Conference turris::womannotes-v1

    	Dear anonymous contributor, surely you must be a member of my
    	group.  Another secretary and I discussed this just today.
    
    	I have told more than one person to please keep his eyes (yes, 
    	*his* -- I've never had female co-workers pry) off my screen and 
    	I even rearranged my cube to give myself somewhat more privacy.  
    	After discovering polite requests don't soak through with some
    	people I've outright told "lookey-loo's" that I won't tolerate 
    	inquisitive eyes violating my privacy and, quite frankly, the
    	privacy of others.  After all, secretaries often handle salary
    	information and PA's.  Then there are those tall folks who hang 
    	over cubicle walls and think that by mere virtue of their height 
    	capabilities they have a right to peruse whatever is on the desk 
    	or screen.  Ed Services should issue squirtguns to all secre-
    	taries during Orientation!!!  Blast those nosy buggers right in
    	the peepers!!!  It doesn't matter whether I'm typing a memo for 
    	my manager or reading mail I feel insulted and violated if some-
    	one comes up behind me and says "So, watcha doin'?"
    
    	Then there's the commonly held (yet false) belief that a secre-
    	tarial area is secretly a conference room in disguise -- I would
    	happily find a conference room for them if they'd only ask!!!
    	I've even offered to do this before with the reply "Nah, that's
    	not necessary, it's too much trouble."  (No it isn't!  It really
    	isn't!)  An impromptu meeting in your immediate work area is 
    	very distracting!!!
     	
    	A secretary's job is to support the members of her group, but
    	it is not to provide terminal entertainment, desktop reading
    	material, or relinquish her (his?) cube for impromptu meetings.
    
    						Carla
    

    	Yes!  I think that looking at what is on someone's screen is as
    	rude as snatching a paper out of their hand and reading it.
    	Unfortunately many people do it anyway.
    	I have been guilty of borrowing things off of the secretary's
    	desk, the problem being that the xerox machine and transparency
    	machine are there, and it is very awkward to carry white-out,
    	eraser, staple remover, and stapler over there with me.  Maybe
    	we should put a box there with all these things in it.  I *am*
    	very careful to put any item borrowed back exactly where it
    	was, and to replace it if it runs out.

    WOW!  Do I agree with you....I think that "prying" is extremely
    rude.  In fact I have just rearranged my office so my terminal back
    faces towards the door - and I am not a secretary either!!  
    
    Geez, the things one has to do for a little privacy!
    
    -Dotti.

    I agree too.  It is such a pain to have people in the group hang
    around in my area.  Especially when they just hang there and don't
    say anything.  What the heck are they expecting me to do, entertain
    them?  I just ignore the person when he/she does this, and usually
    they go away, but not always!
    
    Another one of my favorites is when a person leans, or hangs over
    my shelf and looks at my screen.  I almost instantly clear the screen,
    no matter what is on it, to let them know that it is annoying!
    
    Obviously I am a secretary.  Another thing I could complain about
    for hours is the use of my telephone.  Complete strangers come up
    and ask me if they can use it.  I usually say no, because they would
    never put their call on hold if one of my other lines were to ring.
    Or, if members of my group take phone calls at my desk (because
    they don't want to run back to their office while I forward the
    call) they stay on the phone too long, while other calls are ringing
    away on my other lines.  Or they sit, make themselves comfortable
    and even use my terminal - while I am standing there waiting for
    them to leave!
    
    Once I was on the phone with someone from Ireland and a few people
    started hanging around my area.  They were talking, and then they
    became so loud that I couldn't hear the person on the phone.  I
    looked up at them and motioned for them to be quiet.  Of course
    this did not work, so I had to yell loudly, "Do you mind, this is
    a long distance call and I can't hear anything!"
    
    <flame off>  Sorry about that, but I can't stand people who feel
    that the secretarie's area is a place to walk into, or hang around.
    
    Carol

    I have my terminal sitting opposite the entrance to my door.  I
    can see the reflection of whoever may be approaching, with my back
    to them.
    
    A "yes, <insert name here>, what do you want?"  without turning
    around seems to be spooky enough to keep folks out :-)
    
    I've also got a "Vogon Poetry Reading In Session, Enter at Your
    Own Risk" sign which can be strung across my doorway.  I have most
    members of my group well-trained; this means interruptions are NOT
    welcome.  If you interrupt me while my sign is up, it had better
    be important!
    
    Rita
    
    

    
    Anyone who dares risk hearing Vogon poetry must surely have something
    wrong with them !
    
