The value of Internet content filtering

All employees can access the internet as a 'perk' of the job. However we are firewalled and have pretty good antivirus and anti-spyware software installed. Today I noticed one particular user had been accessing certain sites (porn, jokes, etc) and this rapidly increased the numbers of 'drive-by' download attempts, cookies, redirections and pop-ups that have been happening. All sites accessed by employees are logged and inappropriate sites will now added to the filter list. We're not bothered about the content or the morals of the employees...we are bothered about clutter on the system and unwanted 'push' sites and base our blocking on 'dubious' use of cookies for tracking or advertising purposes, rather than content.

I guess I can understand the legal liability argument, but the worker productivity argument is, frankly, silly.

Either your people are getting the job done, or not. If they are not, why are they working for you? If they are, what's the problem? People will talk on the phone or at the water cooler or take smoke breaks or something if they don't feel like working.

I used to do this with Novell Proxy services and it is a lot of work to manage and update the filters. I saw no benefit of using it. My methods now are to just log all usage and generate a report. Then I talk to those who abuse the network and ask them to cool it. It is a much simpler method and for those people that log on to order flowers once in a while, who cares. If they can't do it on the web, they will do it via telephone. So it is easier to trust your people and point out any abuses rather than make it so restrictive that nothing works. Low Morale means low productivity.