I hate Activity Levels in Screenshot Monitor

We have recently released Activity Levels in Screenshot Monitor – many employers have been requesting it for quite some time. Immediately we have received this very frustrated email. We are publishing it unedited (it was anonymous and it had no reply-to address), because despite the tone, it voices a very real concern that kept us from introducing the Activity Levels into SSM for quite some time. The concern is that productivity will be measured – to a large extent – by how actively user uses the mouse and the keyboard, not by results – and in most of the cases it is just wrong. What do you think?

I really hate the Activity level in SSM! I hate it!

I know you said in the mail, that activity does not reflect your job, because every job is different.But I really hate it.

Now I’m gonna have red and yellow circles all over my report, even when I work hard, why? Because now I can’t pick my nose nor answer an instant message from my phone because I’ll lose 60 seconds and they will reflect on my report.

My boss has told me twice that I’ve done a great job, he trusts me, he knows I’m working, but now I’ll have that sh** measuring how much do I move the fu***** mouse?

Really?

Do you know that some people like me try to work 8 hours daily? If I pick my nose and take a look at my phone, I’ll lose 60 seconds and my activity will fall.

Do you know it’s a very different kind of job that being in an office?

Why?

Because in an office if I go to the bathroom when I come back the clock has kept running, and I’m closer to get out of the office.

In this kind of job, if I go to the bathroom the clock stops. I have no one who to talk with, I can’t read news while I’m working, I don’t check my personal mail, I don’t either chat with friends, I’m just alone with my computer, 8 hours a day, and now I can’t just relax, clean my eyes and stretch because I can lose 60 seconds of activity.

Being in front of my computer more than 6 hours a day it’s now harder to reach, because now I’ll frenetically click and write to not lose activity. 6 hours daily with screenshotmonitor takes a lot longer than 6 hours because if I just want to get up and talk to my sister about a book the clock stops.

Now, if I pick my nose for 20 seconds it will be reflected in that damned circle? Now I can’t scracth my ass because I’ll lose percentage in my activity?

So I’ll get red and yellow articles all over my report, even when I do an excellent job.

All over the world red means bad, wrong. How could you try to measure activity every 10 seconds, are you out of your mind? Do you stare at the monitor and click again and again 6 hours straight? Do you?

Now, from now on, I’ll work just 6 hours a day, and lower productivity for my boss, because there’s no way in this world that I’d feel comfortable with red or yellow circles, now he’ll get less and me too.

If you think it is wrong, tell me how much activity have you lost while reading this mail.

Can you imagine working 40 hours a week nonstop because you don’t feel comfortable with red circles measuring if you’re burning your boss’ money? Do you work like that?

I hate those mother fuc*** circles and I know more people will hate it too, now I fell I have to write like crazy so I won’t get those circles incomplete.

Now you’ve made an outsanding worker to be a regular one, MY BOSS WILL THANK YOU A LOT FOR THAT.