Educators and pornography: the "unacceptable use" of school computers

More companies are requiring their employees to sign acceptable-use policies for Internet computers. Some employees are unaware of the implications of the policies, and do not realize the extent to which their activities can be monitored by computer technicians. In academia, three important cases of "unacceptable use" are those of Dean Ronald F. Thiemann, Professor Eric Neil Angevine, and Superintendent Robert Herrold. All three lost, or resigned from, their positions after pornography was discovered on their employer-owned computers. Several issues regarding "acceptable use" are common to all the cases, including privacy rights, the right of the institution to control its equipment, and who might see what is stored on that equipment. This paper explores these questions, and suggests guidelines for employers and employees.