(THREAD) As COVID-19’s spread has prompted an expansion of work-from-home policies across various industries, the use of more-pervasive monitoring software, also known as “tattleware” or “bossware,” has increased.
Once the software is installed, an employer has deeper access & even live monitoring tools for everything you do on your computer.
This includes which applications you open, what websites you visit, and how much time you spend doing different activities.
Employers can use this data to track your attendance or periodically snap screenshots of your screen.
Some software can even monitor the music you listen to, your facial expressions, your tone of voice, or your writing tone throughout the day.
If all of this sounds a little familiar—and unsettling—that’s because it’s nearly identical to the behavior of stalkerware.
According to Gartner's chief of research:
Pre-pandemic, ~10% of companies the firm had surveyed said they used this type of software
But since the start of the pandemic, ~30% of companies have purchased something like that to track employees as they work remotely.
Even though some employers are collecting a lot of data, turning that into useful knowledge is still difficult.
A data dashboard might reveal the tasks someone is doing, but it can’t suss out why the employee was doing those things at that time.
There’s also evidence that bossware doesn’t work that well
It stifles creativity & camaraderie of an office, which is already tricky to maintain w/ a remote-work arrangement
W/o the freedom to make mistakes & take time to think about things, it’s harder for ppl to get work done
Although such software may feel intrusive, it is legal, & in some cases, your employer doesn’t need to tell you it’s running on an employer-issued computer.
The EFF has a chart detailing which software has which features, if you’re interested. wrctr.co/2ZGl3gc
If this type of software is installed on your computer, avoid using that computer for anything personal, no matter how mundane that thing may seem.
And if an employer asks to install monitoring software on your personal device, ask for a work-provided device, if you can.
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(🧻 mini-thread) So, what makes a good deal on toilet paper?
According to the co-creator of the Toilet Paper Value Calculator: “After looking at hundreds of data points, I came to the conclusion that the deal price for quality toilet paper is:
Toilet paper manufacturers often use confusing terms to describe the strength & efficacy of their products.
So 2 hobbyist deal hunters, frustrated by unquantifiable TP marketing, created a calculator to determine which options are actually a good deal. wrctr.co/3dLdpcZ
Descriptors like “jumbo,” “super,” and “mega” are hard to quantify.
Some companies claim that one roll of their toilet paper is now the equivalent of four, or that their toilet paper is stronger or capable of cleaning better than the competition.
Even Kevin Purdy, who spent hours researching & writing our toilet paper guide, can’t make sense of the way toilet paper is marketed.
“I generally don’t trust ‘mega ultra super’ rolls. It seems like we’re being charged more for the same products.” wrctr.co/3qOMUqv
Employers can see everything you write in email as well as in Slack, Google Workplace, and Microsoft Teams wrctr.co/3ujaAFw
In several of their plans, Google & Microsoft each offer ways for administrators to track usage and metadata from users.
Such data includes what time you sign on, how many messages you send, how many calls you join, or what devices you use.
The services can also turn the data into measurements & user-activity reports.
In Google Workspace, this feature is called Work Insights, & in Microsoft 365 it’s Workplace Analytics (there’s also a personal version that managers can’t see called MyAnalytics).
A 2018 study involving 6 men in their 20s found that they fell asleep, on average, in 7½ minutes when they wore socks vs ~15 minutes when they didn’t.
The study also suggested that the socks allowed the men to sleep longer & wake up less during the night. wrctr.co/3amNVAl
In a 2007 Dutch paper, eight subjects with no sleep issues who were between the ages of 21 to 39 fell asleep, on average, in about 11 minutes when they wore socks to bed vs 16 minutes without. wrctr.co/2ZpqT5v
Our experts spend hundreds of hours researching, testing, & recommending the best gear to help you get better rest
So this week, we're diving into all things sleep related, from advice on napping to avoiding mattress sales traps
Here you’ll find our best advice, tips, and hacks for sleeping better.
How not to feel dead tired this winter? ✅
Your Ideal Sleep Position? ✅
How to make sleeping together suck less? ✅
Debunking dubious bedding claims? ✅
How to clean bed pillows? ✅