I am seeking help/advise. I have been buying and selling on eBay for years and have always looked at eBay from work. As of yesterday, ebay.com has been blocked by a new software called websense.
Has anyone developed a work around for this? I have tried various things, but can not get through to eBay.
I work long hours and ususally eat lunch at my desk and enjoy the diversion of eBay. Any suggestions?
posted on March 12, 2002 08:09:13 AM new
try tracking your auctions here on AW. You'll only be able to see if youve got bids if you dont launch your auctions thru AW but at least you will know if you've got bids and what the highest bid is for. I dont know if the software your workplace is using blocks AW too but it's worth a try.
MEOW
posted on March 12, 2002 08:12:00 AM new
Sounds like your management decided to block ebay by using a filter on their firewall. You might try requesting an exemption, though your level of success depends entirely on your relationship with management and the cultural climate of your company. If management is on a "kill the internet because it reduces productivity" crusade, then you may have little luck in convincing them.
Also, you may be able to work around it if your network admin were a little too specific with their filter - in other words, try to access ebay through one of their foreign sites like http://www.uk.ebay.com/ - they may have overlooked blocking these. That way you can at least search on some of ebay, including any US auctions that are open to foreign shipping (just remember to click on the "Items Available to the UK" radio button).
posted on March 12, 2002 08:21:04 AM new
Thanks to katmommy - I already do use AW and have been looking at Auction Manager to see overall status - thanks for the suggestion.
Thanks also to holdenrex - I tried this and it did not work. Your suggestion was appreciated nevertheless.
posted on March 12, 2002 12:58:36 PM new
this is the very reason we do not have internet access at work. everytime i am approached with reasons why we need it I can come here and find out why we don't.
the company has the right to expect their equipment and time to be used for their purpose and their purpose only. even if you are doing ebay during your lunchtime, you are using the companies equipment and phone lines.
that is the same as stealing in most administrators eyes.
posted on March 12, 2002 04:31:11 PM new
There are some very braindead attitudes regarding Internet usage. I can see companies being concerned about people wasting time and resources. The question is: what is actually a waste? Companies who don't trust their employees might very well wonder why their employees don't trust them and mete out loyalty in return to their firms in two-week intervals.
posted on March 12, 2002 07:32:56 PM new
Once in a while I check auctions from work and have experienced the same thing. My workplace uses a security system called "Foolproof", designed and more likely maintained by fools. It's filters will tell me I can't go to Ebay because it contains pornography, firearms, violent content, or something else equally stupid. I use a proxy website called MegaProxy, which you go to and then enter your ultimate destination into a field. It disguises your final destination from your network, firewall or ISP, so you don't get filtered. If simply entering your destination address doesn't do the trick, they have a link you can click which will turn on ssl security, scrambling the url of your destination. It will slow you down some, but for Ebay it isn't too bad, at least you can get thru without the tiny-brains knowing where you went. It's free.Here's the link:
http://www.megaproxy.com/
profe
posted on March 13, 2002 06:52:56 AM new
rarriffle, you say you don't have the internet b/c most companies consider it stealing. If you're in a place of authority at your company, you could just choose not to consider it stealing. I worked for a company that was great. They specifically said that reasonable personal use of their equipment was permitted. It was then up to each manager to determine and police the idea of reasonable.
mballai, as for what they're stealing. In the corporate world, bandwidth is money. If you're using bandwidth that's someone else who can't, or even worse, more bandwidth that the company has to buy. If you're on a large network, it's almost impossible to use at lunchtime...
posted on March 13, 2002 08:30:33 AM new
the reason we do not have internet access at work is because the staff is not paid to be on the internet.
we do have access to email and i have seen people receive hundreds of personal joke of the day emails. these people get one warning and the email privilege is taken away.
i hear people whine everyday about not having time to get their work done and these are the same ones who were caught playing games on their pcs. that has also been taken away now.
if someone wants to receive the paycheck and use half the time playing, don't come to my office for a job.
i do not ask anything of another employee that i do not ask of myself. i take a lunch hour about once a month and work over most evenings and many weekends. so please don't blast me for being too harsh.
posted on March 13, 2002 08:35:27 AM new
You ask your employees to only take a lunch hour once a month and work evenings and weekends? I certainly wouldnt work for you. Isnt it the law to allow at least 1/2 hour a day for lunch if you are a full time employee?
