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work verification software

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  work verification software RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2019-02-13 17:14 -0500
    Re: work verification software Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> - 2019-02-13 22:23 +0000
      Re: work verification software Dan Espen <dan1espen@gmail.com> - 2019-02-13 18:05 -0500
        Re: work verification software Batchman <batchman@dosville.foo> - 2019-02-14 20:44 +0000
          Re: work verification software RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2019-02-15 21:22 -0500
    Re: work verification software Nyssa <Nyssa@flawlesslogic.com> - 2019-02-13 17:54 -0500
    Re: work verification software Rich <rich@example.invalid> - 2019-02-13 22:57 +0000
      Re: work verification software RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2019-02-15 21:23 -0500
    Re: work verification software Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> - 2019-02-19 05:37 +0000
      Re: work verification software RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> - 2019-02-23 15:19 -0500

#17455 — work verification software

https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/13/work_verification_accountability_bills/

If you want a vision of the future, imagine not a boot stamping on a
face, but keystroke logging on govt contractors' PCs

US states mull 'work verification' laws, shaped by work verification biz

Special report Anyone working on a substantial contract with the US
state of New Jersey could soon be required to install software that
captures the screen and tracks keystrokes – to verify all hours billed
are legit.

That's if proposed legislation – coincidentally shaped by a maker of
work verification software – is approved.

What's more: New Jersey is not alone. These rules are being mulled in
nearly two dozen states across America.

A draft law that just cleared the New Jersey State Assembly, NJ A3989,
requires any contractor working on a New Jersey contract worth more
than $100,000 "to use software to verify that all hours billed for work
under the contract for services performed on a computer are eligible
charges."

The text of the bill comes courtesy of TransparentBusiness, a New
York-based firm that provides work tracking software.
"TransparentBusiness gives state managers real-time information about
the work performed for the state by programmers, architects, engineers,
and other professionals, but does not intrude on their privacy," the
company explains on its website.

And similar bills, many echoing the TransparentBusiness template, are
being considered in at least 21 other states.

The mandated software – which is not vendor-specific – must provide the
applicable state agency with real-time access to collected data. It
must gather data automatically – by taking screenshots and capturing
keystroke and mouse event frequency – and make the information
available on demand to management and government.

It must provide automated real-time cost status for each task, along
with a professional bio – not private or confidential info – of those
doing the work. And it must provide the relevant agency with a feedback
mechanism.

The system should "ensure appropriate privacy and confidentiality of
any data for individuals." There's no specific security requirement.

-- 
RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com>

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#17456

On 2019-02-13, RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
> https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/13/work_verification_accountability_bills/
>
> If you want a vision of the future, imagine not a boot stamping on a
> face, but keystroke logging on govt contractors' PCs
>
> US states mull 'work verification' laws, shaped by work verification biz
>
> Special report Anyone working on a substantial contract with the US
> state of New Jersey could soon be required to install software that
> captures the screen and tracks keystrokes – to verify all hours billed
> are legit.

Not long before I retired, my final emplyer was mulling installing
this kind of thing on employee workstations.

-- 
Today is Prickle-Prickle, the 44th day of Chaos in the YOLD 3185
                      ~ Plugh! ~

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#17459

Huge <Huge@nowhere.much.invalid> writes:

> On 2019-02-13, RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
>> https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/13/work_verification_accountability_bills/
>>
>> If you want a vision of the future, imagine not a boot stamping on a
>> face, but keystroke logging on govt contractors' PCs
>>
>> US states mull 'work verification' laws, shaped by work verification biz
>>
>> Special report Anyone working on a substantial contract with the US
>> state of New Jersey could soon be required to install software that
>> captures the screen and tracks keystrokes – to verify all hours billed
>> are legit.
>
> Not long before I retired, my final emplyer was mulling installing
> this kind of thing on employee workstations.

Lock up cat with keyboard.
Mr. Meow might generate some overtime.

-- 
Dan Espen

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#17461

On Wed, 13 Feb 2019 18:05:19 -0500, Dan Espen wrote:

> Lock up cat with keyboard.
> Mr. Meow might generate some overtime.

I'd suggest a chimp or two.
Could give a reasonable impression of an array of programmer's!
Eventually the outcome might include a new Shakespearian sonnet ;)

Of course more efficient would be a software method.
AI that simulates keyboard input, having `learned' the human's specific style.

