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No Spam for Arlington Town Employees

On July 28th the selectmen passed a new Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy. I was quite entertained to discover that this new policy has managed to forbid receiving spam. From "access or display sexually explict materials" to "any commercial purpose including the offering or purchasing of products or services," it's all against the rules! The poor employee who gets a message about lengthening his penis or, god forbid, the HOT HOT HOT TEENS, can be fired on the spot.

I know that the internet changes quickly, but spam isn't exactly news. I'm surprised there isn't a section that covers appropriate action regarding spam. It's particularly odd when you remember what prompted the review of the policy in the first place - the alleged inappropriate viewing of porn on a town laptop.

Personally, I think the policy is overwritten. I'd use far fewer words and leave more to judgement. But if the selectmen insist on this level of detail, they should acknowledge spam and the fact that the recipient of the spam doesn't have control over it. Perhaps require the recipient to forward the email to a "spam inbox" as a reporting method. It would be a way of acknowledging that it is inappropriate for the workplace and disclaiming responsibility. It would be the record of the employee taking the right action.

In any event, this new policy needs to be amended. It doesn't acknowledge the reality of email - you often get things in your inbox that you didn't ask for and you don't want.