| Twenty years ago, most people did not even | | | | most popular in any language. Receiving 4.5% |
| use computers at work; much less have access | | | | of the visits of all web sites, it is the |
| to the Internet. Even if they did, the | | | | most visited site in the United States. And |
| Internet largely consisted of email and file | | | | many of these visits are not made from home |
| sharing. But today, most of the workforce | | | | computers. MySpace currently has over |
| has at least some type of access to the | | | | 100,000,000 members and attracts a half |
| Internet while on the job. And, in addition | | | | million new members each week. MySpace |
| to being able to email friends and family, | | | | attracts users of all ages including those in |
| they also have the World Wide Web on which | | | | the workforce. Due to all the great features |
| they can surf for news, online stores, jokes, | | | | that MySpace offers, many people find it hard |
| online music, funny videos, online dating | | | | to stay away for very long. If workers have |
| sites, funny pictures, and even friends. | | | | access to the Internet at their job, they are |
| People love downloading music through iTunes, | | | | more than likely to check their MySpace |
| shopping at Amazon, or just reading the | | | | account at least once a day, possibly more |
| headlines at MSNBC or CNN. Because there is | | | | often for new bulletins, emails, or just |
| so much on the Internet today, many people | | | | searching for new and interesting friends. |
| are using work time to surf the Internet for | | | | |
| personal reasons. | | | | However, workers spending time on the |
| | | | Internet can decrease productivity. While it |
| People seem to love the sites that contain | | | | may be okay with a company for workers to |
| humor. Humor is becoming more prevalent in | | | | surf on their own time, such as breaks or |
| certain workplaces today, offering the | | | | lunch, they do not want the workers surfing |
| employees as way to blow off a little steam | | | | for personal reasons during work hours. Some |
| from a hard day of work. Humorous sites that | | | | people argue that surfing the Internet is |
| offer funny videos such as have become very | | | | equivalent to chatting at the water cooler or |
| popular lately. You can see such amazing and | | | | while in the hallway, but most employers feel |
| bizarre videos as people launching a huge | | | | differently, feeling that it decreases their |
| water bottle rocket, a building implosion in | | | | production. To help prevent this, up to 80% |
| the middle of a crowded city, even an | | | | of all employers are monitoring work |
| anaconda snake biting a policeman. | | | | computers. This means they have the |
| Co-workers love to run into the next office | | | | potential to view all emails you send and |
| to share the latest funny video they found | | | | receive, as well as know all the sites you |
| while surfing the Internet. In fact, people | | | | surf and at what times you were surfing. |
| love these funny videos so much, VH1 created | | | | |
| a whole show devoted to them called Web Junk | | | | During baseball season alone, baseball fans |
| 20 that highlights the best of the best. | | | | who surf the Internet during work hours can |
| | | | cost companies a total of $10 billion in lost |
| Many people use funny pictures on their web | | | | productivity. This is not just an American |
| pages, in their emails, and other places. | | | | phenomenon - a study by a software company in |
| Web sites, such as that offer funny pictures | | | | Australia showed that the Australian economy |
| have become very popular with Internet | | | | loses approximately $644 million a year in |
| surfers. These pages offer hilarious real | | | | lost productivity due to Internet surfing. |
| and slightly doctored photos that are so | | | | |
| funny, people are becoming addicted to | | | | Some employers have started limiting access |
| looking at them. You can view funny pictures | | | | to certain web sites for all employees in an |
| such as that of President Bush on CNN (where | | | | attempt to curtail surfing. If you are |
| CNN ran the headline the Hurricane Katrina | | | | caught surfing the Internet at work for |
| headline: "Bush: One of the Worst Disasters | | | | personal reasons such as looking at funny |
| to Hit the U.S."), an image of how to cheat | | | | videos, funny pictures, or checking your |
| at poker (with a little help), and the kids | | | | MySpace account, your employer may penalize |
| that decided to do a little painting (and | | | | you by suspending your Internet privileges or |
| covered the living room in white paint). | | | | you could even be fined. |
| | | | |
| There is so much information for which one | | | | Surfing the Internet is fun and everyone does |
| can surf on the Internet and one of the | | | | it, but to protect yourself, ask your boss |
| newest inventions is social networking | | | | about any surfing while working policies they |
| websites such as MySpace. MySpace is the 4th | | | | have and keep your surfing restricted to |
| most popular web site in English and the 7th | | | | lunch and break times. |