Jerking my chain

[depechemodefan]

On one floor the computers are just for research. I tell people that and as soon as I talk to one person everyone else changes the screens. This one guy I passed by had just opened up our homepage. I walk behind him and watch his reflection in the window and see he gets on Yahoo Messenger. I go up to him and tell him that the computers are for research, not to IM or send e-mails to people. Latter on I pass him by and he pops up our home page yeah, you've been staring at our home page all the time. I see he has messenger minimize and I told him he has to exit messenger. He said, "I can't have it minimize?" and I tell him no.

Anyway, between the two times I talk to that guy there was this guy that is a regular. He's always asking for things like pens and paper and busting our balls over things, like when he gets on a computer for more than the time limit (he figured out our password to extend time) he starts with he's a legit. business man, he's not playing games like the other people, where does it say he can't be on longer than the alloted time?

He comes up to me and says, "What is research?" I tell him research is when you get on our webiste and use it to do homework or look up information for work. That it's not for entertaining oneself. Then he tells me his business is entertainment, that he contacts his business associates by email. That what he does is work related. I said, well as long as he uses our databases to look up information it's fine, but it's a bit hazy really when it comes to work. Just as long as he doesn't use our computers for entertaining himself or playing games. Then he said that another librarian, miss X said doing his work on these computer is fine.

Ugh, if someone else answered your question, and to your satifaction, why are you asking me? Are you trying to bust my balls?

Then a few min. latter he comes up and politely asks to use my phone for 30 seconds. I politely tell him no, it's for in house use. He nods and says he then has to go down to 1.

Fine. He was polite though. Just one of the regulars who will take the whole league if you give him an inch.

[Blckroses]

I love that people think you can't see something when its minimized, like it magically is only visible to them or other people are too stupid too look at the bar at the bottom.

[Samaliel]

Oh, some people ARE too stupid too look at the task bar and notification tray... But assuming the librarian who's in charge of the computers is one of them is pretty darn stoopid.

[thehippie777]

Our computer we have avail to guests is only for guests over 18 (unless a parent is with them). Guess how many kids try to get on the thing even with the huge "Must be 18 to use" sign? I feel your pain, well in this way slightly.

[Sorianna]

Ok, this is kinda off-topic, but considering we're talking about libraries and who should be doing what where, it's not too bad. Except I'm looking at it from the other side.

Back when I was in High School, obviously our library had computers. Some of these were set aside for only school work, but unless there was a specific class in there, you were free to do what you wanted so long as there wasn't other people waiting. Quite reasonable.

Well, near the end of the school year, I had a friend who was in Australia for a few months who I wanted to talk to, and our internet was down. So I checked with the Head Librarian that it was ok for me to take care of my e-mail. She said it was ok, and so everything was right in the world.

Except... there was this one librarian who would basically stand over student's shoulders and watch evefrything they did, making sure they didn't "do anything wrong". Fair-ish, I guess, if kinda... invasive.

Anyways, I told her that the Head Librarian said it was alright, but she still kinda kept an eye on me. I ignored her, because what else could I do? Well, one day I was talking about, oh, I don't know, candy, maybe? Anyways, the word "grape" came up in a sentence something like "Well, the grape wasn't really good..." and on about mundane stuff. Well, I made a typo and missed the "g" key.

Embarrassing, my friend and I laughed about it later. But the hovering librarian caught it, and reported me to the school councilor, who was very reasonable, and in their not-making-assumptions or accusing-you-of-anything way asked if I'd been raped. I was, of course, shocked and confused until I eventually figured it out. Obviously an embarrassing situation.

So my question is, was this the hovering librarian being rude, or was it a simple mix up in which hovering librarian was trying to be helpful and simply made incorrect assumptions?

Sorry about the length and off-topic-ness, but I'm easily embarrassed, and it still kinda bugs me, and so I ask.

[Samaliel]

While he might have tried to be helpful, he should have been more respectful of your privacy. Just my opinion, though.

