Flickr Out - Blocked By Websence

PM sent.

I used to be the guy in charge of monitoring and policing web access at a rather large company. For the most part, we tried to have a live and let live approach. As with most things, however, there was always someone who would ruin it for everyone and force us to be more restrictive.

One of the tipping points at our office was a person working the trading floor overnight who had been viewing porn -- not on his desktop, but on huge 50+ inch flat screens we had installed for maximum visibility for everyone who worked the trade floor. He fell asleep, and his choice of viewing material was visible for all who entered the trading floor in the morning -- most notably a very conservative and religious VP of the company.

A second was a contractor who we monitored with almost constant access to sites that could in no way be considered to have been work related. He billed 12 hour days for a week -- I was able to find only five hours of those sixty where he'd not been surfing the net. All five were between noon and one -- lunch time.

Dude, at the college i work at when using their WiFi, they block the use of google, which is pathetic. Although they allow Yahoo search. But then their IT department is lousy, so what's new. I can browse this site from there though.

ibdb wrote in post #2393021
One of the tipping points at our office was a person working the trading floor overnight who had been viewing porn -- not on his desktop, but on huge 50+ inch flat screens we had installed for maximum visibility for everyone who worked the trade floor. He fell asleep, and his choice of viewing material was visible for all who entered the trading floor in the morning -- most notably a very conservative and religious VP of the company.

Damn!! i want that monitor. Craziness though!!

I would rather not have internet access at work. I don't feel it aids productivity.

rhys wrote in post #2393969
I would rather not have internet access at work. I don't feel it aids productivity.

Exactly and contributes unnecessarily to the rising costs of everything. So when the OP come to me saying, please feel sorry for me because my boss actually wants me to work at my job, you are really saying, please feel sorry for me because I am trying to steal time from my boss which he will surely pass on to you in increased costs. Do not expect any sympathy, you took the job, now work. Pretty simple. If you do not want to work, then quit and let someone in who wants to work.

I use the internet to do my work.

rklepper wrote in post #2394125
Exactly and contributes unnecessarily to the rising costs of everything. So when the OP come to me saying, please feel sorry for me because my boss actually wants me to work at my job, you are really saying, please feel sorry for me because I am trying to steal time from my boss which he will surely pass on to you in increased costs. Do not expect any sympathy, you took the job, now work. Pretty simple. If you do not want to work, then quit and let someone in who wants to work.

I didn't ask for your sympathy or your moral point of view. I was merely stating a fact. When I found that flickr site was loading normally except for pictures I was initially confused. I thought other people might find themselves in the same shoes and wonder what was happening. My message was intended to be informational. I find your comments judgmental and inflammatory.

rhys wrote in post #2393969
I would rather not have internet access at work. I don't feel it aids productivity.

For me, as a tutor, sometimes its nice to be able to look up extra information, especially if a teacher pulls stuff that is not in the book(which happens).

grego wrote in post #2395128
For me, as a tutor, sometimes its nice to be able to look up extra information, especially if a teacher pulls stuff that is not in the book(which happens).

There are many jobs in which computer access is not very helpful nor is television access as staff tend to abuse the privilage a lot.

If the position doesn't require access to a computer, then why allow access to or even have a computer at all? The point is we're all talking about "work" and "jobs" as if they are all the same. They aren't. You can't measure productivity by "looking the part". Meaning, someone that looks like they're working may not actually be earning their keep. Also, keep in mind, I am paid for by a customer that is paying to have me there when they need me. I don't punch in at 9 and out at 5. I sometimes have to get up in the middle of the night to respond to a page or phone call, fire up my laptop, and connect to some resource via the internet. Generally speaking, I work about 50-70 hours a week. If my employer had any issue with my ethic, I'd be replaced pretty quickly. As you may be aware, IT is not the big booming market it once was. I've seen at least 300 other employees succumb to workforce reduction and "best shore" initiatives.

I have to use the net in my job & as we're a small company nothing's monitored. I personally find disruptions at work not to be me checking out POTN now & then, but all the emailing between business contacts, journalists, questions by ppl in the office etc. They all relate to my work, but are a hell lot more disruptive for me than POTN.

Last Sat I worked for 7hrs straight. Hardly any email contact, no meetings, no questions, no talking - just me, laptop, music, POTN & work. I got 3 times as much done.

rhys wrote in post #2395165
There are many jobs in which computer access is not very helpful nor is television access as staff tend to abuse the privilage a lot.

Oh I agree. I don't have time to sit down, because of the subjects I tend to tutor and the days I can be there(since I have school myself at UCLA).

But I do find it discouraging to type in "marginal tax rate formula" into google only to have it blocked. Luckily wikipedia was not blocked. But then that school's IT department isnt' that great.

grego wrote in post #2395488
Oh I agree. I don't have time to sit down, because of the subjects I tend to tutor and the days I can be there(since I have school myself at UCLA).

But I do find it discouraging to type in "marginal tax rate formula" into google only to have it blocked. Luckily wikipedia was not blocked. But then that school's IT department isnt' that great.

If the blocking policies prevent one from doing their job then something is wrong with the management who sets those policies.