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#17463

On 2019-02-14, Batchman <batchman@dosville.foo> wrote:
> On Wed, 13 Feb 2019 18:05:19 -0500, Dan Espen wrote:
>
>> Lock up cat with keyboard.
>> Mr. Meow might generate some overtime.
>
> I'd suggest a chimp or two.
> Could give a reasonable impression of an array of programmer's!
> Eventually the outcome might include a new Shakespearian sonnet ;)

I doubt it.  More likely before long he'd be on Usenet, calling other
posters Nazis.  Hell, it may have already happened!

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#17457

RS Wood wrote:

> https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/13/work_verification_accountability_bills/
> 
> If you want a vision of the future, imagine not a boot
> stamping on a face, but keystroke logging on govt
> contractors' PCs
> 
> US states mull 'work verification' laws, shaped by work
> verification biz
> 
> Special report Anyone working on a substantial contract
> with the US state of New Jersey could soon be required to
> install software that captures the screen and tracks
> keystrokes ? to verify all hours billed are legit.
> 
> That's if proposed legislation ? coincidentally shaped by
> a maker of work verification software ? is approved.
> 
> What's more: New Jersey is not alone. These rules are
> being mulled in nearly two dozen states across America.
> 
> A draft law that just cleared the New Jersey State
> Assembly, NJ A3989, requires any contractor working on a
> New Jersey contract worth more than $100,000 "to use
> software to verify that all hours billed for work under
> the contract for services performed on a computer are
> eligible charges."
> 
> The text of the bill comes courtesy of
> TransparentBusiness, a New York-based firm that provides
> work tracking software. "TransparentBusiness gives state
> managers real-time information about the work performed
> for the state by programmers, architects, engineers, and
> other professionals, but does not intrude on their
> privacy," the company explains on its website.
> 
> And similar bills, many echoing the TransparentBusiness
> template, are being considered in at least 21 other
> states.
> 
> The mandated software ? which is not vendor-specific ?
> must provide the applicable state agency with real-time
> access to collected data. It must gather data
> automatically ? by taking screenshots and capturing
> keystroke and mouse event frequency ? and make the
> information available on demand to management and
> government.
> 
> It must provide automated real-time cost status for each
> task, along with a professional bio ? not private or
> confidential info ? of those doing the work. And it must
> provide the relevant agency with a feedback mechanism.
> 
> The system should "ensure appropriate privacy and
> confidentiality of any data for individuals." There's no
> specific security requirement.
> 
I remember decades ago when New Jersey was mulling a law
requiring programmers to be licensed before being allowed
to work on ANY kind of software development or maintenance
within the state.

All sorts of problems came up about how they were going to
test for the license and that all programmers were not
created equal. Would the test and license requirements
differentiate between programmers doing COBOL sorts of
work and those doing engineering types of work in FORTRAN
or assembler? How about embedded systems? 

Luckily, the whole idea got dumped eventually. Good thing,
because I ended up doing a short term assignment in NJ
along with a dozen or so other out-of-staters brought in
to finish up a project that the locals couldn't handle.

Those New Jersey folks sure can come up with a lot of
silly ideas. Almost as bad as California.

Nyssa, who is glad she no longer has to worry about those
sorts of things

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#17458

RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
> https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/13/work_verification_accountability_bills/
> 
> If you want a vision of the future, imagine not a boot stamping on a 
> face, but keystroke logging on govt contractors' PCs

What about 10,000 keycaps stomping on a face?

> Special report Anyone working on a substantial contract with the US
> state of New Jersey could soon be required to install software that
> captures the screen and tracks keystrokes ? to verify all hours billed
> are legit.

Ugh.  Glad I don't work in NJ, nor as a govt. contractor.

> "TransparentBusiness gives state managers real-time information about
> the work performed for the state by programmers, architects, engineers,
> and other professionals, but does not intrude on their privacy," the

I wonder what level of Steve Jobs reality distortion fields were 
necessary to go from "record keystrokes, take screen shots" to "does 
not intrude on their privacy".

> The mandated software ? which is not vendor-specific ? must provide the
> applicable state agency with real-time access to collected data. It
> must gather data automatically ? by taking screenshots and capturing
> keystroke and mouse event frequency ? and make the information
> available on demand to management and government.

One wonders just what is captured.  And how soon it will be before we 
hear this in the news:

   "Recorded videos (screen shots and keyboard/mouse activity) of 
    contractors using their govt PC's have been stolen in the latest 
    massive data breach"

> The system should "ensure appropriate privacy and confidentiality of
> any data for individuals." There's no specific security requirement.

