NSFW

The Not Safe For Work concept has me a little baffled, after thinking about it in-depth on one of my mind-wandering sessions recently.

What makes something NSFW?

Well, the generally-accepted norm is things like porn or nudity or visual content that may offend random passers-by. Many workplaces actively block this, so there's no chance of accessing it by mistake. I have this image of a large red flashing light and siren that goes off in the server room every time someone hits a dodgy site, calling in the equivalent of the IT SWAT team! :-)

But if NSFW is defined as Not Safe For Work - what about other stuff?

Let's say you have to sneak around to look at a YouTube vid, or check your Facebook profile - or even blog. They may not be blocked by the server, but you're not encouraged to visit those sites - you're made to feel guilty for doing so. Which then makes them Not Safe For Work, right?

Keep with me here... there's a lot more that could fall into the category of NSFW. Perhaps it's your sideline after-hours that you're checking in on, or your rest-of-my-life GMail (instead of Official Work Mail Only). Maybe it's a document you're reading that doesn't relate directly to your job description. Anything that may have you furtively checking over your shoulder before opening, because you may be caught! Heck - go ahead and extend it to phonecalls received from your insurer or bank, to personal calls and conversations, to just about anything involved in being a living human being that you need to minimize or end quickly when the boss walks by.

See where I'm going with this one? There's a lot more to NSFW than just NSFW!

But here's the flipside of my thought process. Should there be a NSFW at all? Doesn't that fly in the face of freedom expression that most countries so love to uphold? Or in freedom of information flow? Freedom to choose how you want to live or what you see and experience? Freedom to work as you see fit?

Trouble is, NSFW is implemented - and implemented so thoroughly that it's accepted as the norm. We're cookie-cutter workers in the machine of big business, not daring step outside the boundaries and just Be - without even realizing it. Losing our productivity because we have to sneak to get things done - and sneaking takes time.

Don't believe me? Try it at home and see whether you feel as guilty as you would at work doing whatever it is that's NSFW in your office.

See? Big difference. Now tell me why you'd want to spend your entire life like that.

(yes, this was blogged sneakily over a good few hours)