News Surfing the web at work...

Surfing the web at work...

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/24/web.surf.ap/index.html

Do you think it should be restricted at work? or should it be allowed?

Currently the policy here is that if its not business related, then we can't surf the web. But yet we're allowed to make quick personal phone calls or receive them. My boss doesn't really mind as long as I get my work done. I think they should allow it, however, alot of companies have banned certain sites from being seen. For instance, where I work, they banned things like MySpace.com, Migente.com, MP3 sites, Photobucket, etc.

Here they say *don't* but look the other way as long as your work gets done... and we have almost no restrictions online (except anything Java based is blocked, like the chat)...

Using company resources for anything personal should not be allowed. Back in the days before internet, most companies don't even let workers make personal call. If you go to webpages like myspace @ work, you deserve to be fired.

I can understand that if you are working on company hours. But what about when you're on lunch or on break. shouldn't you be able to do anything thats personal since you're not on company time?

its not costing the company that much money to surf the web. Its not like they're being charged by the minute. so I don't see why someone should be fired for surfing MySpace if they're doing it on their own time.

Now, if someone is making long distance phone calls and stuff like that, then I can see them being fired for it. but using the internet?

I guess the same would go for vvt-i.net and other car related forums..lol.

myspace id banned in our school... but i log on here on vvt-i all the time in my multimedia class... lol... if the teacher asks me what am i looking at, i tell her im grabbing pics for my project... and she actually thinks im for real... lol...

i think the decision should be up to the employer what is good and what isn't.

It depends on the type of job alot too...

Anything's cool with my teacher. Offensive stuff is blocked anyway, the generally known stuff like eBaums etc. Here there are people who do go through posts and email if you don't log out.... makes me wonder if someone's reading this right now?

Companies have to lay that rule down to protect them, ecpecially to protect their network. Users are the main cause of most problems. lol Sorry, but true. Most people will look the other way for certain things because some surfing doesn't really hurt on lunch breaks etc, however, they need that rule in case you go to a site and download a virus. Otherwise there would be this huge grey area. "Well they said it was ok if I surfed the net.....etc etc."
On our networks, we just block a ton of sites, so you cannot get to them anyway. lol Takes away the temptation for the most part. We also strip out active content like flash. That really sucks.