One of my worksites has locally blocked facebook access. Obviously they blocked it for a reason, but if I wanted to access it what options do I have. I guess some kind of proxy server service, is anything available free? Any issues with password security when using them?

if they blocked FB, they’ll block proxy services.

If theyve magically left the Remote Desktop Protocol port and functionality open, then you could remotely connect to your home PC and run through that. Or use your smartphone.

Google ‘SSL proxy server’, you’ll be able to load facebook through it assuming they haven’t blocked the proxys as well.

If they have blocked facebook, chances are they’ll block your employment of they catch you circumventing their security settings eg by using a proxy.

Set yourself up with Log me in free and put it on your home computer – you could then connect up to your home computer and look at whatever you like

My guess is they want people to work when they’re being paid and not be on Facebook, maybe you could try that?

We block similar. We could consider it a disciplinary issue if you were found to be circumventing the controls – eg web proxys or similar.

If the blocking is remotely professionally done, there won’t be any easy way around it anyway.

I use to do this. Each morning I’d get a list of the most accessed sites, and would then add some to the blocked list.

tbh If people want to access the internet (unless its for a business need), use your mobile.

Before all this gets too out of hand I better explain further, I completely agree that access to some sites should be blocked at work, in the office this is the case as per company policy. However we also work offshore on vessels for several weeks at a time, generally access to social netwoking sites offshore is acceptable when we are not working. On one particular vessel the manager has taken it upon himself to block access.

So yes it is blocked for a reason, but not neccessarily in line with company policy as its a bit of a gray area….

Have a word with the vessel manager then? Surely they could have the blocking set to allow access outside of working hours? Plenty of sites I know unblock access to fb over the lunch break for example.

yeah, in that case I’d be having a word.

If they are expecting you to work away from home, they can’t reasonably block the method that you choose to keep in contact with your family and friends.

Dave

Then raise the issue with the manager or HR and see what they say. Trying to bypass something will land you in trouble, asking kindly won’t.

not neccessarily in line with company policy as its a bit of a gray area

get it clarified then – you don’t want to fall foul of a ‘circumventing blocked sites’ policy which may be quite black and white?

quite an appropriate username though 🙂

http://www.facebook.com is blocked at our place but…

https://www.facebook.com is not 🙂

http://www.facebook.com is blocked where I am but https://www.facebook.com is not. Might be worth at try

EDIT are we in the same place cp????

🙂

my son’s school have similar issues with http/https blocking/non-blocking on popular sites.

seems a bit odd really.

Try http://69.171.229.12

My guess is they want people to work when they’re being paid….maybe you could try that?

My guess is that the STW forums would be like the Marie Celeste if everyone tried that.

My guess is that the STW forums would be like the Marie Celeste if everyone tried that.

Tis true.

They can only discipline someone for circumventing the block if there is a specific clause about it in their contract though.

You sure? I reckon that if the company’s IT policy is any good it’ll have a clause about avoidance of filters/etc which again if they’re any good, they’ll have got people to sign up to to make sure people understand what they can and can’t do…

There will be general security policy which they could get you under I imagine if you circumvent blocks they’ve put internet access.

You sure? I reckon that if the company’s IT policy is any good it’ll have a clause about avoidance of filters/etc which again if they’re any good, they’ll have got people to sign up to to make sure people understand what they can and can’t do…

Of course – they can’t discipline you for something they haven’t told you you can’t do. It can be a general rule (ie not specifically ‘you can’t use proxy servers to get around our block on Facebook’ though).

True though I’m sure there are plenty of (non-IT) things you could do day-to-day which aren’t expressely not allowed but you could be disciplined for.

its a pain but i bet he has blocked it due to bandwidth issues – i really wish that they would block skype video/other videochats offshore – because so many folk try to use really bad quality jumpy video chat that i cant even have a chat conversation with home

given how long the facebook page takes to load on my phone as oppose to any other page it appears to be full of bloat that will kill bandwidth with folk constantly refreshing

Or just try http://WWW.facebook.com/php. Normal Facebook at my place is blocked but using php gets you to the geek php circum page and then just go to the main homepage from there..

I am still using my slightly ageing Citrix secure gateway that I setup on a VM at home. In fact, that is how I am typing this 🙂
Open to quite a few people at work too

If it’s off-shore I suspect it will be a bandwidth issue. When I look at the number of concurrent data streams coming from my mac with a FB tab open vs closed, i’m not surprised. What the hell is it doing all the time???