CBS bans hacks from 'inappropriate' sites

HACKS WRITING for CBS news have been blocked from visiting sites that their bosses deem inappropriate.

According to Contactmusic.com, the broadcaster hired some "data security experts" to make sure that its writers could not see sites with sex in the domain name.

According to the data security chief, Phil Oester, it was not to protect its hacks from the shock of seeing a pair of breasts, the sight of which has terrified Americans since Janet Jackson got them out at the Super Bowl.

Oester said that it was important that journalists did a bit of work rather than surf for porn in the middle of the day. Although he didn't indicate why he thought that hacks surfed for porn specifically in the middle of the day.

Obviously, hacks occasionally have to get their hands dirty, he admits. If they need to visit a blocked site, they have to write to the IT department which will bravely risk their eyesight to check out the site in advance.

Even then, if the site is too risqué, the hack could be rebuffed as, "it could offend someone who is walking by your desk and they could end up filing a sexual harassment claim", claimed Oester.

He said that he would also like to block MySpace becauses it was a waste of time, but there is a suggestion CBS gets a lot of its news from that site.

More here. µ