101 things about me

Tuesday 17 July 2007

Aye aye aye!

First it started with my company blocking gmail. It was a bitter blow. This was my only contact with the outside world in an otherwise long long day of work drudgery. I was unhappy with my quarantine. And then, as luck (and a tech savvy friend) would have it, we found a way around the block and secretly accessed our mail. There was elation, celebration and then (as our secret was discovered) commiseration.

I contacted tech and was given the usual 'company policy' line. There were no opportunities for negotiation. Believe me I tried. I even tried to defend it's use with work as my excuse. Alas the power hungry tech gods were unbending in their control.

I get it. Really I do. They don't want people using personal emails, tapping away the hours to family and long lost friends on work time. Emails can take up a lot of time to the detriment of work. I get it. And all this would be fine... but why then can yahoo, hotmail and messenger still be accessed. Where is the sense in that?

So in the end I gave up. Well sort of. I got myself a yahoo account and set up my gmail to forward all emails. At least then I could read my emails during the day and respond if I so inclined. NOW however, I can't seem to open my yahoo mail.

1 comment:

Wanderer said...

A company where I used to work (which shall remain nameless) stopped access to certain websites, webmail, online banking sites etc. in an ill-conceived attempt to "increase productivity" but I kicked up a stink and mentioned my productivity would actually decrease If I had to take my full lunch break in order to physically get to the bank instead of spending 5 minutes tops at my desk.

So access in my training room was restored to appease me. Needless to say I had many visitors pop in throughout the day for a chat "...and while I'm here could I pop onto one of your computers to pay a bill..."

It seems people who "rise" to management all went to the same school of paranoia and inane logic.

Are we rebels with a cause?