Topic: Well, they've finally blocked access to VGMaps.com at work...

[JonLeung]

...so you're not likely going to see me online during work hours anymore. 

Don't know if it was because I myself was logging on too much, I'd like to think that the list of blocked sites is probably updated from some big shared list that multiple companies use, which would mean that my site has hit the big time, if it's being blocked like other popular gaming web sites like GameFAQs.

But what is odd is that while gaming sites that don't necessarily have games (again, like GameFAQs) are blocked because they are still categorized under "Games", VGMaps.com is instead categorized as "Entertainment".  Seems the people who blocked my site don't understand what it is.  Probably like when I explain what my site is about and people give me a quizzical look.  What is so hard to understand about "video game (screenshot) maps"?

[Revned]

At my work they block personal email like Gmail, but they explicitly unblocked Facebook a few months ago. How does this make sense?

[JonLeung]

You know, it's funny, Facebook was blocked for a while too, but then a few months ago they also unblocked it.  Wonder if it's on the same system.  But then again I'm pretty sure I can still access Hotmail and GMail.

[Maxim]

Stuff gets unblocked if people high up want it. Where I work, there's a blocked category called "online video streaming", and Youtube isn't blocked because everyone wants to watch videos of cats falling over while playing ukeleles.

Setting up an SSH tunnel isn't too hard...

[StarFighters76]

But what is odd is that while gaming sites that don't necessarily have games (again, like GameFAQs) are blocked because they are still categorized under "Games"

GameFAQs also has several forums where people do post some NWS stuff, which could easily be seem inappropriate. Not only that, but certain ads, if you click on them, can lead to other links that leads to porn. This has been a big issue over there, and all one can do is report the ads.

This is just a total guess about it, and shouldn't be taken too seriously.

[JonLeung]

No, my concern is that GameFAQs falls under the category of "Games", and I feel that VGMaps should as well.

[Maxim]

I really think you shouldn't worry about that. Most likely, it's some guy in India whose English is not great, with little or no cultural understanding of videogames, who has to classify >10 sites per minute for below US minimum wage.

Also, all the obnoxious poker spam might have contributed...