Work has banned the DBB

Palzon · Post by **Palzon** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 6:31 pm

Yep, the DBB has been deemed inappropriate by the State of Texas. It's not clear to me exactly what their rationale is. Here is the text of the email alerting us that sites would soon be filtered. The filtering kicked in today.

> New Internet Protection
>
> Use of the DFPS Network to access the Internet for non-business purposes
> during breaks and lunch periods is a privilege that has been extended to
> all employees. While the Internet provides an abundant source of
> excellent information, it is also a major source of viruses, SPAM, worms,
> and spyware that causes disruptions at the desktop and network level. To
> reduce this vulnerability, we will be installing Internet filtering
> software across the network this week that will limit the Internet sites
> accessible from your PC (you will receive a notice the day before this
> electronic software distribution occurs).
>
> An executive committee has reviewed a list of site categories and made
> decisions regarding which ones will be blocked (see attached list).
> Should you attempt to visit a blocked site you will get an alert with the
> Status: Website Access Blocked.

Regarding the category of gaming, they indicate sites with the following will be blocked:

Game playing or downloading; game hosting or contest hosting
Tips and advice on games or obtaining cheat codes ("cheatz")
Journals and magazines dedicated to game playing

Now, first of all, i think their statement that viruses or worms can result from browsing is an outright lie.

in the second place, i think they are omitting the fact that they're really doing this to keep people from being distracted from work.

in the third place, working for protective services i spend A LOT of time discussing sexually explicit matters in the course of what i do. also i have to make judgments that are life and death for our clients, LITERALLY.

wtf, they think that i lack the judgment to know what site is safe for work and virus free, and lack the professionalism to abstain from visiting inappropriate sites - yet they trust me with the lives of their clients? they trust me to be professional when talking to callers about the a$$ raping of small children - and yet they have to protect me lest i accidentally see a breast on teh internet?!

yeah, i'm a lil pi$$ed.

/rant

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 6:38 pm

I knew that picture of Ace and his cat would lead to bad things eventually, he's tainted the DBB's reputation

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 6:42 pm

yup, looks like pally and ace's cat are both taking it up the crack.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 7:00 pm

Lol!@Cops

We should start a petition to Palzons boss heralding the work related benefits to have him access this site, after all, where is there a better live case study of disfunctional peeps than the DBB?

Palzon · Post by **Palzon** » Wed Sep 22, 2004 11:37 pm

i love you guys

Pugwash · Post by **Pugwash** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:39 am

could you use a proxy server somewhere?

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 12:51 am

Who was on the committee? a bunch of women?

christ... that policy is complete and utter bull$hit.

Bring in a copy of PC Gamer and show the committee it. then ask them what is so bad in that magazine that requires filtering. they'll probably give some BS reply in which case you can tell them they're infringing on your freedom of choice.

man i can't believe you have to deal with such troglodytes.

Will Robinson · Post by **Will Robinson** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:17 am

See if you can still get the goatse site then go demand they remove it and replace it with the warm and fuzzy DBB!

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:11 pm

Taking the employers side...why should they pay you to browse sites that are not for actual work purposes?
It is their computors and internet access that employees are using so why shouldn't the employer clamp down on non-productive use of their equipment?

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 1:30 am

Woody.. they were given internet access to do what they wish on their lunch break. and last i checked, lunch breaks were unpaid.

"Use of the DFPS Network to access the Internet for non-business purposes during breaks and lunch periods is a privilege that has been extended to all employees"

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 6:16 am

True Ferno, but it is still their equipment.

roid · Post by **roid** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 9:40 am

pally is it possible for you to get friendly with your IT ppl? it always pays

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 10:13 am

I gotta say that for once, (drum roll please) I agree with Woody.

Fusion pimp · Post by **Fusion pimp** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 1:15 pm

Ferno, because you use something of someone elses doesn't mean you're entitled to do what you wish with it. You have to play by their rules.

B-

DigiJo · Post by **DigiJo** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 2:01 pm

hey pally, get a second browser and jap+java. install the browser (mozilla or something else), install java and run +configure the jap anonymity proxie. now tell the second browser on that maschine to use jap as proxie.

problem solved.

http://anon.inf.tu-dresden.de/win/download_en.html

Dedman · Post by **Dedman** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 3:13 pm

That's great and al Digi but it's a good way for him to lose his job. As long as we're talking surfing at work on the company's puter, it's best to just grit your teeth and deal with it.

