Computer Monitoring is most often intended to improve efficiency and effectiveness in the

workplace, but with good intentions comes the opportunity for abuse by employers and employees alike. "Computer Monitoring in the 21st Century" written by a futurist is an exceptional observation as to what the future may hold for those people choosing to enter the technological field such as industry, commerce, medicine and science.

As Computer Monitoring increases, there comes a concern for the types of effects it may have in the workplace. The article says: "By the end of the decade, as many as 30 million people may constantly be monitored in their jobs." As computer systems become so sophisticated, this number will drastically increase. As we enter this new age of technology, we must remember that with more power comes more responsibility by employers and employees alike. Knowledge can be used as a weapon or as a tool. For instance, monitoring abuse can be found in the situation of airline agents. The agents discovered that by keeping customers on hold while finishing their work they could gain an extra 5-minute break. In the future, employees who are accustomed to evading the monitoring system may no longer be able to tolerate it. These types of employees may find they can no longer survive the added pressure of not being able to evade the system.

While monitoring can add pressure to some employees, it can also be a relief to others. It is a relief to the employee, because it provides information readily at hand. With the use of prompts, acting as reminders to workers, the information needed is passed on efficiently allowing employees to do a better job. However, if prompts are used to tell an employee how much time has been wasted or how bad an employee is doing his job, it could cause the opposite effect. Monitoring can have a positive effect on workers by letting the employees access their own information. In a study, early information about job performance given by a computer is accepted better than a performance rating given by a boss. At this time, monitoring is based on the output of an employee's performance. In the future, there will be more freedom for employees to use their own ideas, therefore making monitoring more effective. One example of monitoring as a weapon is seen when a woman who took an extra minute in the bathroom was threatened with loosing her job. With this added stress she suffered a nervous breakdown. The company insisted that they were not "spying" but were only trying to improve their business. If monitoring is not used correctly, businesses will suffer with increases in operating costs because of increased turnover, absenteeism, medical costs and worker's compensation. Employers who use positive reinforcement with monitoring will guarantee better motivation.

Legislation has the potential to help employees with issues of better treatment and the right to privacy. In the New Century, companies that succeeded will be the ones who learn from the past and from the "me boss and you employee" mentality. A good blacksmith can take a hammer and forge a weapon into a tool that can benefit the whole village. Employers are the blacksmiths; employees are the hammers. Monitoring is the tool. It takes both to make a tool to benefit the future.

From Paragraph 1, we can learn that ______.

A．computer monitoring is basically used by people with bad intentions

B．computer monitoring is basically used by people with good intentions

C．computer monitoring is basically used by people with good and bad intentions

D．good intentions will give rise to abuse