Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ncc!lyndon@nexus.ca
From: lyndon@nexus.ca (Lyndon Nerenberg)
Newsgroups: news.sysadmin
Subject: Re: Privacy of computer files...
Summary: Is a file a file?
Message-ID: <10546@ncc.Nexus.CA>
Date: 15 Nov 88 03:47:12 GMT
References: <183@gloom.UUCP> <1988Nov11.180920.21736@utzoo.uucp>
Sender: lyndon@ncc.Nexus.CA
Reply-To: lyndon@nexus.ca (Lyndon Nerenberg)
Organization: Nexus Computing Inc.
Lines: 10

Assuming an employer-employee relationship, what (legally) is the
difference between the employer examining an employees files on a
computer vs. examining the employees files in a filing cabinet?

As a case in point, I have a paper file containing prices from one
of our distributors. I also have this same information in a file
on the computer. If my employer has legal access to my paper files,
why would she not have access to the computer data? [ For the
purposes of argument, consider the root password being the same as the
master key to the filing cabinets. ]