Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Now Comment Enabled. I Dare Ya.

After two years with my fancy-schmancy inline comments showing right below the post, I officially threw in the cyber-towel and reverted back to the old click-here-to-get-to-the-comments-first option. I’m a big fan of being unique…but not at the expense of losing precious comments. Now if I can just figure out why no-one’s avatar is showing, I’ll be golden.

Meanwhile, I'd mentioned that I’m now doing social media for our local Toyota. They were using an outside company before this…and they weren’t doing a very good social-job. I am so, so much better. Now I am their in-house social media, which means I get to cruise online all day. Suh-weet.

There is one major issue, though. This issue has become MORTAL ENEMY #1…the absolute bane of my existence. It’s called WEBSENSE. This is corporate America’s answer to blocking all employees from anything even remotely social…no poking, tweeting or streaming video allowed.

Or evidently, philanthropy….as I recently discovered whilst following a link from Toyota’s Twitter page:

Huh.

Then I attempted to link up with YouTube:

Wow.

So, I figured I’d head back to Twitter:


Ouch. Okaaay…this is annoying. I’ll stick with the basics and log into FaceBook:


Yikes. Seriously?? This WEBSENSE is starting to tick me off! Well, at least I can still review our own website:



At this point, I’d had enough. It seemed that as fast as I could get I.T. to UNBLOCK them, they’d BLOCK again. It was maddening…it was obnoxious…it HAD TO GO. So, I sent a text to my boss, who was at a conference:

Kathryn: “I CAN’T STAND IT ANYMORE. UNBLOCK ME. I CAN’T DO MY JOB.”

ToyotaBoss: “Who is this?”

Kathryn: “Oops. Sorry…it’s Kathryn. Bad day. UNBLOCK.”

ToyotaBoss: “JK. I know who this is. Why are you shouting? It won’t help.”

Kathryn: “UNBLOCK. UNBLock. Unblock.”

ToyotaBoss: “Okay.”

Then it got eerily quiet. I continually refreshed my email and kept glaring at the monitor, mentally composing a snarky email to I.T.-one where I’d tell them where they could stick their WEBSENSE:

Dear IT:
I hate you. You suck. You’re dead to me.
Kind regards,
Kathryn/Director of Social Media

Several hours later a guy in dusty work clothes, carrying a metal ladder and the biggest roll of Ethernet cable I’ve ever seen...knocked on my office door. Dave proceeded to set up the ladder and then climbed into the ceiling…and when he finally resurfaced, he brought back with him wild tales of dead rodents, exposed rusty nails and the news I had fervently hoped for: a new, (UNBLOCKED) internet connection! I whooped with joy and texted this message to ToyotaBoss:

Kathryn: “I have internet! Dave is my hero! I’d marry him if he wasn’t already married. Whee!”

Several hours later, I’d bookmarked a dozen sites and was happily viewing that previously-blocked video on Toyota’s Facebook page. That’s when it dawned on me that I hadn’t seen any emails come through in a while.

Uh-oh

Gigi said...

HOT DAMN! It appears she IS back! *smiling crazily*

Yup, WebSense and the over-kill of IT departments everywhere are the bane of my existence as well (must be that twin thing).

Gigi said...

OH!!! I was so excited that you were back, I forgot to mention....

Could you come be our in-house Social Media Director, please??? Pretty please?

We have an outside PR firm now and OBVIOUSLY they do not understand it AT ALL!

Cathy Olliffe-Webster said...

I CAN COMMENT! I Can Comment! I can comment!!! No, wait a minute. This does deserve all-caps.
I CAN COMMENT!!!!!
Well Kathryn, that was just hilarious. Stupid Websense. What the heck is the internet for if you can't check twitter?

kathryn said...

Gigi:Ha! You're too funny. You know all about my rant with this WEBSENSE...you'd heard it first-hand. Man...it is the most annoying thing ever. And you know I'd be there in a NY minute. What's one more move?? (Groaning and smiling at the same time)

kathryn said...

Cathy Webster (Olliffe): Oh, YAY!! (Caps ON)I'm so glad to see you, sweetie! I'm sorry you had so much trouble trying to comment. You know I appreciate your enduring this for so long. I should have bagged it a long time ago. I kept thinking it would fix itself. (What?? That usually works.)

Haven said...

Ahahahaha, I love it. I hate the browser blocks at work. Especially when you need the internet to work! And, really, who doesn't these days?

Carol said...

Happy dance, happy dance. I can give you my opinion on everything again. I know this has been as hard on you as it has on me, but you're back, and I'm happy!

kathryn said...

Haven: I know, right? I'll have you know that I still don't have email. I have to climb under my desk and switch cables half a dozen times a day to download 'em. But I'm still happier...mostly because I've got a 2nd computer on the way. Then everything will be PERFECT.

kathryn said...

Carol: Whee! Believe me...we're dancing together. I am so psyched to see some semblance of "normal"! BTW: Your tweet today cracked me up: "Conference calls are the bane of my existence. Thank God for Skittles." I could practically hear you munching and crunching away!

Slamdunk said...

Glad to hear that you have pull there. I bet they have that email issue resolved quickly--you say jump and they say how high.

Unknown said...

Well, hello, sweetie! So glad you decided to come back! Sad that you had to leave Dragon ... Ric Dragon, and I hope this new Toyota gig works out well. 25 minutes is much better than an hour each way. Yikes!

Anyway, just wanted to pop in and say hello.

Lauren said...

I can write comments again! Yeah... we had something similar when I was in high school. They still had it when I was attempting to teach last year. It's too bad my in class tech-guy graduated... if I knew where he was I'd have sent him to you. Because I have that authority.

Alicia said...

