E-Mail Technology

 Ten Things You Should Know

1. Read the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), abide by it and re-read it during the year. Ask for training in areas you don’t understand.
2. Assume you have no privacy regarding e-mail you send and receive on your employersponsored system. Only send e-mails that you would feel comfortable reading on the front page of your local newspaper.
3. Do not give away your password, do not let others see your password, and change your password often.Turn off or lock your computer when you leave your work area. (Ctrl + Alt + Del)
4. What you post on blogs and personal websites may be accessed by many people and could result in sanctions by your employer in certain circumstances.
5. The Illinois Eavesdropping Statute prohibits the tape-recording of a conversation unless all parties to the conversation consent, and the Federal Wiretapping Act prohibits the interception of electronic communications, possibly including stored voicemail messages.
6. A “deleted” computer file, including e-mail, can often be accessed by an experienced investigator.
7. There is a trail on the computer you are using showing what Internet sites you accessed.
8. Copyright law applies to material on the Internet. Excellent online information is available from the Library of Congress, U.S. Copyright Office: www.copyright.gov.
9. Employers may have exclusive or limited rights to products you create while performing work for them.
10. For more information about technology issues in education see: www.nea.org/he/techno.html.