MMR: Work Internet Filters

So, on Friday, EnergySolutions apparently enacted web filters on employee’s internet use. Certain sites are blocked out completely, certain sites are blocked out, but you can use “quota time” of one hour each day to view them, and many sites aren’t affected by this at all. And, really, it seems pretty random.

First off, sites that are not at all blocked include: Yahoo Fantasy Sports, ESPN, FoxNews, Weather Channel, Meebo (social networking client), all my SBN sports blogs (Fear the Fin, Niners Nation, etc.), The Fourth Period, sjsjarks.com, and many others. I can mostly do what I want on the web still…which seems odd if they’re going to enact a filter…but I’m not complaining.

One site I visit regularly is under a filter that I’d have to use quota time to visit…and it is the site you are visiting right now: my blog. The reason given for the blog is “personal blog.” So they are filtering out personal blogs…which seems understandable, except in the context of the sites they are still allowing. But whatever, if this is the only site I need to use quota time for, I don’t spend enough time on here during the day to eat up a full hour. I’ll just write my blogs in word, then activate my quota time to format and post (and read comments, if I get any!).

Finally, one site I use all the time was blocked completely. Twitter, for the reason “social networking.” I’m a little upset at this one, as I don’t use Twitter, in the main, to socially network with people. I use it to get breaking news. So if they’re going to block Twitter, for me, they might as well block TSN, ESPN, FoxNews, etc. All the things I get linked to on Twitter are places I can go…this is just a convenient place to have them all in one spot…and then I know as soon as a new article or whatever is posted.

The best part is, there’s a link titled “More Info” if you want to learn more about why sites are blocked. Sadly, that link is also blocked under the web filter. So even if I wanted to learn about the web filter, I couldn’t, because the information is blocked by the web filter.

Good job, EnergySolutions. Smooth move there!

We'll see how long this lasts...