Windows XP question

Haymaker_007 · Mar 26, 2004

My old computer at work had Windows 98 on it and my new one has Windows XP. On the Windows 98 program I did not have to log onto my account to view the internet,I could just push the Windows key on the lower left hand corner of my keyboard and I could view the internet without logging on my personal employee account.
Now with the new Windows XP computer I have to actually log on to my account to do anything at all including viewing the internet.
Is there anyway I can view the internet on Windows XP without having to log on to my account. What I am saying is I would like to view the internet from work incognito.Now every bit of time I view the net it is tracked,they can tell exactly who is viewing the internet and how long.

Thank you very much

OkeeDon · Mar 27, 2004

Windows XP has no specific requirement that you log in. It's all in how the computer was set up when it was installed. I think it's fairly obvious that some people in your company might have been abusing the amount of time they spent on the internet, so the company decided to set up the machines to require the log in. Once set up that way, I presume by your system administrator, there is no way for you to reset it unless you have the administrator's password. It looks like the setup is doing exactly what your company wants it to do.

thcri · Mar 27, 2004

Haymaker,

I will add to OkeeDons statement. Even your old 98 machine was probably being tracked. On our server at work I could track everything everybody did on the internet including mail. Logging into a XP machine has nothing to do giving out information. Example, your NIC card gives out information, your computer had to be assigned a name to work with your Internal Network and even processors have ID's. Internet providers track everything you do and they log it. They have to by law for 3 years or something like that. Do companies have the right to track you, in our state yes they do.

murph

BillyP · Mar 27, 2004

Maybe they want you to work for your wages, instead of getting paid to surf the net /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

MossRoad · Mar 27, 2004

That's harsh, BillyP! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

True, but harsh /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Haymaker_007 · Mar 27, 2004

( Maybe they want you to work for your wages, instead of getting paid to surf the net )

I hear you,how come we have computers at our desk and each one is internet accesible ? If they did not want us to use the net why would they give us access,besides the work still gets done. The internet never stopped me from doing my work. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

MadReferee · Mar 27, 2004

Yea, but a lot of people spend way too much time surfing the internet. No wonder productivity in the USA is down.

I had a contract job at a customer site that severely restricted what their employees could get to on the internet. Needless to say, they got a lot of work done but overall morale was not the greatest.

MossRoad · Mar 27, 2004

If they did not want us to use the net why would they give us access 

It's a secret management test... bawhahahah /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

DocHeb · Mar 27, 2004

( No wonder productivity in the USA is down. )
I believe you are wrong with that statement. The marked increase in productivity in the US is what allows the GDP to grow at 4% a year. Non-Farm productivity grew at a 4.1% rate for fourth quarter, 2003. Total output in the manufacturing sector was up 6.1% in the same time period.

Don't just take my word, look it up at U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics

( severely restricted what their employees could get to on the internet. Needless to say, they got a lot of work done but overall morale was not the greatest. )
It is not suprising that morale was poor - the employer has basically told the employees that they are unresponsible slackers and can't be trusted. Would you want to work hard for an employer that thinks that of you?

MadReferee · Mar 28, 2004

I suppose I made a statement that was too generalized. However, there are plenty of work places where the majority of office people with desktop computers spend way too much time surfing. I know because I have seen it first hand.

After looking at those statistics the latest numbers reported appear to be for calendar year 2002 since the date of the report is 9/2003 and no figures for 2003 are given in the expanded tables. The data for 2003 will be available later this summer.

One more thing, if you throw out the top 10% of gainers then productivity actually is slightly lower or even at best.

Statistics can be manipulated many ways to get the answer one wants. The US Government is very good at this and the political parties are even better especially when it comes to bashing the other party.