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Microsoft is attempting to patent a new application that will allow a company to watch employees and make sure productivity is maintained. This program will make sure employees meet their deadlines and do their jobs.

This app will monitor the user and offer help if he or she needs it, even in the form of links to useful resources. Also, managers can check in to make sure the employees are working. The product uses something called “activity-centric monitoring,” which can give an employee a nudge when needed, but also measures the performance levels of the employees, singling out the weaker ones so they can get some more training, be assigned a different task, or simply be sent packing. It is the equivalent of the paperclip that would pop-up to give you help when using Microsoft Office products, but with the added bonus of costing someone their job.

This does get rid of the lower performers making it a much more efficient company, but what about the employee just taking a 5 minute break to sit back and relax. Is this taken into account? Are you, as an employee, required to work non-stop from the time you get there until it is time to leave? The fine line between being unproductive and taking a break will have to be redrawn. This process, according to the article, can show who the above-average performers are, eventually leading down the management path. It can also tell who can help another employee with their task, such as replacing toner cartridges. But then, how will I be accounted for if I have to leave my task to go help someone else replace the toner because they don’t know how?

I am not sure if I am convinced. I like the fact that my hard work will be rewarded since managers know exactly how I am performing, but at the same time…it seems that I am being watched at all times. It is borderline living in a police-state. More details definitely need to be worked out…as of right now it seems like Microsoft is trying to put a positive spin on something that seems to be mostly negative by showing this transparent list…this is like the NFL team that looks great on paper, but then ends up 2-14.

A recent article taken from NewsFactor.com about the trouble between consumers wanting online privacy and the companies that are not giving it.

Some executives are surprised at the recent stir caused by consumers, especially the same consumers who seemed willing to share private information via social networking sites. Many of these consumers are now filing lawsuits against these companies and are speaking out against having their web habits tracked. The biggest culprit seems to be Sears Holding Co (Sears and Kmart), which has been supposedly violating the privacy of users on their site. To join the community you must download a software which tracks your purchases and other such activities, something which is not clearly explained when most users download the program. Sears Holding has been accused of exposing customers to the possibility of identity-theft since all users are searchable and anyone can view their history.

Consumers have openly complained recently because some sites have begun sending information to a user’s friends (such as on Facebook or MySpace), but never took to the cause when ads were appearing after a user searched something (after going on Kelley’s Blue Book and car ads appeared….it must have been magic!).

The big surprise to web execs is that consumers expect big companies to be in control of online privacy and security, but take little control themselves and feel that the big companies are out to harm the consumers.

I have an idea….It might be a little crazy but it should work. PROTECT YOURSELF ONLINE AND DON’T RELY ON SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is an amazing number of threats to privacy and security out there. Expecting someone else to protect you is very naive. Use a proxy, delete or hide your history, never give out personal information…and the list goes on. You can find a good FAQ section here which will give some advice about protecting yourself online.

Interesting article from Canada.com. Yes, Canada…but it also applies to the U.S. so North Americans beware.

So e-mail spamming and tracking services are not enough. Now this company, which will remain nameless unless you read the article, wants to offer free phone service. The catch: They listen to what you have to say and then spam you (SPAM is being used by myself, not the article but…yeah anyway….moving on). They send you things based on your conversation. So if you are a Yankees fan be prepared for e-mails or whatever about “Buy Yankees souvenirs here.” Or the example from the article…talking about a new movie gets you a message taking you to see the trailer for it.

The company thinks this is a good idea, but is this a problem for anyone else? This is a huge privacy issue as far as I am concerned. It is difficult enough to protect yourself while surfing the Internet, but now this Internet-based phone is adding a whole new dimension of privacy issues. What if I am placing an order over the phone? Then my information is freely available to whoever, or whatever is listening in. Can they be trusted that all private information stays private? How do I know my credit card number doesn’t get picked up by someone listening?

The article discusses how they must follow the country’s privacy laws and tell people exactly what information is being used, filtered, etc etc. Being the paranoid person I am, I wouldn’t put my faith in the privacy policy. “Oops, we forgot to filter out the phone sex conversation with your wife or the credit card number you used to book the hotel for you next vacation.”

Free phone service…just sign here saying: “I forfeit my right to anonymity and privacy but since I get to make free phone calls it is alright by me.”