Sunday, September 19, 2010

A Warning

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I planned to post something entirely different for today - but here it goes. Check back in tomorrow for what I was originally going to write about today: physical movement and writing.

Today's topic is part rant and part warning for my followers, those whose blogs I follow, and those who may randomly come across this post when searching for a related topic.

It happened again today when I clicked on a link in my reader to go to one of the blogs I follow. The work computer blocked access to the site. The reason? It was determined that the website belongs to the category of "Social Networking." Oh, no. Of course they don't want us on Facebook or MySpace or Twitter while we're working. I get that. But I got this same message last week two times when I tried to connect to a friend's writing blog. My friend's blog is not at all a "social networking" site. She does a weekly "Word of the Day" piece of writing, she sometimes has guest writers; that's all it is: a writer's website.

What I realized when I went to her website later from home is that it was probably blocked because of the big "Follow me on Twitter" link. But it's just a link to Twitter - it is not Twitter. It's not Facebook. It's not "let's be friends and post all kinds of stuff" here : it's a blog with good writing and resources for writers. Grrr.

One isolated incident. I was going to send my friend an FYI but forgot later. (Sorry, C!)

Today at work I clicked on the website of another writer. Not a friend, but a published writer's blog; and I do remember seeing a little Twitter link last time I was there. Which was about two weeks ago from this very same computer at work. And the name of the writer whose whose blog is now being blocked as a site in the category "social networking"? Margaret Atwood - her Year of the Flood blog. 

photo of Decorative Songbird statue,
Blue Bird
from The Carver's Bench,.



Come to think of  it, I'm not sure that it is the Twitter link that is causing the problem. Although that is still a good suspect. It may also be that Wordpress is the culprit. I think I'll see who else I can find with Wordpress and check it out. But I'm guessing it's the Twitter link. I haven't had any problems with Blogger blogs. So far.

This is even more irritating than the time - on my break - that I tried to get to the website of my new favorite bra, to see what other styles they have. It was blocked as belonging to the category of "Offensive Material and Porn."

Big Brother Is Watching.

We have to be careful of the writers and bra manufacturers.
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