I've not been able to comment when I'm at work...and it wasn't websense. Maybe this will fix that. Hahaha, I love the way you email your boss...you are so me. The other day I told my boss to bite me and he thought it was hilarious! Everyone else looked at me like OMG, what did you just say? :-D

Vince said...

Where the hell are the little nerds in places like Des Moines that are writing code like savants who are only too happy to split such programmes open like a soggy paper bag. I suppose they have gotten too savvy and are waiting the call from some investment banker.

Alan W. Davidson said...

I always think that it's cool when the IT guys disappear above the ceiling tiles to check out their wires. I thought that you were going to say that he found something interesting like the body of Jimmy Hof...

Too bad you can't see the avatar's any more coz I'd just changed mine to a pic of me at the beach wearing nothing but my fez...

Oddyoddyo13 said...

WEBSENSE is the WORST! We have it on our school computers, and it blocks everything, even though we have yet to even attempt Youtube/Facebook/Twitter. Glad you could unblock it!

Kelly@MentalGarbage said...

HAHA So glad on the corporate end they don't block everything like that! I would be lost!! HAHAHA

Spot said...

Super like!! Oh wait. That's Facebook. Still...I SUPER LIKE that you are back and that I can tell you what I think in a comment again, because I'm sure you were dying to know!

Your boss seems nice. And funny. Which is even better than nice.

♥Spot

Alicia said...

And here I am at work, commenting joyfully! Yay! I was wondering; in this new gig you have...do you still have the dual screens that you loved so much? I know you loved tossing open windows to and fro :-)

kathryn said...

Slamdunk: Ha. I wish! Actually, I still don't have email...but it's temporary. I'm evidently receiving a second computer and all my problems will be GONE. (Insert dramatic scizzor-hand-action here.)

Kimberly: Hey, Sweets! Thanks for commenting...and for the lovely well-wishes. I'm trying my darndest to fully return to the land of the living. And for the record, I'm still a Dragon...albeit a part-time, consulting one.

Lauren: I know you have the authority, missy. Did you give this guy permission to graduate?? You may need to re-think this. Actually, one of MY favorite IT guys (okay, my ONLY favorite IT guy) just moved to California. Da nerve! Great to see you!

kathryn said...

Alicia: YES, I DO have the dual screens...and YAY for being able to comment from work! This means the problem is SOLVED. Now I can focus on this profile photo glitch. ('Cause yeah...it's always something.)And kudos for remembering how much I love tossing those windows to and fro...I still keep about 20 open at once!

Vince: I do believe they're too busy banking six figures to bother with the likes of my little blog. I hear of people all the time that are self-taught about code...I barely squeak by...most of it is gibberish to me.

Alan W. Davidson: OHMYGOD. You are SO naughty. You've somehow managed to make me feel guilty and intrigued all at the same time. I'm passing the sunscreen...you're getting a little red there...

kathryn said...

Oddyoddyo13: Hey you! I HAVE MISSED YOU and your wonderful posts and your amazing talent. I am heading over to visit RIGHT NOW.

Kelly@MentalGarbage:You're one lucky girl! It's super-frustrating...and it blocks you at every turn. I am so happy to be rid of it.

Spot: Aw. You're too funny...speaking Facebook-ese, with the likey-likeys. I'm glad too that you can finally comment. Thanks for the feedback on Facebook...and I'm glad it's not hanging over my head anymore!

Unknown said...

I'm commenting - YAY!!! You have UNBLOCKED internet - YAY!!! (That is all - carry on.)

Loredana said...

ok well I just wrote this really long comment only to get "service unavailable" after I clicked 'publish your comment' so....yea, don't even recall 1/2 of what I said, I'm sure it was something like "yo'ure great, welcome back" lollll

sage said...

Getting paid to surf... good! And regular comments, great (I'm not that techy)

Jerry said...

Yep == same story with the confounded WebSense at my office. Congrats on getting around that and getting.....almost full internet.

Christopher said...

I had a job that had that but it let me get like 4 15 minute exceptions a day. I'd open up a crap load of different tabs and make sure I had enough bs to keep my day going out of that.

Full-On-Forward said...

Kathryn--Glad to have you back- Damn- now I'm gonna have to move your butt back up the Blog roll---You are a pain in the butt you know it!

LYMI!!!!

Dang I've missed picking on you!

Glad all is well Young Lady!

John

Anonymous said...

Aha! That sounds like absolute pain!!! I don't know what I'd do if I had to deal with it; probably chuck the keyboard at a far wall -.- At least you were pretty calm about it.

;)
xoxo

Jen said...

Long time no see. I have got to talk to you about this new job of yours. It sounds terrific. Glad you've got your computer issues more under control.

ToBlog today said...

One this is certain, I want you on my side, always. You never give up, and at the end of the day, you succeed! Yay!!

Kristy @Loveandblasphemy said...

My work blocks Facebook. It sucks.

Full-On-Forward said...

She is STILL dissing me!!!!! Such are the Days of my Life!

J

Momiji chan said...

oh dear I hate it when links don't work hahah expecialy the ones you want to go on haha.

Climb2Nowhere said...

Congrats on the Toyota job! That's amazing! You will rock it that's for sure!

Jerry said...

Are you okay? Sorta' miss you.

Lynn said...

hey! having comment issues, but it appears I can comment on yours! Your blog, as usual, is golden. hehe

Shelby said...

I miss you Kathryn. Where've you been? My email has stoppped filling up with your awesome posts. :( <3, Shelby
www.comeallcomewrite.blogspot.com
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www.thefashionistagirls.blogspot.com

Affordable Insurance said...

That sounds like absolute pain!!! I don't know what I'd do if I had to deal with it; probably chuck the keyboard at a far wall.

Unknown said...

:You're one lucky girl! It's super-frustrating...and it blocks you at every turn. I am so happy to be rid of it. desert safari

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