warpspeed Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 It looks like I jumped the gun. I went to work today to discover they have begun implementation of a program to block inappropriate sites. One of our sister companies had too many employees using their work connection for porn & gambling. So we suffer. I HATE THAT! Now, what was that about anonymous proxy servers............... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JT Johnson Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Problem with the anon proxy servers is that eventually the public ones get added to the list. Most IT "professionals" really aren't that bright or creative so finding work arounds is possible. Problem is if they do get lucky and find you out you can get canned 1. Try and become friends with the router/switch networking guy. Maybe if he's a little disgruntled he may help you out. He's already got around the web filter for himself and he just may help you out as well. 2. If you can bring your own laptop to work try the mozilla browser for windows or linux. If you can install mozilla on your pc give it a try. You can use the old excuse that you IE kept crashing on you. The web filter at work doesn't seem to be able to filter the mozilla browser running linux. Don't know if it will work for windows. 3. Put up your own proxy server at home if you have broadband. Set the port to something other than 80. Problem with this is you need to be able to change Internet option in explorer and windows will have a record of all your visits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 JT, Thanks for the 411. I'll try the Mozilla thing. Is that the same as Netscape or not? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFlowers Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Since I work for the local Government, lots of things are blocked here. Since I work for IT, I usually know why they are blocked. Here, like many companies, knowing the IT guys won't help. We have bought an outgoing filter software and they constantly update the blocking list. All the IT shop here does was choose the catagories they wanted blocked. So when sites like BrianEnos get marked as MATURE, or when Jim Shanahan's gets marked as SEXUAL EXPLICT (too funny) its often coming from the software company that writes the filter. In these cases, the site management needs to yell at the software company about the rating they have been giving. All IT here can do is unblock a site manually. then when the next download comes in, we have to do it again. So every two weeks, on Monday morn, someone starts unblocking a list of sites that the software company blocks that IT doesn't want blocked. And yes, the idiot surfing gambling or porn sites on a slow afternoon at work is your worst enemy in this. James Flowers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shred Posted February 4, 2004 Share Posted February 4, 2004 Well, ibforums just got blocked as "chat" by Smart(cough, hack, spit!)Filter But, I made a good enough case to my VP that I need open access for my regular job, so I'm on the exceptions-to-blocking list now. He's ok with me doing a little BE surfing every now and then, but did say I could get fired for doing anything bad on the net. This is what I like.. a little trust and a penalty if I violate it. Not the "We know you're all bad, so we'll squash everybody" policies that IT departments love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slip_Hammer Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Sticking up for the degenerates... What's the difference between surfing a shooting sports forum, and surfing a gambling or porn site? Content, right? Either way, you're wasting time at work. Not that I have a problem with that, I'm at work right now. Our internet access here at work isn't blocked at all. As long as the work is getting done, the boss doesn't mind a few minutes spent here and there surfing the net. In fact, he thinks it actually helps productivity/creativity to take your mind of the nitty gritty details now and then, and come back to the task fresh, mentally. I just thought it was odd for some to consider the gamblers/porn junkies the enemy, when they're actually doing the exact same thing. The only difference being the flavor of their distraction. Some dig reading and talking about the shooting sports, some like to play poker online for money, some like to stare at a pair of D-cups for a few minutes, and then some like a little of each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 What's the difference between surfing a shooting sports forum, and surfing a gambling or porn site? I suppose if you are a total degenerate with no sense of decency, and lacking in moral fiber, there would be no difference. Some folks don't equate this forum with a sexually explicit Web site featuring farmer Brown putting it to his favorite sheep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Dunn Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 Don't sugar coat it Ron, give it to him straight! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slip_Hammer Posted February 7, 2004 Share Posted February 7, 2004 FarmerBrown.com? I love that site! Did you see the one where Brown misleads the poor teenage runaway sheep into a life of turning tricks down by the ol' saw mill? Classic. I'm just kidding. Yeah, that is sick. My point was that it makes little difference to your employer what you're doing when you're wasting time instead of working, and I found it interesting that some would think that what they're doing is somehow "better" than what the pervert is doing simply because their non-work activities are more "wholesome". You could read the Bible for 60 minutes, that would still be an hour that you weren't working. Just an observation, Jeez. I'll shut up now... (back to lurking) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
