The policy should have been made clear, absolutely (ours is). I know they have monitoring software, but I am extremely productive, although I do things that I know aren't allowed, like monitor my home/other job email, or play Alchemy (which I try, I really try, only to do at lunch). I also read the funnies and some columnists every morning, but perusing the paper is part of my job, as I monitor media mentions (hey, how alliterative) of our authors anyway. I don't do anything I couldn't pretendto justify, in other words (hey, if they gave us more than a half hour for lunch, it'd be worth going somewhere; at least hy staying there and playing Alchemy while I have my sandwich I can answer the phone and emails and such. If they're gonna fire me, they'll probably have a better reason than my Internet abuse. But on the other hand, if I made myself dislikable, they could use my Internet abuse as an excuse to fire me, I'm sure.

But I think that even had the policy not been clear, it would have been obvious to me that using company equipment for personal fun was wrong, likely illegal, and certainly an offense worthy of termination.

It is also obvious to me that the boss is a pointy-haired refugee from a Dilbert strip.