"Meyer says that companies typically start out blocking what filtering firms call the 'sinful six' categories: pornography, gambling, illegal activities, hate sites, tasteless material and violent content. Then, the businesses begin looking at ways to raise productivity.

That was the approach of John Belich, application support specialist at the St. Petersburg, Florida, public library system. After setting up the usual filters on porn and hate sites, Belich used Websense to block employees from using instant messaging or downloading MP3 files -- two activities that wasted time and sapped hard-drive space. The results were visible. " [Wired News]

Sadly, the St. Petersburg Library is officially declared not shifted. So I can't listen to music while I'm at work or use instant messaging to ask questions at the SPPL? They obviously don't understand how IM could help with internal communications. Sad, sad, sad. Et tu, St. Pete?

" 'The reality is, the employee who wants to goof off will goof off regardless,' he said."

Why do so many managers and executives view computer-literate employees who are smart enough to use the internet as slackers? This mentality was very prominent in libraryland when the internet first hit our radar, but now it's become a necessary and integral part of our working lives. Don't you want your employees to be information-literate, too? I understand the goof-offs, but this is a poor attitude to have towards the people that you want to make your organization succeed.