The office has dramatically changed in the past 10 years with the introduction of the personal computer. In this lecture we will examine some of the advantages of computers in the workplace, noting ways they have increased productivity as well as equality among the ranks of the office. We will also look at the flip side, the negative aspects of having computers in the office, including ethics and privacy issues. Throughout this lecture we will make the assumption that everyone in the workplace is an honest person without malicious intent. In the next lecture we will study illegal acts involving computers and how to protect yourself from them.
Most large offices have a bureaucratic hierarchy.
In the process they may ruin the idea with their own changes, or they may take credit for it as their own. E-mail gives you a private way to communicate with anyone in the company. Consider software giant Microsoft. Every employee has chairman Bill Gates' e-mail address, so new ideas don't have to go through chain of command. They provide free soft drinks for all employees.