To the IT guy- thank you for not blocking MMM!

[MissStache]

I work for a very large national company that has thoroughly blocked almost all the interwebs.  I can reliably get on weather sites, wikipedia, and Vanguard (but only because our 401K is through them!), but just about everything else is blocked.  Sometimes I can access a website 2 or 3 times and then it is gone (I hope the security team enjoyed my searching for a paella recipe!). 

But, miracle of miracles, I can always get to MMM- even the forums- after about a month of heavy use!  I can only surmise that there is a fellow mustacian IT guy at work who is keeping it open for the few, the proud. 

Thank you, nameless IT hero!

[shadowmoss]

Same here.  I didn't expect to be able to get here from work, but miracle of miracles the site is allowed.  Here's hoping that whatever black list that blocks sites in the great Corporate world keeps forgetting about this site.

[Spork]

Sites are normally blocked by category, not by name.  For instance, you might allow "Finance" but disallow "hate speech, pornography".  I suspect MMM just falls into the right category to be allowed.  (Caveat: I haven't done IT web filtering since about 2006.  Things might have changed since then.)

[Albert]

I also work for a large multinational corporation and fortunately only obvious things like pornography and online betting as well as all kinds of videos and web radio (for bandwidth purposes) are blocked. Even Facebook is allowed.

[arebelspy]

Blocked for me; I believe the swearing tripped the automatic triggers.

[ender]

You're welcome.

;)

[tomsang]

The IT guys and gals should make MMM the home page for everyone. That would be amusing!

[AlmostIndependent]

Blocking MMM at work would certainly be a big boost in my motivation to stop going all together.

[DocCyane]

Blocking websites at work just means people have to take more time getting to the content by using a circumventor.

We don't have much blocked at work, but when I hit the wall, I just sigh. And then bypass their nonsense.

(I.e. Every Tumblr site is blocked regardless of actual content.)

I miss when everyone was trusted to act like a grown-up.

[AlmostIndependent]

I miss when everyone was trusted to act like a grown-up.

When was that? I must have missed it.

[oldtoyota]

I work for a very large national company that has thoroughly blocked almost all the interwebs.  I can reliably get on weather sites, wikipedia, and Vanguard (but only because our 401K is through them!), but just about everything else is blocked.  Sometimes I can access a website 2 or 3 times and then it is gone (I hope the security team enjoyed my searching for a paella recipe!). 

But, miracle of miracles, I can always get to MMM- even the forums- after about a month of heavy use!  I can only surmise that there is a fellow mustacian IT guy at work who is keeping it open for the few, the proud. 

Thank you, nameless IT hero!

Those things are run mostly by software with some occasional human oversight. I had to get in touch with IT folks to unblock a Facebook page that had "naughty" words on it. The page was about what you were not supposed to do on Facebook. Since FB is a part of my company's marketing strategy, I needed to access this "help" page so I could read how to set something up. So silly.

I did work for the gubment and this gubment agency had blocked Facebook, but they were supposed to be communicating with the public via their Facebook page. Don't ask me how that is supposed to work.

[sol]

I have no idea if this site is blocked at work, because I've never considered wasting time at work with internet forums.  Just doesn't seem right to me.

[kudy]

I spend about 5 to 15 mins here most work days, during a "break", glad the company is small enough to not have IT policies.

[gdborton]

I have no idea if this site is blocked at work, because I've never considered wasting time at work with internet forums.  Just doesn't seem right to me.

I get this feeling every so often, but I think that it's generally understood that intellectual work can't happen at will continuously for 4+ hours at a time.  If it isn't forums it is smoke breaks, chatting, walking to the coffee machine, or playing angry birds on the toilet (I absolutely hate that).

[MissStache]

I have no idea if this site is blocked at work, because I've never considered wasting time at work with internet forums.  Just doesn't seem right to me.

I have a project-based schedule.  Once I'm finished, I basically have to sit around and wait until another project pops up.  I'm either swamped or bored.

Also, are you saying that you spend 100% of your day solely focused on work?  You don't chat w/ coworkers, linger over your lunch break, take walks around the building?  Impressive.

[savingtofreedom]

Also, are you saying that you spend 100% of your day solely focused on work?  You don't chat w/ coworkers, linger over your lunch break, take walks around the building?  Impressive.

Agreed - tell me your secrets!!

[hybrid]

The IT guys and gals should make MMM the home page for everyone. That would be amusing!

