Book review: World view, but common problems.

• Author: Shimer, Preston W.

TITLE: Networked Communications and Compliance with the Law--A Concise Guide to the Legal Issues

AUTHOR: Stephen Mason, Barrister

ISBN: 1-85811-356-3

PUBLISHER: xpl law

PUBLICATION DATE: 5th Edition January 2005

LENGTH: 229 pages

PRICE: 44 [pounds sterling]

SOURCE: www.xplpublishing.com

Don't read this review if your e-mail and electronic records management concerns only reach to the county line. Everyone else, read on!

Stephen Mason is a skilled British barrister (lawyer) with a systems engineer's understanding of computer hardware, software, and networking concepts. The title of the book, Networked Communications, is an umbrella concept for all the forms of electronic communication available, ranging from e-mail to instant messaging to weblogs. Potentially Mason's knowledge could make him dangerous. Instead, he is devoted to the cause of records and information managers striving to manage the full spectrum of information for their varied organizations. The book is a concise, clearly written treatise that is spiced with cartoons (the work of his collaborator Geoffrey Thompson, a cartoonist) that capture the essence of an issue in a few flames.

In Britain, as in the United States, legal issues frequently are defined by case law rather than statutory rules and regulation. While the majority of the cases cited in this book are from the courts of England and Wales, a number of examples are drawn from North America, Australia, Europe, and elsewhere. It is very apparent that networked communications are a problem worldwide, and Mason's books shows he is prepared to deal with them.

Mason chose to focus on the use of networked communications between employers and employees only. The use of e-mail, instant messaging, and related tools for marketing, political action, and other purposes are not discussed.

The initial chapters of this book build the case for being concerned and taking action. Beginning with a reality check about e-mail, its benefits and its uses, Mason dives for the flip side--its risks and implications. Is no control an option? Can an organization choose to ignore these risks? If an organization doesn't want to ignore the problem, can each message be monitored? Can an organization invade the personal rights of its employees? Can all of these messages possibly be stored? Who should make the retention decision? All of these issues are beautifully illustrated and derived from actual case stories. Far from being a dry read, the case...