It seems hard to mesh "ensure privacy and confidentiality" with "record 
keystroke, mouse event, screen shots" in any non-insane manner.

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#17464

On 2019-02-13, Rich <rich@example.invalid> wrote:
> RS Wood <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
>> 
>> If you want a vision of the future, imagine not a boot stamping on a 
>> face, but keystroke logging on govt contractors' PCs
>
>> The system should "ensure appropriate privacy and confidentiality of
>> any data for individuals." There's no specific security requirement.
>
> It seems hard to mesh "ensure privacy and confidentiality" with "record 
> keystroke, mouse event, screen shots" in any non-insane manner.
>
The thing is, in the growing trend of "work from home" etc. software like
this becomes not even more appetizing, but vaguely justifiable.

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#17480

In comp.misc, RS Wood  <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
> https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/13/work_verification_accountability_bills/
> 
> If you want a vision of the future, imagine not a boot stamping on a
> face, but keystroke logging on govt contractors' PCs

How about private employers tracking your movement all the time?


https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/with-fitness-trackers-in-the-workplace-bosses-can-monitor-your-every-step--and-possibly-more/2019/02/15/75ee0848-2a45-11e9-b011-d8500644dc98_story.html

    Real-time information from wearable devices is crunched together
    with information about past doctors visits and hospitalizations to
    get a health snapshot of employees. Sleep monitoring has especially
    profound implications. Poor sleep can be a key indicator of
    depression, substance abuse or other mental disturbances. Overweight
    insomniacs, as measured in this new world, for example, will stand
    out faster as potentially costly health insurance risks.

    Some companies also add information from outside the health system
    -- social predictors of health such as credit scores and whether
    someone lives alone -- to come up with individual risk forecasts.

    "The Fitbit or Apple Watch applications ... may yield clues to
    things about you that you are not even aware of, or not ready for
    other people to know," said Electronic Frontier's Tien.
    "Individuals and consumers who are buying these devices don't
    understand that is a potential Consequence."

It's not compulsory, but it is incentivized. As "fitness tracking" gets
put in more things, expect employer provided devices needed for work to
have these capibilities.

Elijah
------
works hard to separate work from non-work

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#17491

On 2019-02-19, Eli the Bearded <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote:
> In comp.misc, RS Wood  <rsw@therandymon.com> wrote:
>> https://www.theregister.co.uk/2019/02/13/work_verification_accountability_bills/
>> 
>> If you want a vision of the future, imagine not a boot stamping on a
>> face, but keystroke logging on govt contractors' PCs
>
> How about private employers tracking your movement all the time?
>
>
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/with-fitness-trackers-in-the-workplace-bosses-can-monitor-your-every-step--and-possibly-more/2019/02/15/75ee0848-2a45-11e9-b011-d8500644dc98_story.html
>
>     Real-time information from wearable devices is crunched together
>     with information about past doctors visits and hospitalizations to
>     get a health snapshot of employees. Sleep monitoring has especially
>     profound implications. Poor sleep can be a key indicator of
>     depression, substance abuse or other mental disturbances. Overweight
>     insomniacs, as measured in this new world, for example, will stand
>     out faster as potentially costly health insurance risks.
>
>     Some companies also add information from outside the health system
>     -- social predictors of health such as credit scores and whether
>     someone lives alone -- to come up with individual risk forecasts.
>
>     "The Fitbit or Apple Watch applications ... may yield clues to
>     things about you that you are not even aware of, or not ready for
>     other people to know," said Electronic Frontier's Tien.
>     "Individuals and consumers who are buying these devices don't
>     understand that is a potential Consequence."
>
> It's not compulsory, but it is incentivized. As "fitness tracking" gets
> put in more things, expect employer provided devices needed for work to
> have these capibilities.
>
> Elijah
> ------
> works hard to separate work from non-work

I got a fitbit over the holiday - won it at a party, as I'd never shell out
the $200 myself.  Got to say I kind of like the insights into my health
habits, and it's for the moment a net positive in my life.  But yes, the
tracking potential isn't lost on me.

No one will ever force you to wear one for work.  But they *will* refuse
health insurance to anyone who doesn't, which is essentially the same thing.

PS wearing one while having sex is endless hilarity ... you and partner can
both monitor your heartrate during the act.  "99bpm, is that all? WTF?"

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