Convergys Discriminating Against Conspiracist Linux Geeks?

Yesterday I picked up a piece from WKRC that Howard Ain had discovered several LEGITIMATE "work-at-home" companies.

Our favorite Conspiracy Nut took very little time to severly criticize, I presume, Convergys for requiring a Windows-based PC for their "Remote Agent" program.

ConspiracyNut goes on to inform us "i bet my nix box without any av and free iptables is more secure than the required crap they list in their FAQs."

What she is saying - I think - is that her Linux-based PC is more secure than a Windows-based box loaded to the brim with anti-virus and anti-malware software.

She may be right.

Although I'm guessing the discussion is somewhat academic.

There are many reasons that people use Linux, BSD, and OpenSolaris-based derivatives. They're cheap and you can make any modifications you want all the way down to the 'C' code. For those of you who have ever been brave enough to take on the Linux From Scratch project, open source operating systems are also really cool for - yes - building new operating systems - something that of course Microsoft would NEVER want you to do.

I'm pretty sure some of these reasons factor in to why Conspiracy Nut uses Linux, but, after MANY hours of intense instant message conversations with her (and can you imagine four-hour IM sessions with one window prattling on about the Federal Reserve and another with someone else prattling on about Milo and how they're going to kill themselves? - no wonder I'm going batty), I'm pretty sure one of the big reasons she uses it is because it doesn't "phone home" - or check in with it's originating servers like Windows does from time to time.

That being the case, even though it looks like Convergys does allow some of their employees to work from home, I'm guessing these employees are paid on a W2 basis. What this means is that, at some point or another, if Conspiracy Nut were hired by Convergys she would have to fork over her Social Security number and reports would be sent every two weeks from Convergys to THE GOVERNMENT about, specifically, how much Convergys paid her. As she certainly is freaked the f*ck out about Microsoft knowing, perhaps, that she watched Amanda Baggs' "In My Language" or something of the sort, I can't IMAGINE ConspiracyNut EVER consenting to work on a W2 basis.

For that matter, I can't imagine someone with her view of the world working on a 1099 or a "corp-to-corp" basis either. Those structures would require [[gasp]], the paying company to report her existence, the work she did, and the amount they paid her to THE GOVERNMENT so that the paying company can write her fees off on their taxes.

No ... to maintain intellectual honesty, I think ConspiracyNut is going to have to take up some sort of all-cash employment - running errands, selling drugs, etc. ... and I'm guessing she'll only take gold and silver coin in payment because I'm sure you DO know her feelings about the US Dollar ... :)