Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
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Be proactive to protect your privacy.
You can get an unlisted phone number and ask the
phone company to block caller ID systems from reading your phone number. If you
change your address, don't fill out a change-of-address form with the U.S. Postal Service;
you can notify the people and companies that you want to have your new address. Destroy
copies of your charge card bills and shred monthly statements before disposing of them
in the garbage. Be careful about sending personal e-mail messages over a corporate e-mail
system. You can also get help in avoiding junk mail and telemarketing calls by visiting
the Direct Marketing Association Web site at
www.the-dma.org
.
Go to the Web site and
look under Consumer Help-Remove Name from Lists.
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When purchasing anything from a Web site, make sure that you safeguard your credit
card numbers, passwords, and personal information.
Do not do business with a site
unless you know that it handles credit card information securely. (Look for a seal of
approval from organizations such as the Better Business Bureau Online or TRUSTe.
When you open the Web page where you enter credit card information or other personal
data, make sure that the Web address begins with
https
and check to see if a locked padlock
icon appears in the Address bar or status bar). Do not provide personal information
without reviewing the site's data privacy policy. Many credit card companies issue single-
use credit card numbers on request. Charges appear on your usual bill, but the number
is destroyed after a single use, eliminating the risk of stolen credit card numbers.
The use of computer-based information systems has changed the makeup of the workforce.
Jobs that require IS literacy have increased, and many less-skilled positions have been elim-
inated. Corporate programs, such as reengineering and continuous improvement, bring with
them the concern that, as business processes are restructured and information systems are
integrated within them, the people involved in these processes will be removed.
However, the growing field of computer technology and information systems has opened
up numerous avenues to professionals and nonprofessionals of all backgrounds. Enhanced
telecommunications has been the impetus for new types of business and has created global
markets in industries once limited to domestic markets. Even the simplest tasks have been
aided by computers, making cash registers faster, smoothing order processing, and allowing
people with disabilities to participate more actively in the workforce. As computers and other
IS components drop in cost and become easier to use, more workers will benefit from the
increased productivity and efficiency provided by computers. Yet, despite these increases in
productivity and efficiency, information systems can raise other concerns.
Health Concerns
Organizations can increase employee effectiveness by paying attention to the health concerns
in today's work environment. For some people, working with computers can cause occupa-
tional stress. Anxieties about job insecurity, loss of control, incompetence, and demotion are
just a few of the fears workers might experience. In some cases, the stress can become so severe
that workers might sabotage computer systems and equipment. Monitoring employee stress
can alert companies to potential problems. Training and counseling can often help the em-
ployee and deter problems.
Heavy computer use can affect one's physical health as well. A job that requires sitting at
a desk and using a computer for many hours a day qualifies as a sedentary job. Such work
can double the risk of seated immobility thromboembolism (SIT), the formation of blood
clots in the legs or lungs. People leading a sedentary lifestyle are also likely to experience an
undesirable weight gain which can lead to increased fatigue and greater risk of type 2 diabetes,
heart problems, and other serious ailments.
Other work-related health hazards involve emissions from improperly maintained and
used equipment. Some studies show that poorly maintained laser printers can release ozone
