Alabama IT Whistleblower Fired For Spyware 751
chalker writes "Vernon Blake, an IT sysadmin for the Alabama Department Of Transportation, wanted to get evidence that his boss spent the majority of his time playing solitaire on his computer. Since emails to higher up supervisors were ignored, he installed Win-Spy, which grabbed screenshots several times per day over a period of 7 months. 70% of the resulting screenshots showed an active game of solitaire, and another 20% showed his boss checking the stock market. When he reported this to superiors, he was fired, even though he had 21 years of service in the position. His boss got a reprimand to 'stop playing games'. He is appealing his termination in court since he claims it was part of his job description to 'confirm and document' computer misuse for ALDOT. His complete story is here."
That's 90% (Score:5, Funny)
Wait (Score:5, Funny)
Topical comic (Score:1, Funny)
Solitaire (Score:5, Funny)
Spyware. (Score:5, Funny)
Thats what the boss gets....... (Score:5, Funny)
Arthur - If you're reading this -- just kidding! Otherwise, I am completely serious.
Sounds like a case of (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Wait (Score:3, Funny)
Yes! That's perfect! (Score:2, Funny)
Had this same sort of problem (Score:3, Funny)
90% of the time the screen was blue... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:maybe he was fired... (Score:3, Funny)
Are you really sure about that?
Disclaimer: I have nothing against Alabama, this was a joke.
Re:Everyone knows (Score:5, Funny)
http://www.dot.state.al.us/Bureau/Right_of_
Oh look, I do believe it has George Dobb's phone number on it.
Slashdot away!
Suggested voicemail message: "We are watching you. Stop playing games on your computer and get back to work."
Brilliant. (Score:2, Funny)
Re:couldn't he just.... (Score:5, Funny)
- Seth
Re:couldn't he just.... (Score:5, Funny)
How about creating a custom solitaire that Loses Every Time. The boss would become frustrated. Seething in anger he would blurt it out at status meetings, thus outing himself.
In Soviet Russia.... (Score:2, Funny)
Re:couldn't he just.... (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Everyone knows (Score:5, Funny)
You've never worked in government, have you?
Re:Wait (Score:4, Funny)
Oh they have plenty of computers in Alabama. The problem is that because most computers don't ship with TV cards hard-wired to watch football games, televangelists, and Fox News, the locals don't see why anyone would want to use one unless they were some kind of godless heathen communist.
As a godless heathen communist who studied computer science at a university in Alabama, this was just fine with me :-)
Re:couldn't he just.... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:maybe he was fired... (Score:2, Funny)
shouldnt the little guys get a score multiplier? i mean, if every one of the little guys and suits got canned or left, it would be:
little guys: 7
fuckwit suits: 9834
Re:Everyone knows (Score:3, Funny)
And stop playing with yourself!
<REAL GENIUS/>
Re:couldn't he just.... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:YOU CALL THAT (Score:3, Funny)
A Funnier Solution (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Whistleblower? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Everyone knows (Score:2, Funny)
Re:I call Bull on this one (Score:1, Funny)
So what have we learned here today ? (Score:3, Funny)
So what have we learned here today...
Half the state employees are playing Solitaire or the stock market, and the other half are screwing around spying on their coworkers ?
Tax dollars at work [cagw.org]