The graphic design shop where you work as the Account Manager is doing well. Just last year, the owner hired three new designers and a receptionist, bringing the total number of employees to 14. But with growth come certain headaches one of them is figuring out how to regulate employees Internet use.

The owners IT person has alerted him to several problems. One is that designers are downloading any and all software that they think sounds cool even software in beta versions that still have a lot of kinks. As a result, their computers lock up or malfunction and the IT person has to spend hours troubleshooting the problem. Your IT person is also worried about security breaches resulting from these downloads and from other Internet activities. And of course there is always the worry that employees will be looking at Internet sites inappropriate for the work place.

It is time for an Internet-use policy, and your boss thinks that you are just the person to help write it. Your assignment is to study the current wisdom on workplace Internet policies and send your findings to your boss and the IT person in an email report. You three will then use the report as the basis for a meeting on the subject next week