James Mills is a web developer in the North East of England and founder of Refresh Teesside »
Mike Hughes is the Head of Business for the Evening Gazette. He will be blogging on all matters of importance to Teesside businesses - and some that are just worth knowing »
Jez Davison, business writer at the Evening Gazette, is a regular blogger on all things business - particularly finance, entrepreneurship and the state of the Teesside economy » 
Karen McLauchlan is the Evening Gazette's deputy business and features editor - with special interest in all things industry, property and arts related » 
Jeremy Middleton is a venture capitalist and the co-founder of FTSE-200 company HomeServe » 
Deloitte, which has 23 offices across the UK including Newcastle, is among the country's leading professional services firms » 
ClimateNE & Climate Change Schools Project support the move to a low-carbon, resilient economy and help businesses avoid risk and realise commercial opportunities. Posts by Jen Atkinson, Krista McKinzey and Harriet Thew » Where would we be without the internet? It has changed the way we do business, buy houses, find friends, find jobs, book holidays, have a laugh...
In fact, the internet touches nearly everything we do. And itâÂÂs fabulous! Imagine life without the likes of Google, BBC Online and YouTube.
But we need to know where to draw the line.
The news last week that three workers at Neath Port Talbot Council lost their jobs because of excessive use of the internet while at work isnâÂÂt the first.
Who can forget when ex-No 10 media chief Alastair Campbell came under fire after accidentally sending an abusive email to a BBC journalist?
And what about back in 2000 when London law firm employee Claire Swire described a sex act in an email to a colleague? ItâÂÂs estimated that her personal message was read by some 10 million strangers worldwide.
Sadly itâÂÂs unlikely to be the last. It seems that the lure of downloading and playing games, online shopping, habitually forwarding large email attachments and jokes, and chatting online with friends to plan hectic social lives seems to be just too tempting for some.
But these abuses have potential to cause great damage to your business.
ItâÂÂs vital that you take proactive steps to reduce the scope of abuse.
Make sure you have relevant policies in place that are communicated to your employees, and always obtain their acceptance of it.
E-business and the internet can and should be used to great effect. Just not to the detriment of your business.
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