[Dilorenzo]

So my question is, was this the hovering librarian being rude, or was it a simple mix up in which hovering librarian was trying to be helpful and simply made incorrect assumptions?

Sounds to me like it was a bit rude - after all, you'd already informed her that the Head Librarian informed her it was ok to send an email, she shouldn't have been over your shoulder reading your personal email.

On Topic: Sounds like that Business Man is just looking for an excuse to start a fight with someone.

[computeraide]

This is my daily personal hell, being that I run the computer labs of a high school. Invasion of privacy is the complaint that I hear from students on a daily basis. The only problem is: All our students and staff are required to sign a Technology Usage Agreement, and the parents of all students have to sign the back of the form, too, giving permission for their child to be exposed to the internet.

It says right on there that students have no expectation of privacy when using the school's equipment, and that their usage will be monitored by staff in the building and at our technical center. Not only am I required to walk around the area occasionally, I also have software that lets me view and restrict what the students are doing.

We're liable for the things the kids get into -- one of our new students came to our school because she met a predator online and was raped; I don't want that happening on my watch. We have a policy against any unsupervised use of email or IMs/chat/bulletin boards.

So I can see it from both sides of the situation. Yes, it sucks to have someone watching over your shoulder. However, if you're using someone else's computer in a library/school/office you should have no expectation of privacy. Privacy comes when you pay for the privilege by getting your own machine, IMHO.

[Bright_Star]

minimize is equal to an invisibility screen...lol. "Shields up, here comes the librarian!!..Ding! Ding! Ding!"....LOL. "engage cloaking device!" The Romulans would be proud...lo.

[KellyHabersham]

The librarians at my high school were sort of like that.......we were just starting to get Internet access during the last half of my senior year, but I remember that some of them were really bad about standing over your shoulder and keeping an eye on whatever you did on the computer. And then when I was going to community college, the head lab tech accused me of having printed out pornography because someone else had said it came from my computer, and since I was a regular user of the computer lab, this woman believed them. Needless to say, I am ever so grateful now to have my own computer and Internet access.

[Samaliel]

This is my daily personal hell, being that I run the computer labs of a high school. Invasion of privacy is the complaint that I hear from students on a daily basis. The only problem is: All our students and staff are required to sign a Technology Usage Agreement, and the parents of all students have to sign the back of the form, too, giving permission for their child to be exposed to the internet.

[...]

So I can see it from both sides of the situation. Yes, it sucks to have someone watching over your shoulder. However, if you're using someone else's computer in a library/school/office you should have no expectation of privacy. Privacy comes when you pay for the privilege by getting your own machine, IMHO.

Hmm, no. Privacy is a right to which you're entitled. However when using a public facility's computer, you want to be careful as to what data you access / enter, because you don't know how secure that piece of equipment is. But unless you sign a form, like the Technology Use Agreement your school uses, you are entitled to your privacy.

If anybody can use the computers in a public library, i.e. it doesn't require a membership with that library, then the library staff have no right to monitor what you're doing. They can tell you to GTFO if they catch you looking at inappropriate material, but can't do anything if you're not obviously acting against the rule. (In my mind, having a browser window minimized open on a porn site with an explicit name showing in the task bar is obvious). They have no reason to look into your private mail.

[Sorianna]

So I can see it from both sides of the situation. Yes, it sucks to have someone watching over your shoulder. However, if you're using someone else's computer in a library/school/office you should have no expectation of privacy. Privacy comes when you pay for the privilege by getting your own machine, IMHO.

And I can see all that, but I'd clearly gotten permission from the Head Librarian, and it was clear that I was only doing the e-mail I'd been given permission to do. Nothing mimimized at all, and while she wasn't exactly staring over my shoulder, she wasn't just checking on what I was up to while doing a sweep of the other computers.

So to me it's less a matter of privacy and more a matter of "did she have a right to 'monitor' my personal e-mails?" And I just don't know. Sure, it was a public forum, but the librarian had been informed that what I was doing was ok.

[depechemodefan]

So my question is, was this the hovering librarian being rude, or was it a simple mix up in which hovering librarian was trying to be helpful and simply made incorrect assumptions?