MEOW
posted on March 13, 2002 08:42:23 AM new
My sister is a supervisor and one fellow was becoming less and less productive so one day when she walked into his office space to get him to do some corrections on a report he messed up, she caught him cruising porn sites.
The company had a policy that they could be on the internet during lunch time only.
I have always been very lenient with my employees but I do hire them to be productive and for many the internet is just too distracting and can "take them away" for too long of a period and they may not even notice.
posted on March 13, 2002 10:20:28 AM new
The amount of bandwith to view an auction is very small especially in comparison to the music files that some people hog on the web.
posted on March 13, 2002 10:25:54 AM new
The point is that it is not related to the job. I don't blame companies for doing this, until recently I worked for a public university and the amount of time spent goofing off on the internet was pretty amazing. It definitely reduces the amount of time an employee actually works. The problem with a "lunctime only" policy is that many will simply ignore and still not do their work. In an age where it is harder and harder to fire someone without a lawsuit, it makes sense to have this type of policy.
posted on March 13, 2002 10:44:41 AM new
Who says it is not related to the job. Most companies live and die on the internet and I have always found that my web time made a positive influence on my job skills. I frequently shop on the web for job related items. Better I should order something online in a few minutes then get back to work late because I got stuck in traffic.
posted on March 13, 2002 01:11:02 PM new
Thanks to all for suggestions.
Unfortunately, the various workaround links mentioned so far have also been blocked.
Any other sites that have eluded the blocking?
In terms of using work time for the internet, I would say that productivity is a funtion of output not a time clock or an "hours spent working on a particular spreadsheet". I happen to spend alot of time on the phone and usually surf and talk at the same time. Few are as productive as I (sales).
Please keep the suggestions coming - I know there must be a viable alternative.
posted on March 13, 2002 01:55:27 PM new
My comment isn't directed at you personally, but there must be enough people at your place of employment who can not talk on the phone and surf the net at the same time. If they could, then I doubt management would restrict access.
posted on March 13, 2002 02:18:27 PM new
I find this thread rather amusing. A company limits internet access to try reduce unproductive time spent by employees surfing the web for personal reasons. The reaction by the employees is to be even more unproductive by trying to figure out a way to get around the new limits placed on them by management...
Somehow I don't think this is the reaction that management had hoped for...
Seems that the only real solution may be to eliminate internet access completely except for those employees who actually need it as part of their job (which is determined by management). This may or may not include email as some employers may consider email access to be a luxury and that a phone might work just as well if not better...
posted on March 13, 2002 03:47:06 PM new
katmommy, don't twist my words. I didn't say the other employees are asked to skip lunches, I said I personally do not take lunch breaks. I also choose to work weekends as needed myself. I don't ask that of anyone else.
I DO ask them to work for the time they want to be paid for. if they can talk on the phone and do something else at the same time, the something else better not be surfing the net, UNLESS IT IS HUNTING A NEW JOB.
with the way companies are downsizing, anyone silly enough to take the chance deserves what happens.
the ones who think they are the most productive need to ask somebody else if it is true. such as their supervisor.
posted on March 13, 2002 03:54:09 PM new
As a network administrator, I would like to point out to each of you that most companies are connected to the Internet because of some BUSINESS reason - not for employees to use the connection for non-work activity. In my plant's case, we use the T1 line to conduct EDI with our customers, the accounting department needs to connect to servers at our corporate office to do their jobs, the IS department uses the Internet to download patches and upgrades to software, engineers use it to find products to solve problems, and all of our email. We do not have any filtering software installed, but we do expect employees to use their heads. The speed of the connection may not be enought to cover all of the business needs and still allow employees to use the Internet for personal things. We recently upgraded our line speed from 128K to 256K - my cable modem at home is several times faster than that! Look at this from both sides - you may see something you missed about why your company is connected to the Internet. Just a thought from the network guy.
posted on March 14, 2002 02:29:35 AM new
Quote from the websense website:
"* Users of online auctioneer eBay Inc. at work spent 157 minutes at the site in January compared with 126 minutes while at home. Long a favorite among at-work surfers, eBay ranked 7th among the most-visited sites for at-work surfers. However, eBay ranks first in terms of average pages per person and time spent per month, at almost 300 pages and two hours per person."