short_round Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 M(*&%R F*&KERs ... AAaarrgh! You may now add me to the list of degenerates because now I'm blocked too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 I guess answering to no one but yourself has some advantages... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Of course you guys know I was just spouting off. We have some new filtering software at work and Brianenos.com is blocked. In fact all firearms related sites are toast. I can still get to the forums (for now), but I can't browse the main site. I don't get it. What's the difference between me buying a jug of slide glide and some degenerate buying a gallon of Astro Glide? Oh, we already talked about that didn't we? Grrrr.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalmas Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 I can surf anything from work but it's all logged and if missused I have to justify my time spent etc.. And since i currently have no pc at home I'm dead in the water without my job line, however I can not see video from work, so it's a bit frustrating not to be able to see all the super video bits on this forum. Have a nice weekend // Dalmas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 What's particularly irritating about the site blocking is that: - Golfing on company time - Frivolous business trips - Going strip clubs on company funds - Getting hookers with company funds - Subsidizing one's alcohol problems with company funds - Corporate yahoos writing checks to themselves and/or friends with company funds etc. etc. etc. ...will all continue unabated. To me this is like the company crackdown on stealing office supplies. Total cost of office supplies for one year: $30,000 CEO's bonus for running the company into the ground: $10 million. It's nice to see everyone's got their priorities straight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dalmas Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 CEO's bonus for running the company into the ground: $10 million. Understatement of the year.. just in tiny sweden we are in the billions.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
benos Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 ITS also added a "violence filter" Now that's the real winner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Yeah, our filter also looks for violence and even distasteful sites. I understand why the restrictions are in place, I work in a school. Fact is, recreational surfing does indeed cost businesses millions of dollars per year. Even in our little school, if every one on staff spent just 15 minutes a day surfing the Web, the activity would add $46,250.00 per year to the total cost of ownership in wages for lost time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flexmoney Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 I wouldn't mind it if all of our teachers were spending 15 minutes on the web every day. I imagine it would be well worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tightloop Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Ah hell, teachers need some perks. They do have to put up with all those bratty kids all day long. If you can't slap them aroung anymore, surfing the web should be a tamer solution and give them an outlet... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nik Habicht Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Yeah, our filter also looks for violence and even distasteful sites. I understand why the restrictions are in place, I work in a school. Fact is, recreational surfing does indeed cost businesses millions of dollars per year. Even in our little school, if every one on staff spent just 15 minutes a day surfing the Web, the activity would add $46,250.00 per year to the total cost of ownership in wages for lost time. If that 15 minute break makes 'em more productive during the other 7.75 hours I'd be all for it. Heck, I'd be all for it just to get folks some exposure to new ideas.... Now when you've got a guy surfing the net for two hours, each day while he should be working/teaching that might be a problem... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Ankeny Posted April 30, 2004 Share Posted April 30, 2004 Yeah, even though it irritates the bean counters, we still take a break from time to time and look around on-line. Frankly, I think workers in general are better off spending a few minutes on the Web than huddled around the coffee pot badmouthing the boss. I understand why systems administrators want security and resrictied use of bandwidth, but I really don't agree with them to a fault. As for filtering, especially in schools, I think accessing inappropriate material is a discipline problem not a technology problem, but I am in the minority opinion on that one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
double down Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Try this, it has worked for me but it does cost $30.00 for a year. Anonymizer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hank Ellis Posted May 9, 2004 Share Posted May 9, 2004 My workplace has total block on all websites except one, www.turbinetracker.com. A real snoozer as it's only purpose is to crunch turbine engine log files into somewhat useful information. Even executable files are blocked in email. Once I had to have an OEM email me to my personal address just to get a file needed to get an aircraft back in the air. So what we did was go outside our network. Using the soft drink and candy machine funds, we built a ethernet and wireless network on DSL, bought one computer and had a couple more obsolete ones donated. One tech guru was designated as the admin. Works well for us. And it's funny, with our network up 24/7 for anyone to use at anytime, productivity and morale has gone up. People will come in, check their stocks or email (or shooting forums) and leave. 20 minutes, in and out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
short_round Posted May 10, 2004 Share Posted May 10, 2004 Okay ... maybe this belongs in the computer forum but thanks to Erik I have found somewhat of a work around. The filter that I'm battling against apparently checks for keywords. They have not gotten around to adding this site directly to the list of blocked sites, I guess, which means I can't make it into the "brianenos.ibforums.com" page (there must be something in there the filter does not like), but I can make it past into more "acceptable" pages. Anyway, send yourself a PM without any controversial words in it. There will be a link to the PM in the email that you get from the email notification. Click on that link and your PM will come up since there are no "bad words" in that page. You can then go and run the search and try to find forums that will make it through. Usually the "view new posts" works ... it's not working for me today. Someone must have posted something with an "offensively degenerate word" in the title. Hopefully I can find a way around that. Good luck from behind the iron curtain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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