Palzon · Post by **Palzon** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 5:42 pm

Let me say that i also agree with woody that it is their equipment and they have the right to tell me how i can use it. i still believe they are a-holes to do this. plus they are stupid a-holes, here's why:

you should see which sites are still accessible! dbb banned, but d3tl not. somethingawful not banned! and they're stupid a-holes for the reasons i listed above.

as far as the "executive committee"...this is just the kind of dark shadows in which such morons like to hide. i have no idea who the members of the committee are, who they answer to, or how to approach them to consider unblocking this site. i did start a ticket with customer service folks but i've yet to hear anything. hopefully they will be able to tell me who serves on this committee of the sith so i can send them a strongly worded email.

yes i could use a proxy server, but it might get me fired. i wouldn't do that, not so much because of that but because i'm a "by-the-book" kind of guy. if i use proxy to to access a banned site, not only am a i skirting the policy, but i'm cheating my fellow employees who are banned from sites they love and now can't visit.

one more thing, the real bugger of this is that i enjoy the political/ethical debate of this forum, whether i'm posting or not. yes it's a privelege to visit the sites they allow and not a right. but in a very real sense i now feel disenfranchised by being prohibited from participating in a political dialogue that is both enlightening and edifying to me.

Fusion pimp · Post by **Fusion pimp** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:06 pm

disenfranchised ?

C'mon, you have a computer at home.

Hostile · Post by **Hostile** » Fri Sep 24, 2004 7:49 pm

Palzon wrote:i wouldn't do that, not so much because of that but because i'm a "by-the-book" kind of guy.

ROFLMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Palzon · Post by **Palzon** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:16 am

Fusion pimp wrote:disenfranchised ?

C'mon, you have a computer at home.

for that matter, i have a vote and so i'm not really disenfranchised. i wasn't using the term literally.

i do have a computer at home. however, it's much easier for me to read and post on breaks and at lunch than it is to do it from home. breaks and lunch are mine, not theirs.

i'm not that bitter about this. it's a small thing in the long run and i'll get over it. but i would think that you, barry, would be the first to understand.

it's big bad government punishing everyone to protect themselves from a small minority of dishonest or reckless employees.

TheCops · Post by **TheCops** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 6:59 am

ya, well my company blocks most web based email and irc... i estimate that i lose 6-8 hours of typing "hehe rofl" and "that RoxOrs" everyday.

Avder · Post by **Avder** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 1:01 pm

Is it a DNS blocking, or an ip blocking? If its a DNS blocking you could bypass it simply by putting the DBB's IP in the computers hosts file.

Ferno · Post by **Ferno** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 3:22 pm

I always figured that if someone was responsible enough they could visit whichever site they needed to.

*shrug*

Fusion pimp · Post by **Fusion pimp** » Sat Sep 25, 2004 11:49 pm

i'm not that bitter about this. it's a small thing in the long run and i'll get over it. but i would think that you, barry, would be the first to understand.

It slipped my mind that you were working for a government agency. For some reason I thought it was a private org.

it's big bad government punishing everyone to protect themselves from a small minority of dishonest or reckless employees.

They're denying you internet access at the work site which is not a right. Now, if they were denying you the right to post the 10 commandments in or around your desk, or, other first, second through 10th amendment issues I'd be a bit more sympathetic.

They're your employer and as long as they afford you your rights, worked within the confounds administrative and constitutional law and showed no individual favoritism, you have no grounds to complain. Remember, you also have the right to seek alternative employment.

That does suck.

B-

roid · Post by **roid** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 12:22 am

i think he's saying it's more descrimanatory than anything, because sites that other people peruse are still ok to visit, but Pally's arn't, why the difference?
he's keen to see the 'executive committee's' response to that question.
it seems favourtism.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 12:49 pm

roid wrote:i think he's saying it's more descrimanatory than anything, because sites that other people peruse are still ok to visit, but Pally's arn't, why the difference?
he's keen to see the 'executive committee's' response to that question.
it seems favourtism.

This is policy for an entire state, you can't make that statement without reading the entire policy.

fliptw · Post by **fliptw** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 12:51 pm

Palzon wrote:i do have a computer at home. however, it's much easier for me to read and post on breaks and at lunch than it is to do it from home. breaks and lunch are mine, not theirs.

But, their computers are still theirs on your break time.

Palzon · Post by **Palzon** » Sun Sep 26, 2004 4:36 pm

i get that part

Palzon wrote: ...it is their equipment and they have the right to tell me how i can use it.

Suncho · Post by **Suncho** » Mon Sep 27, 2004 12:32 am

cheatz?