Internet usage policy

[sippo]

Tomorrow we are changing our web filtering to Smoothwall from websense. Currently members of staff are not allowed access to video sites such as youtube but this is changing.

My question to my fellow comrades, do you have a acceptable web policy of some sort? If so, what sort of things have you got on it?

[bossman]

@sippo:

We Just have an overall AUP which covers everything which the users have to accept when they login for the first time or when ever it is changed thereafter.

Your welcome to a copy of it if you want to PM me.

[johnnybee]

In our case, we never blocked those video sites and all the other social networking sites for that matter. We did this before but it never really helped.

What we did was we just implemented a 'strict' computer and internet usage policy at work. By strict, it means that we constantly monitor them by using a complete time tracking software that records the time they use the computer including the sites they visit and the activities they do. This actually increased our productivity all the more.

The important thing to note is that the implementation of the policy has to be clear enough that everyone will understand it. After all, we all don't really want a lot of work time to go to waste. According to this article, a 2010 Salary.com survey indicates that on average, around 64% of workers waste one hour or less each day at work, while 14% waste 3 or more hours each workday. I think in a way we were already able to minimize this.

[perrymagic]

Wow, interesting article. You'd probably only have to mention Internet access was logged (not even implement it) to cut down on 'wasted time'!