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October 13, 2008 10:15:41 AM CDT

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Email Mining Software No Slam-Dunk

Posted Apr 21, 08 7:31 PM CDT in Business,  Technology 

(Newser) – Software that allows co-workers to share customer and client information without the initial contact's explicit permission is catching on, overcoming worries about privacy that initially kept the applications from gaining traction, the Wall Street Journal reports. One exec who saw "a very harsh reaction from people who viewed it as a Big Brother-type system" at his previous job is having less trouble this time around.

The software is “able to infer where people have relationships, based on their electronic vapor trail of activities” and can even discern how strong those relationships are, says the founder of one of the major players in the relatively new field. Many workers are crying foul, even though the creators stress that privacy controls can give employees a say in how their information is used.

Source Wall Street Journal

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  (Getty Images)
Tom Glocer, recently named CEO of Thomson Reuters.   (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
  (Getty Images)
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