send something via Yahoo, or my personal email account, accessed via the web at work. Can you guys see that?

I send NOTHING from my work email that I wouldn't want the boss herself reading. I know our company doesn't monitor, and besides, the IT guy is a friend, but Better Safe than Sorry.

I do, however, sometimes access Yahoo or personal email, and send out things like resumes. Much quicker from the T1 at work than from the dialup at home. What's the risk there?

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. They can but it takes some work.

Unless the webmail page uses HTTPS. In this case, it's secure (short of they installing a keystroke loggen on your computer).

I think you shouldn't take risks and send your resumes from elsewhere. Maybe a cybercafe if you're netless at home.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

2. Consider this a cautionary tale

Fish could be a freeper (a Jesus fish mayhaps?)