    It's the metatphysical juxtaposition which helps emphasise the
    underlying metaphor of their poetry which I like. But you can't
    beat that immortal poem "Ode To A Small Piece Of Green Putty"
    
    sigh.....
    
    Paul V

	errrrr...since our group in NIO has very little office space we
are forced to share very small offices with another person. Because of
this I'm not able to put my desk in a spot where the screen faces the
wall. I hate this. I have become very adept at getting my screen cleared
long before nosey types can focus. Most folks know I hate it when
they look at my screen and don't bother to try anymore, but there's always
someone who will try. Having to share an office also makes it difficult
to have a private conversation. and what's even more irritating is that
there are as many empty offices around here as there are offices that
are packed full. My doorway is so small that I can't even get a chair in
or out without picking it up and tossing it across the wall. I hate 
working like this....but the show must go on..

Jenna Poop

    What space-what privacy?
    
    I am the keeper of tons of hardcopy stuff that I used to
    have a separate office for used as a libary. Well had to vacate
    that so now I can barely get through the door of my office
    and have boxes piled up everywhere.
    
    I asked for a privacy phone and was refused. I know the
    martial troubles and personal lives of everyone with in
    a 25ft radius. As they probably know mine!
    
    There are days I want to stand up an shout HUSH!
    
    
    

    Well, I have a "Virtual Closed Door" sign (idea stolen from Maggie)
    that I put up on occasion.
    
    People read it, laugh, and usually leave me alone.
    
    Holly

    My boss has a "virtual door" too - when you *really* need something
    from him, you can always slide a note under the "door"!  ;-)

    The virtual door idea is neat.
    
    I have a problem with my space too.  I get very offended when people
    walk into my office and peer on my screen.  If I'm doing "serious"
    work I get comments and ask questions pertaining to my job.
    I get dumb comments like "great picture."  If I'm not doing serious
    work I still get dumb comments, "oh you're in mail." 
    
    I tried to solve the problem by positioning my terminal at a 90 degree
    angle so that even I have to make an effort to see what's on my
    terminal.  I had it in a corner and the screen faced the corner rather
    than me. It was the most obvious thing!  You know what people did???
    They entered my 2 by 4 and walk all the way around me just to get a
    peek at my screen! It was a lost cause. I finally gave in and decided
    that there was no way that I would be able to mind my business alone
    in the office. 
    
    -karen

I sympathise with a lot of the forgoing, and  I have a confession to make - er 
well two..

It is one of the first impresions I have about  people when I see them
reading my screen. 

Confession #1

About 10 yrs ago  I discoverd the books about 'personal space' (can't
remember the titles now) and thought what a great idea I must try that
sometime - then on one occasion in a Big Chiefs' Office (not DEC) I was about
to  lose an argument. So I invaded his space - all I did was slide the
notebook off my knee across his desk to more than 50% of the way - he was
well into an good and resonable argument - instead he lost his theme, and I
was able to say - 'so you have no real objections to this then' ? He agreed !
  My boss (who was int he room) was amazed - I don't know how you got Jack to
say that ? 

Then I felt absolutey AWFUL - I had manipulated this guy's space to my benefit 
and I vowed NEVER again to do it - and I have not. 

Confession #2

On the other topic of secretary's not having space - if they are not able to 
defend themselves, then their manager should - I do, and thats the second 
confession - I have the privilege of a room to myself.

Roger

    I have purposely positioned my terminal so that it is right next
    to my virtual door and facing me (the same direction that someone
    would face if it ["it" = 's/he" ;-)] were standing in the doorway.
    
    Very little of my work/non-work [e.g. this note] is truly personal,
    i.e., of a "True Confessions" nature, but I still object to someone
    looking.  No worse than someone reading what I am writing as I sit
    in an airplane, for instance.  Just that "invading my privacy"
    issue, and I value my privacy highly!
    
    I don't mind the tiny cubicles here, but I do mind the virtual doors
    and also the virtual ceilings --> virtual privacy, e.g., on phone
    conversations.  My previous office in my life-before-DEC was also
    *very* small.  But it was a real office, complete with door and
    ceiling.  Even had a desk too! But I liked it much more.  Also kept
    the cigarette smoke away.  Um, if I get a note from a lung specialist,
    will DEC enclose my office?  ;-)  Or will they just put my desk
    outside for fresh air...?
    
    It's a bit awkward to talk on very private calls here at DEC...for
    example, with a gynecologist, etc.  I have on a rare occasion gone
    to another floor where there is a pay phone with a booth!  But that
    is difficult if the doctor needs to phone me and not vice versa.
    
    whispered by,
    		  Penelope