DAMN IT!!
Corporate America, aparently in a desperate scheme to increase productivity, apparently blocks the Straight Dope at my new job!
UNACCEPTABLE!
What the hell am I supposed to do with myself in between meetings?
Note that unlike previous job, I am sacrificing unlimted internet access for actually leaving work at a reasonable hour.
A laptop with a modem and a FAX line.
Was it WebSensed?
Did you try it through the IP address? The 200.-whatever-that-I-can’t-remember-that-someone-can-come-in-here-to-post-it-if-you-don’t-already-know-it one
I work for the Feds, and Straight Dope is also blocked at my work through Websense. When I first found out it was blocked I was able to get around it by plugging in the IP address directly, but a couple of months after that they locked it down as well. I’ve run out of options 
It’s WebSensed where I work. I emailed the person in charge to try to unblock it, no such luck. What really ticks me off is if I’m working at home using the VPN on my own time, it’s blocked as well.
It’s blocked at my work as well If someone has the IP address I’ll try that!
WebSense blocks it at my work, but only for certain areas–not mine being in I.S. 
Some of the users tried using sites like MegaProxy and Google Groups to get around WebSense, but we eventually blocked those too.
Does it make me a terrible person that unfiltered (or nearly so) web access is a major consideration in taking a job?
I’m not expecting to look at porn, but I get breaks, and locking down everything just ticks me off. My old company did it only for dating sites, which I can kinda see, but I could still get to nearly everything else. My current job allows anything, and my boss (who is also IT director) has explicitly told me that it is not monitored and that he does not care what I look at. Even the employee handbook only asks that we keep it to no porn and no torrents (and the latter would never be checked for unless you were downloading so much shit that the pipes weren’t available for others’ actual work).
AFAIK, we have unblocked access where I work. The company has a strict (?) “business use only” policy, but it is generally ignored. (I showed my boss how to use Priceline the other day.)
No question, though, they are watching. We just got word of a co-worker getting fired for accessing a porn site. This was a well-thought-of employee, liked by everyone and a hard worker. No-one in the office reported on him, he got nailed by security software. His boss tried to intercede, suggesting a stern warning and counseling. No such luck, corporate security has a zero-tolerance policy, no exceptions.
I’m not savvy enough to understand how IT gurus can block The Dope, but not porn sites. Why give Joe Cubedude access to XXX stuff when you have the power to prevent it?
You gotta know it’s there before you can block it.
Uh, maybe work 
lol, i am running away now
seriously get an aircard and a laptop
Declan
Websense! I can’t stand it. What’s worse, I have a feast-or-famine job, so while I have lots to do at times, I also see entire days when I have nothing to do except browse the web.
And this company has one of the most restrictive filters I’ve ever seen. CNET is blocked, because they’re afraid I’ll download shareware. Why not just tell people not to install shareware! Why take the whole site away?
Here are some tips on getting around those filters.
At my old job, they went through a stint of blocking 99% of the internet, the Dope included… and I used an anonymizer site without a hitch.
I had this issue at my job when the other network admin decided to block just me and nobody else.
I have only one word for you that worked for me:
Xerobank
try flipping screens to your nonvpn screen and surfing out that way. works on my gimpy little evo work laptop.
Ha! Bow before me, mortals, for I am … Unblocked!
Seriously. My job requires that I not have any blocks on my surfing. Got a special unblocked status from the IT guys, signed off by my superiors.
Not that I use it for the SDMB, of course.
Disclaimer add in case said superiors wander through…
I couldn’t work anywhere where I couldn’t get Internet access. It would drive me nuts. Luckily, my boss is pretty open minded about the whole thing. We’re even allowed to surf porn and download Torrents during working hours 'round here.
Why yes, I am self-employed and am my own boss and work at home. Why do you ask?
We’re using Bluecoat where I work. Fortunately they’re not blocking SDMB or I’d be seriously jonesing.
All the anonymizer and proxy sites are blocked so I’d have to set up something on my system at home to proxy for me and that would be a real pain.
Facebook is open but myspace and youtube are blocked. Don’t particularly care about myspace, but yourube would be nice sometimes to open links from here.
Just saying, you have my sympathy.