Sorry about the length and off-topic-ness, but I'm easily embarrassed, and it still kinda bugs me, and so I ask.

Maybe the hovering librarian does has a bug up her butt. She must not like that people get into their email, if someones needs the computer. But if no one needs the computer, then it shouldn't be a problem. But I guess I'm like that librarian. The computers are for people who ar suppose to do research (internet computers are on another floor). If we allowed people to use the computers for looking at their emails or play games, and no one is waiting, there will be times when someone does need the computer for research, and all the computer are occupied, and people checking their email all the time will become territorial. They know they have to give up the computer, but get they are so used to using it they don't want to. Like several times we allow people to use the handicap terminals when no physically disabled person needs it. Then when one pd person needs it, the squatter gets all nasty and the librarian goes hide, or else ask the p.d. person do they mind to wait.

So I guess the librarian was annoyed that you were on it, thinking you will whine latter on about having used it before for email, but I'm on your side.

Our computer we have avail to guests is only for guests over 18 (unless a parent is with them). Guess how many kids try to get on the thing even with the huge "Must be 18 to use" sign? I feel your pain, well in this way slightly.

We don't have those type of computers, but yeah, imagine the people hogging the handicap terminals. OH and now we have World Languages computers. I suppose so people can learn another language, of to be more inviting towards the people whose primary language isn't English. Of course, other people come to use them, but they are not meant for just anyone. Instead of allowign the librarians to tell people anything, the librarians are now suppose to use an application on our computers to log people in. Of course, the application isn't working.

On Topic: Sounds like that Business Man is just looking for an excuse to start a fight with someone.

Yeah, it's like he's trying to cover his bases so he can say latter on "well so and so said I could use it for my business." A guy who says he's a business man, and he's without a cell phone and expects to use our phones, is a phony. I think he lives in a fantasy world where he is a music industry exec, but really just likes sending emails to his friends about the "work" he does in the industry. He didn't start a fight with me or anyone else but just seems to want us to trip over ourselves so he can take advantage of us. Oh, and today he asked another librarian about "what is research."

If anybody can use the computers in a public library, i.e. it doesn't require a membership with that library, then the library staff have no right to monitor what you're doing....They have no reason to look into your private mail.

You have to sign up for a card to use our computers, though there are 2 cards, one is where you have to give your information, and verify it with an id and some other things if your id isn't current, and with that you can get books. The other is the computer use only card. We just require you to give us your name and you don't need to show any proof of who you are. I don't know if IT looks at email (I imagine not) though I guess they can. I don't. I just see if someone's email is up or if they are playing games.

[Sorianna]

Maybe the hovering librarian does has a bug up her butt. She must not like that people get into their email, if someones needs the computer. But if no one needs the computer, then it shouldn't be a problem. But I guess I'm like that librarian. The computers are for people who ar suppose to do research (internet computers are on another floor). If we allowed people to use the computers for looking at their emails or play games, and no one is waiting, there will be times when someone does need the computer for research, and all the computer are occupied, and people checking their email all the time will become territorial. They know they have to give up the computer, but get they are so used to using it they don't want to.

So I guess the librarian was annoyed that you were on it, thinking you will whine latter on about having used it before for email, but I'm on your side.

Yeah, I've seen my share of idiots who refuse to get off the computer even if they're only playing, and I have an hour of homework to do... And sure, this is a high school library, so really, really stressful I'd imagine... But A) I'd gotten permission from the Head Librarian that I didn't really need, but figured would be polite, and hovering librarian knew it, and B) I always came in only at lunch which, while busy, meant there were few to no students there working, so free computers.

Also she was not the nicest lady, and always seemed to have it out for the students, even the nice ones. Oh well, it's long gone now, and your guys's support has been helpful. Thanks for the reassurances, I'm always afraid of being an SC or the like.

[Apathy]

where does it say he can't be on longer than the alloted time?

Somewhere, surely. Probably easily found and printed in big letters. Jackass.