MetaChat - How do I circumvent my employer's filtering to get Metachat?

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16 November 2006

How do I circumvent my employer's filtering to get Metachat? →[More:]When I try to access Metachat at work, Websense tells me that all "chat" links are filtered. I think they have IRC-type things in mind but I'm not sure.

I also tried the Bloglines feed and it still wouldn't let me through.

So how do I get around these people? Any ideas?

post by: jason's_planet at: 22:12 | 9 comments

GET BACK TO WORK!!!

posted by Doohickie 16 November | 22:20

one word: shotgun.

posted by jonmc 16 November | 22:21

If you are running windows at work and home you can setup remote desktop at home and log into your home computer from work and browse on your machine at home. No one will know anything about what you are doing from the home machine.

Only thing is you will need to be able to install the MS RDP client on your work machine. Not a big deal unless the have locked you out of any installs.

posted by arse_hat 16 November | 22:23

The answer to this question will depend on a large number of factors, such as the level of administrative access that you have to your desktop PC and the design of the network (including what ports are blocked, what content is filtered, and so on.) It could be as simple as finding and using an open HTTP proxy, or perhaps installing Tor, or it could be as elaborate as setting up a ssh tunnel to somewhere; in some cases none of the above will work, it all depends.

posted by Rhomboid 16 November | 22:26

You used to be able to use Google to translate a site from English to English and get around some blocks this way. Not sure if you still can, but it might be a starting point.

posted by dg 16 November | 22:57

Dg's right. Sort of. Get it to translate from any language to English. I used Spanish.

aqui

It's a bit slow, but it works for me.

posted by GeckoDundee 16 November | 23:20

Ok, I'm wrong. Dg is completely right. Tranlating from Spanish gives a bit of Spanish and a bit of Spanglish along with the English. Translating from English to English isn't an option in the interface, but
this
seems to be the URL.

posted by GeckoDundee 16 November | 23:24

I once worked for an outfit that used SmartFilter. It blocked access to decisions from Westlaw because of the Roman numerals in the citation.

posted by mlis 16 November | 23:37

You used to be able to use Google to translate a site from English to English and get around some blocks this way. Not sure if you still can, but it might be a starting point.

This seems like the only solution that's actually in line with my technical skills (and non-felonious). I appreciate all suggestions but half the terms you guys were using flew right over my head.

I think I'll use Google Translate's bizarro-ingles in the rest of my life. That would be cool. "I AM FEELING PETULANT. YAY STINKY!"

posted by jason's_planet 17 November | 21:19

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