EDITORIAL: When MySpace is not your space

You may have been surprised by a story in Friday's Chronicle in which a researcher claimed workers who surf their favourite websites at work are more productive.
Melbourne University's Dr Brent Coker says a quick surf of the internet enables the mind to rest itself, leading to better concentration and increased productivity.
Yeah right!
Dr Coker's claim that 20 per cent of your time at work spent on Facebook and the like is reasonable is a joke.
Workers should have regular breaks, that's undeniable, but preferably it would be a break away from the workstation, not a break with mouse in hand.
Many bosses would struggle to accept that a workforce hooked on Trade Me 12 minutes an hour is more productive than one that can only log on to the auction site at home.
Chronicle staff are blocked from webmail sites such as Hotmail and G-mail as well as popular sites like Facebook and MySpace.
We can, of course, check out news websites, but there's no need for that other stuff at work, especially as it would prove a drain on precious IT resources.
Then there's your Occupational Health & Safety requirements.
Staff keeping an eye on their keyboard time don't need another excuse to stare at a monitor for extended periods. According to 2007 figures 72 per cent of New Zealanders can access the internet from home. It's also available in backpackers', cafes and McDonald's.
Point is, most people can access the internet outside work. Yes, it's nice to be able to check your email, Twitter or online auction during the day, but is it necessary?
On the other hand, we live in a world where we're increasingly connected to our virtual lives.
It's not surprising so many people want to enter the online realm throughout the day.
Why not allow these addicts the same benefits as smokers? Allow them to access websites at certain times during the day. Maybe there's a certain workstation set up for it in the lunchroom.
Another option is to believe Dr Coker's research and encourage staff to surf the net in the hopes of increasing productivity.
We'd love to hear if it works.