by Jacinth Klee

Created on: July 06, 2009

The internet is an amazing invention that has impacted the progress of information and communication, changing the landscape of businesses and creating a virtual diminishing of country boundaries. However, there has been instances of blatant misuse and abuse; as such, companies are nowadays tightening controls and implementing policies on internet usage in the company.

Communication has become easier and speedier with emails; this has somehow replaced the face-to-face interaction and spoken communication that was used traditionally. With electronic communication, we do not need to face the person we are talking to. We tend to be less careful and prudent with our thoughts and words. Very often we type off a message without even thinking of the consequences or the reaction; neither are we aware of the various interpretations of the same message by the different recipients of the mail. Electronic communication has integrated deeply into our daily routines, so much so that people who seem very conversant through their mails are usually tougue-tied when they have to interact with people face-to-face.

Email communication is so convenient that instead of picking up the phone, we can send off an email to anyone with just a few taps and clicks. Thus, if left unmonitored, uncontrolled and irresponsible use of email will occur. Furthermore, it is the cloak of perceived invisibility that gives some people the confidence to sound off their frustration or even worse, use email for illegal and illicit intentions. Emails with sexual overtones or undertones, pornographic pictures, threats, foul languages are such examples.

There will be instances of workers spending time on writing and reading emails which are not related to work; thus wasting company time and resources on these unproductive activities. Some people like to share jokes and other emails they receive; not realizing that these can slow down the company computer servers, especially if these mails contain pictures and images.

Many people do not realize the danger of sending private or personal emails to the wrong party - these can easily be replicated and sent to many others. So what you thought was a personal opinion or thought to share with someone, could be floating in cyberspace to many recipients. Moreover, behind the computer screen, we feel a false sense of familiarity and invisibility ,that we tend to be more relaxed and less guarded in our communication with others. This could be one

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