The IT consumerist...!

[acrobson]

Has anyone seen this (Link below) :?: , it's giving general IT bods a bad name :x , it's about a sting operation which was launched on IT people which when fixing machines (Personal and Other) snoop through files and look at certain data which may not have anything to do with them. 8O

 

Surely looking through the computer files to see what could be causing the problem is part of the diagnostic process . Although, given that the scenario given is only installing iTunes, I can see why this may not apply.

 

 

http://consumerist.com/consumer/investigations/video-consumerist-catches-geek-squad-stealing-porn-from-customers-computer-271963.php

[witch]

Filtered here - sounds bad - few more details?

[acrobson]

Filtered here - sounds bad - few more details?

It's also on the reg, try this one:

 

http://www.channelregister.co.uk/2007/07/09/geek_squad_sting/

[starscream]

That's hilarious! This is where my rule of wipe first thinking later comes into play. If I am fixing a PC for friends and it is totally screwed or at least getting there I use knoppix to copy all the personal files to a backup hdd and then wipe the computer and then drop the files back on. Does that mean I stole the files if I back them up to do a wipe???

 

I hope not! Or I aint ever fixing a PC again! When you wipe a PC you have to back up EVERY personal file there. I think it is also a duty that if there is anything illegal or at least that threatens people's health then we need to report it. Even in knoppix you see the file names as they are copied. Lots of people have been caught doing illegal things by IT techs in the past.

 

I'm not condoning seiving through people's personal files, nor would I do it myself, but if you saw a suspicious file name during the copy process then you're surely going to be curious, what if you uncovered some major plot!

 

To be fair though, any techy worth their salt would be too busy to even consider this! For me it's a case of getting the thing up and running ASAP so I can get rid of it! heh

[CHR1S]

So you see a thumbnail of a sexy lady (or man for all our ladie techs) while "backing up" onto the external drive... and you wouldnt take a look?