Vanity Press?

[Charles Good <good -at- AUR -dot- ALCATEL -dot- COM>]

Despite the magazine articles and press on ways to benefit
from the Internet, I am beginning to sense that many companies
are still not convinced that the Internet is worthwhile.

I am hearing more and more managers (in this area) refer to the
World Wide Web (WWW) as mostly a "vanity press" for those whose work
is unworthy of commercial publishing. Even those companies that
use the Web for advertising and customer service purposes cannot
produce data substantiating any increase in sales due to Web presence.
I am also hearing more managers refer to the Usenet newsgroups as
little more than gossip columns and debate gambits that are full
of disinformation.

In short, many companies view the entire Internet as a distraction
from work (i.e., a boondoggle) and an networking opportunity that
only promotes lost productivity and ease of job hunting. Some even
believe it is a security risk that entices people in high tech
design or marketing positions to commit industrial espionage
(i.e., transmit or copy proprietary online information).

I realize, most Internet users can site hundreds of ways they
personally and professionally profit from Internet services,
but I would like this thread to focus on what your employers
think about the Internet.

  *     What value, if any, do they perceive?
  *     Do they view their Website as a money-maker or just a market presence?
  *     Do they have guidelines on employee usage (e.g., only on your break
        time and no more than 1-hour per day)?

Comments?