Websense

[Des]

We've recently had this annoying program installed at work. It has a database of websites listed by category, and the administrator can select which categories to ban. "Games" has been banned but I can still look at dungeon-master.com during my lunchtime as it isn't on the list - woohoo!

Personally I think the idea of nanny software at work sucks. Employees should be trusted, and being told not to look at naughty websites should suffice

[Ameena]

Was the same at school - Hotmail was filtered, but this forum (though I only started using it a couple of months before I finished Sixth Form) still worked...most of the cool sites didn't though . And if you were on a computer in the library you had to be doing work. Since I normally wrote my crappy stories as something to do while bored, I usually, therefore, had a Word document open and could just click that over any Internet windows I had up if a teacher came nearby . I mean, who's gonna be using Word and not using it for work? Muahahahha...
Was a little less filtered at college though...in fact I don't recall trying to access something there and finding it filtered...most games I tried seemed to work, and unlike the comps at school, the Net worked at a bearable speed .
I hate that they ban certain sites like that though...at school, they should at least un-ban it for the people who aren't total idiots and know to stay away from dodgy sites and not give out personal info, etc.
Not that I'm at school any more so it don't really matter for me but still... .

[Gambit37]

Personally I think the idea of nanny software at work sucks. Employees should be trusted, and being told not to look at naughty websites should suffice

This is perfectly usual in large companies, simply because staff *can't* be trusted. People will *always* find something else to do if the task they are currently working on is boring and demotivating, and these days that generally means surfing the web.

Proof: I'm doing it right now!

[beowuuf]

And people are stupid enough to infect the company with viruses because they assume they know what they are doing, or just don't know what they are doing!

[Lunever]

Des: Haha! If staff could be trusted not to do non-work stuff during worktime, then how DO you know that this site is among those not blocked?

However, I also prefer those companies whose policy is that staff may use the companies internet for private stuff as long as they get their work done.

[Des]

I have a read of this site and a few others whilst clocked out for lunch (and trying to digest some ghaslty smeg I've eaten at the canteen).

I fully agree with your second point. It's good to feel trusted that you will use the internet responsibly and not to the detrement of your work output. If you do your boss should deal with it. The use of blocking software sends out the wrong message. And there's a test match starting on Thursday

[Sabreman]

Amusingly enough my boss is the most internet-addicted person I've ever met

I think actually it's more time-sink places like forums than obviously NSFW sites that are the main problem these days. By all means surf about if you're on top of things, but don't prioritize slacking over doing what you're actually being paid for