Hmmmmm, I could do that in about 15 seconds.  I'd better have that resume polished up first though!

All the previous comments hit the nail on the head, filters are usually built around categories, categories are typically maintained by the outfit selling the filter, companies typically have policies blocking and allowing certain types of categories.

And when that doesn't work the IT guy can usually set up whitelists (always allow) and blacklists (never allow) for specific sites.  Our filter qualifies this site under the category business (instead of forums and newsgroups, or blogs and wikis, either of which seem to be a better match).

It's an imperfect science, at best.

[ace1224]

I have no idea if this site is blocked at work, because I've never considered wasting time at work with internet forums.  Just doesn't seem right to me.

i have a hurry up and wait kind of job.  we still use the titration method of testing so i do a lot of sitting around watching for bubbler tubes to change color and i'm not allowed to leave my area bc dangerous gases are turned on.  some of my tests have a 120 min minimum service time.
i would also like to that the IT guy who allows MMM. that and the makers of candy crush

[mpbaker22]

Works for me, and I don't know what ..... oh nvm.  I'll post this from home ;)

[sol]

Also, are you saying that you spend 100% of your day solely focused on work?  You don't chat w/ coworkers, linger over your lunch break, take walks around the building?  Impressive.

I do all of those things, because all of them contribute to my job.  Hiding in a cubicle hoping no one notices I'm reading blogs all day does not. 

It's really not that hard. 

[mpbaker22]

Also, are you saying that you spend 100% of your day solely focused on work?  You don't chat w/ coworkers, linger over your lunch break, take walks around the building?  Impressive.

I do all of those things, because all of them contribute to my job.  Hiding in a cubicle hoping no one notices I'm reading blogs all day does not. 

It's really not that hard.

How exactly does walking around the building contribute to your job? or lingering at lunch?  Do they make you more efficient while working?

I've posted my experience working and why i read blogs alla lot of the day on another thread.  I hoped to not hijack this one, but if anyone wants to respond head over here

[Zamboni]

I can only surmise that there is a fellow mustacian IT guy at work who is keeping it open for the few, the proud. 

That rocks!

More than a decade ago an employer suddenly put on such an internet filtration system.  Like sol, I focused on work at work. 

But so many of the perfectly legit equipment and supply sites I needed were blocked that I got into the habit of just calling the head honcho IT guy with "control" directly every single time I tried to go somewhere that was blocked.  As an example, our roll coating machine was manufactured by Black Brothers.  When I went to get a replacement roll, the site was filtered, of course.  It got old.  Eventually when I just wanted to check out something for personal reasons (like an IVF or women's health site), I would just call him and say "unblock xyz site please" and he'd look at it and go "Oh, um, okay."  IT guys are okay in my book.

[ender]

Also, are you saying that you spend 100% of your day solely focused on work?  You don't chat w/ coworkers, linger over your lunch break, take walks around the building?  Impressive.

I do all of those things, because all of them contribute to my job.  Hiding in a cubicle hoping no one notices I'm reading blogs all day does not. 

It's really not that hard.

To have a job where I didn't have to learn anything new would drive me nuts.

Though, I don't post on this forum during work, I do partake in activities which might seem to not "contribute to my job" which do in fact make me better at my job. I suppose MMM doesn't really qualify, for me.

[sol]

How exactly does walking around the building contribute to your job? or lingering at lunch?  Do they make you more efficient while working?

I tell myself that effective professional relationships are vital to career progress.  Never Eat Lunch Alone and all that.

[arebelspy]

How exactly does walking around the building contribute to your job? or lingering at lunch?  Do they make you more efficient while working?

I tell myself that effective professional relationships are vital to career progress.  Never Eat Lunch Alone and all that.

Is that helping you, or your company who is paying you?  (And yes, it may be both, but it seems like it better always include the latter based on your opinions espoused in this thread.)

[sol]

Is that helping you, or your company who is paying you?  (And yes, it may be both, but it seems like it better always include the latter based on your opinions espoused in this thread.)

It's certainly not helping me.  I can never be promoted at work, regardless of my performance.  And I don't generally like people very much anyway.

But getting along with them does make me more effective at my job.  Nobody works in a vacuum. 

[arebelspy]

But getting along with them does make me more effective at my job.  Nobody works in a vacuum.

Sure.  The phrase "career progress" made it seem otherwise.