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Worst icon ever: Tech support is watching you

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I’m telling tales out of school a little bit with this, but I just can’t keep quiet about it anymore. There’s an icon in my office machine’s system tray that’s bothering me no end. It’s for a corporate tech support program called UltraVNC, which, according to its website, allows support technicians to ‘display the screen of another computer (via internet or network) on your own screen. The program allows you to use your mouse and keyboard to control the other PC remotely.’

Excellent! Some anonymous guy, in a small, dark room in who knows where, can watch what I’m doing on my computer whenever he wants. Sure, realistically, this is not my computer, so whoever owns it should be able to look at what I’m doing. But seriously, to announce this fact by placing a monolithic, unblinking eye on my desktop seems a little overkill.

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Yes, if you’re wondering, I uninstalled the program -- three times, actually -- but every time I restart, it’s reinstalled itself. It’s like some kind of bad horror movie, where eventually the guy throws the computer out the window, but as soon as he gets back to his desk, it’s there again, broken screen and all.

Well, just for that, I’m going to completely stop doing anything that could be potentially embarrassing on my office computer. Ever again. How do you like them apples, eye-con?

— David Sarno

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