Do you guys know of any website blocking software?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=121867

by jamongkad • 18 years ago

5 17 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Hi guys like the title says do you gents know of any website blocking software to prevent employees from wasting time surfing popular sites like myspace , facebook and the like? thanks a bunch!

dkokelley3• 18 years ago

Just install a logging program in your router and post the logs in a public place. That way, your employees will have to own up to any wasted time instead of find ways to circumvent it. It's also a good accountability program for your employees.

This idea just came to mind. Do you guys think something like this would work?

As far as your original question goes, I don't know of anything off the top of my head, but you could always get a sort of parental guardian box the plugs in between your router and your internet connection. Those usually have a block by site function built into them, as well as password protecting certain sites (you know, if you want to bypass your own security to get to HN or whatever).

BrandonM• 18 years ago

It's a reasonable idea, but I don't know if "public" is the best approach. Unless you meant "internally-public", in which case I think it's a pretty good idea.

Unfortunately, in most cases it is not simply employee laziness that drives people to waste time online, but a dull, non-challenging task which could be completed in an hour or two if it did not mean simply receiving additional work with no real benefit. In other words, I feel like the situations where it would be necessary would almost always be the same situations where the employee is actually acting rationally.

dkokelley3• 18 years ago

Yeah I meant internally public. You can't have outsiders (competitors) knowing what your employee's surfing habits are. They could have certain projects compromised.

Of course if your employees are visiting these sites out of sheer boredom, then there's another issue taking place. If the management (don't know how large this company is) is good enough, they could watch the trends in their employee's surfing and turn it into a time to learn why they're spending so much time on non-work related sites, and hopefully provide them with more meaningful and efficient work.

immad• 18 years ago

I am not a fan. It makes people feel like kids having there surfing habits posted. Would be better to make them feel empowered and responsible for their work. Though I guess thats not always possible...

dkokelley3• 18 years ago

Well, as opposed to a website blocker, I thought it would be a step above. You're not restricting their actions explicitly, they just have a peer pressure style of accountability. Of course it could backfire and turn into a "Who can spend the most time on myspace this week" contest.

Oh, it looks like Dave (name picked at random) is the winner with 12 entire hours! Way to go, Dave!

Still, I thought it was an interesting alternative to actual site-blocking.

theoneill• 18 years ago

YC's own http://8aweek.com

jamongkad3• 18 years ago

Actually I just installed one on my browser the other day. But I want something that I could help me keep logs of their browsing so come review time I have something that could keep them on their toes.

garbowza2• 18 years ago

We're working on a corporate version of 8aweek.

garbowza2• 18 years ago

Btw, we'd love to chat more with you about this. Please email zack@8aweek.com

pmb• 18 years ago

Trust your employees to act like adults.

jamongkad3• 18 years ago

I wish it were that simple friend.

almost• 18 years ago

It is that simple. If you can't do that then you've got more problems then a few people surfing some websites.

noonespecial• 18 years ago

Use a linux box at your gateway, squid and squidguard:

http://www.squidguard.org/

Then use iptables to do a transparent redirect of all outbound web traffic to you squid server:

http://www.squid-cache.org/mail-archive/squid-users/200404/0...

This way you can actually have your employees end up a page of your design that says "Quit wastin' time foo'" whenever they hit a site you've placed on the block list. Mr. T. is optional of course.

rms• 18 years ago

http://www.google.com/search?q=%22start+using+cgiproxy%22

The point of installing blocking software is so you can fire people that circumvent it and go to facebook without your explicit, written permission?

gscott• 18 years ago

If each employee is using Windows on there workstation you could modify the hosts file to redirect the domain to some other address, like your company intranet. They will never figure it out. This is free and dead on easy.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&q=window...

noelchurchill• 18 years ago

Opendns.com does what you want and a lot more.

Do you guys know of any website blocking software?

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