hmmmm... tough break. I'm so sorry for you and hope you aren't out of work too long. Good luck.

Unfortunately (you want the truth?), regardless of what your bosses think is 'filth' (cuz I'd bet a lot of them look at a lot worse when they get home [or even behind the closed doors of their office]), they have a responsibility to run a productive, behavior appropriate office. And I don't think your job had anything to do with browsing Renderosity or any other site. That's a strike. If your viewing was excessive, whether or not you had work in front of you, it gives your employers reason to question your performance. In my Burger King days when I had absolutely nothing to do I was expected to find something.

I got in a skirmish with employers many moons ago because, back then, I read Playboy in the employee lunch room. Apparently a couple of women found it offensive. Mind you now, I wasn't flipping the centerfold and checking out pictorials. I was reading the articles. But still... My employers were embarrassed just saying something to me about it. Even the one female partner thought it was my business. But they also couldn't let the women in the office think their concerns were ignored. They didn't necessarily tell me to stop, but we discussed it and I decided to stop. But get this? One of these women assessed my computer and found a short story I'd written that contained vulgar language and sexual references (porno? no; it was about a sexually repressed man trying to enjoy a porno movie while suffering the interruptions of his family) and had reported that as well. Now my employers told them THAT was none of their business, but the Playboy... [Now let's factor in the women in question weren't pleased with me to begin with. (I was the only black male secretary in an all-white law firm and even the female partner admitted that had a lot to do with it.) My point here being THEY were looking for something to use against me. And perhaps that's a[n unmentioned] point in your story as well...] I'd say, in general, nudity at the office can always be viewed as inappropriate and since you don't own the business you can't dictate how others react to what YOU consider art. (Especially when you're browsing on their dime...) Strike two.

And all that stuff about Stephen King and movies is irrelevant. Stop applying what you think matters to what others have to do to run their business. The world of private practice and the entertainment industry are different animals. [Oh, in his other life, Stephen King taught English. I'd bet if he gave his students writings about sex, uhn, yeah, he'd'a gotten fired.]

Lastly (and strike three) you don't get to decide what's appropriate to view on somebody's else property while they're paying you to do something else. Anything you do that has nothing to do with your paid responsibilities is a risk taken.

My last employer banned Renderosity on their machines. Period. Type it in and get a warning right there on screen. That stunned me because I found it hard to believe that that many people were likely viewing it and thought (completely paranoid) I alone had initiated this. (I ultimately discovered just certain aspects of Render triggered the lock-down, not necessarily any illicit content.) But I was more disappointed than anything. I don't spend a lot of time on the 'Net and Render was one of the view sites I did check out daily. But I didn't get mad or anything. After all, it's their connection, their mouse, mouse pad, etc...

I hate to say, but I can't help thinking there's a lot more to this story than we're hearing. I can't believe your employer didn't think enough of your contributions to the firm to first have a conversation or issue a warning. Going straight to leave/be fired makes me wonder if you were working for the Gestapo or we're only hearing a diluted version.

Anyway, my thoughts. I hope they don't inflame. And as someone who was out of work for a helllll of a long time after 9/11 I hope you get on your feet soon and look back on this and say 'so what.'

take care and good luck

kmw

Message edited on: 04/29/2005 15:24