Fortunately I'm secure enough in my job that I can get away with murder. That just means I have to police myself. Last Friday, without telling anyone, I spent the whole day at work without punching in (I'm on the time clock) because I felt so guilty about spending so much time on the Internet lately. It's a slack period at work, for some reason, and I really don't have enough work to keep me busy. Management knows this. I figure they owe me 8 hours a day, but if I hadn't taken that day off I might have run into overtime, and THEN I might have some 'slpainin' to do (to myself anyway).

I work for a small business where I personally know the owners. That's probably why I have a conscience about this, and it's probably also why my bosses have a conscience about it, and don't hassle me. (They know it's not my fault that the sales reps aren't bringing me enough work.)

I have a computer at home, too, but I prefer to use the one at work because (1) it has a much faster Internet connection. (2) I can use Netscape at work but we only have CompuServe at home. (3) I like using the laser printer at work. (4) My phone line at home has metered service (I've got to get that changed). (5) If I didn't have the Internet at work I'd go nuts. (6) It's literally more comfortable at work - I have an ergonomic chair and desk, and a Microsoft "natural" keyboard.

Fortunately, I also have an office where I face the door, so I can see when anybody comes in, and my computer monitor faces away from the door, so they can't see what I'm doing. I HATE cubicles because they usually force you to sit just the opposite way. I'd MUCH rather share an office with my own boss (which I have done, and likely will do again) than have a cubicle by myself (which I also have done), and I think I'd feel this way even if I couldn't use the Internet. Unfortunately, there is a window directly behind me, so anyone standing out in the parking lot can see over my shoulder, but I'm not too worried.

The downside of working for a small company (besides low pay and benefits) is that it's so informal and loosely structured that I'm often not sure who my real boss is, or whom I have to please. My previous boss - the one with whom I shared this office - openly used his computer for personal stuff. We used to share tips about good web sites, and he would forward funny e-mail to me. When another "boss" circulated a sharply worded memo against Internet use, he ignored it, and I followed his example. Then he quit the company. I hear he's coming back. Things can be very confusing.