# Checking out websites at work, but hiding addresses from employer **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 16, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-out-websites-at-work-but-hiding-addresses-from-employer/229443 "2004-02-16T04:40:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-out-websites-at-work-but-hiding-addresses-from-employer/229443/21 "2004-02-16T19:27:36Z")
Bluntly, you can’t. You’ll always be at risk from screen-snooping, either from something like VNC or from the boss physically walking up behind you. And using an anonymiser would likely get you flagged up PDQ. ---
**Author:** ![MaryEFoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@MaryEFoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaryEFoo)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2004, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-out-websites-at-work-but-hiding-addresses-from-employer/229443/22 "2004-02-16T19:36:17Z")
Can you get the numeric IP and type than in the header, rather than the URL? Does the software look for that? ---
**Author:** ![Koxinga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@Koxinga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Koxinga)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-out-websites-at-work-but-hiding-addresses-from-employer/229443/23 "2004-02-25T06:27:27Z")
Sorry if I got “snotty” earlier. As someone said, it’s not like I don’t have a lot of downtime on this job, and it’s not as if the supevisor herself doesn’t surf the web all the time anyway. FTR, I decided the best thing to do would be to find job postings at home and then forward them to my web mail address–the only thing that would show up on any logs, as far as I know, would be the same web mail service that half the people in the company use already. Thanks for the replies, DHR ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-out-websites-at-work-but-hiding-addresses-from-employer/229443/24 "2004-02-25T07:25:18Z")
Setting computer use policy for the company I work for is part of my job. With regard to the request for cites:[ul][li][The Internet Law Journal](http://tilj.com/content/ecomarticle12260001.htm)[/li][quote] Although the case law is very murky in this area, employers generally are given wide discretion on how to regulate their Internet and e-mail services. In recent cases, state courts have ruled that, even without notice, employers have a right to search e-mail. [/quote] > [@](#): > > Smyth v. Pillsbury is the largest case to date pertaining to e-mail privacy. A United States District Court in Pennsylvania ruled that the Pillsbury Company did not have to notify Mr. Smyth that his e-mails would be examined. The court reasoned that since it was Pillsbury’s equipment, the company was entitled to examine its contents. [li][This link](http://www.lectlaw.com/files/emp41.htm) describes the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, and some of the aspects that have been used to find in favour of employers monitoring computer use.[The Rights (and Wrongs) of Online Privacy](http://www.optimizemag.com/issue/005/law.htm) provides some statistics:[/li][quote] While most individuals access the Internet at work, much of that usage is not for official business. It’s not surprising that 45% of U.S. companies monitor their employees’ electronic communications, including e-mail, according to a 2001 survey conducted by the American Management Association. [/quote] A note more directly associated with the **OP** mentions > [@](#): > > At least one law firm reportedly monitors its associates’ e-mail correspondence to alert the managing partner whenever an associate contemplates seeking employment elsewhere. [/ul] With a bit of effort, I could certainly drum up a few dozen more if these aren’t convincing. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-out-websites-at-work-but-hiding-addresses-from-employer/229443/25 "2004-02-25T09:20:19Z")
My last job was in a major hotel corp. We used “SpyWare.” Realistically no one is gonna care. One day I used “[proxify.com](http://proxify.com)” and it worked pretty good at keeping info hidden. However I found, as another poster said, we did have the ability to monitor keystrokes. When I enabled this, it rendered that pretty much useless. Interestingly enough, we had the latest equipment but our MIS person was only 1 day a week at each hotel. I did the system admin by default. Now let’s talk realism. We only ever used that in the case of suspected “sexual harrassment.” Even then we had to wade thru mounds of data. We monitored every email…Well we could…We didn’t. There are many other ways of catching you, better ways like looking over your shoulder. Coming up suddenly. Checking cookies. (no one seems to EVER clear these and newspapers leave cookies) Also the IE Fill in the blank automatcally. If you are smart enough to clear your cookies and do enable the IE fill in auto, you have a 90% chance of NOT getting caught. They could catch you but they don’t care. Most jobs do not need a reason to fire you. Any decent manager can make your life so miserable you quit, so if he even THINKS you want to look he will. Finally our company made everyone sign a policy stating you could be discharged for personal use of internet or email. Everyone was guilty of this. Who HASN’T sent a personal email from work. So they have enough to fire you for that probably. People who get caught do so for stupid reason and even then everyone understands. Our credit manger emailed her resume and cover letter to THE ENTIRE GLOBAL STAFF. To Everyone in North America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia…Things happen. What was her punishment…Don’t do it again. Not even a note in her H/R File. BTW she got the job and quit anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rex_fenestrarum/32/7265_2.png) [@Rex\_Fenestrarum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rex_Fenestrarum)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-out-websites-at-work-but-hiding-addresses-from-employer/229443/26 "2004-02-25T16:00:55Z")
> [@leenmi](#): > > Still, there might be an IT person looking through the logs for some other reason. I doubt he or she would twitch on classified ads. They just don’t jump out. Oh _please_. Job sites SCREAM out at us! “Hey, wonder who’s looking for a job???” And back when I worked for a small (~70 person) company, I had all their (static) IPs memorized, so I’d know in a second who was looking for a job, who was looking at goat porn, etc. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/checking-out-websites-at-work-but-hiding-addresses-from-employer/229443.md?page=1)