I’m not saying we should restrict personal devices or personal use; I’m just pointing out that an expectation of privacy with employer equipment is at best misguided. With the mechanic’s tools example I would not expect to own a personal tool; at the same time, I would expect to own the product of those tools when they were used to accomplish a work task. The same with the university phone stipend — personal calls on a personal phone are none of my concern, but I would indeed be expected to subpoena you in any kind of legal proceeding. I think the general point we’ve all been making is that our email at work can’t always be considered private, even with personal messages sent over it — and that allowing former employees to take it with them completely unrestricted may not be a great idea. Oh, and since I am at UR — our YouTube channel is operated under an agreement with Google which respects the University’s privacy and intellectual property rights. (We have an agreement as a campus for Google services — this is why Google Docs accounts using MSU email addresses got wonky a few months back.) In addition, information that would be covered under the AUP isn’t released to YouTube and as such can be disclosed in many other ways as well — before YouTube, those videos were typically hosted directly on the server responsible for news.msu.edu. ---- Jack Kramer Computer Systems Specialist University Relations, Michigan State University w: 517-884-1231 / c: 248-635-4955 > From: Alexander Hawley <[log in to unmask]> > Reply-To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> > Date: Wed, 23 Jun 2010 11:10:19 -0400 > To: "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: [MSUNAG] Outgoing employee's email... > >> email account isn’t purchased by the user, it’s provided to the user as a >> tool by the employer. If I handed you a drill while you were working for me >> on a construction site > > apples oranges. > > Some mechanics need their own tools. > > The univ pays part of my mobile bill, so I can be on call. It's my phone, > though. They can subpeona me. > > The larger point. Talent is going to follow the best employers. If you start > cracking down, your only going to retain those who can't leave. No personal > devices, no headphones, no music, no beverage, no internet, no desk frames. > Your in competition with other employers. The best employees will find better > environs. > > Granted. Balancing all the law, policy, market, personal issues is extremely > complicated. > > > -AH