Two hours per month of lost productivity. Oh, my, gosh, that's terrible! Seriously, most workers can find ways of waisting two hours or more per day. If they can't surf the net they will find some other distraction.
Ya, just have to love big brother software that monitors your activities. Treating your employees like children can't be good for morale...
posted on March 14, 2002 03:05:14 AM new
outoftheblue, granted, it sounds like a small amount of time when you have a multiple of one. now multiply that by 200 employees, that is 400 hours a month. even at minimum wage, that is a chunk of money.
big brother watching? as this thread proves, he has to be watching. too many good workers out there hunting a job to keep someone who wants to goof on the payroll.
i have to wonder if 2 hours of surfing is worth a career or job? if the system is set up that good, they may be able to track even a work around to ebay.
posted on March 14, 2002 07:53:30 AM new
Speaking from experience, an employee paid for eight hours of work rarely works eight hours -- unless you're doing blue collar work or something, the average is very low. However, depending on the job, employers would prefer quality over quantity any day of the week.
I'm a programmer and I know that most programmers do not "code" for eight hours a day. It's too taxing mentally. Diversions like surfing the web, reading news, keeping up with competitors, learning about new technologies, etc. ARE in the long run productive activities. Even if you're playing some simple game, it's a relaxation that lets your brain recharge.
Before the 'net, people talked around water coolers, took LONGGGGG bathroom breaks, smoke breaks, long lunches, etc. to break the monotany. In the long run they were better employees for it.
I worked at one place that had a casual work environment, free sodas, AND a game room! Pool, ping-pong, foosball, and darts. So long as the work got done, no one cared how much time you spent in there. Again -- SO LONG AS THE WORK GOT DONE.
In elementary school, the rules were tighter. No gum. No going to the bathroom without permission, etc. As we grew older, the rules lessened and we took more reponsibility for our actions. In college who cared if you got up and went potty during a lecture? You're an adult.
Companies that are too ironfisted hurt themselves because the employees will resent being treated like children. Employees ARE a resource and cannot be abused. Even during the 1800s slaveowners knew this. While slavery was/is wrong, abuse of slaves was a rare thing. They were property or equipment and they didn't perform well if mistreated. Sure slavery was mistreatment in and of itself, but that's not the point -- the point is you don't beat your tractor when it stops running because YOU didn't change the oil or put in the gas. You took care of it.
Take care of your employees now. Treat them like adults and they will be far more productive for you.
posted on March 14, 2002 10:15:51 AM new
I forgot to state the obvious -- you have to HIRE adults in the first place.
Seriously, you have to make sure you're hiring good people, but then not be a slave driver. There are those who take advantage and those you weed out. But you don't punish everyone for the sake a few bad apples.
posted on March 14, 2002 11:05:52 AM new
If you give them the ability to do what they want, I think most will do a good job. The problem is most. Some will not do anything. Maybe they would have other ways to goof off. I think it is easier to goof off using the computer, because it sort of looks like you are working, as opposed to reading a magazine or listening to music. It is also a lot easier to control that behavior.
In a perfect world people would be reasonable using the computer for non work purposes, but I have witnessed where people basically stop doing their job, and spend their work time online.
posted on March 14, 2002 11:25:12 AM new
At work I get occasionally get blocked by the Sonic Firewall. Fortunately, ebay is not on the list. When I do need to get to a site that's blocked, some shareware sites are, I just go to one of the translation sites like http://babelfish.altavista.com/ and tell it to translate Japanese or German to English. It leaves the page alone because it's not Japanese or German and sends it along.
