Maximise/Minimise - how do you read ILX at work?

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Those who aren't supposed to be browsing messageboards at work - how do you stop getting caught?

I tend to make the ILE window exactly the same size as the "Preview Pane" in Outlook, so it just looks like I'm reading an email. Any other tricks?

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:38 (nineteen years ago) link

Making the programs on the taskbar really small is good too.

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:38 (nineteen years ago) link

i dont give a shit even with all my ilx reading I have still probly done more work than most

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:45 (nineteen years ago) link

anytime I was in a job where I could read it I just read it brazenly.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:46 (nineteen years ago) link

The best trick is to learn how not to care about getting caught.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:47 (nineteen years ago) link

otm.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:47 (nineteen years ago) link

i always have something i'm working on maximised in the background and the ILX window minimised over that - i use a large resolution so there's plenty of space for manouvre

i need a new font tho - getting tired of Helvetica Rounded Bold because the anti-alias is quite poor on actual message text

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:47 (nineteen years ago) link

refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh refresh

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:48 (nineteen years ago) link

otm

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah, I use the Outlook trick also.

― St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:49 (nineteen years ago) link

more important to me is minimizing instant messaging

― cutty (mcutt), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:52 (nineteen years ago) link

TABBED BLOODY BROWSING of course. duh

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:56 (nineteen years ago) link

uh, i still use IE at work

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Friday, 6 August 2004 12:58 (nineteen years ago) link

the outlook trick is good. otherwise i just alt+tab for all i'm worth.

― pete b. (pete b.), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:00 (nineteen years ago) link

outlook trick = GENIUS

also, i used to browse in a text only browser since it looks like i am working on the unix servers

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:01 (nineteen years ago) link

Alan, what is tabbed browsing? How does it differ from the taskbar on the bottom on a windows machine?

No-one knows what ILX is, so unless there are some dumb-ass pics on the screen as my boss walks by, I'm fine.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:06 (nineteen years ago) link

YEs, the pics are the only prob. This is where the scroll wheel comes in handy.

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:07 (nineteen years ago) link

ihttp://images.linspire.com/tabbed_browsing.jpg

tabs

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:09 (nineteen years ago) link

ooh, the outlook thing really is hella good isn't it? No more alt + tab for me

― Porkpie (porkpie), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:11 (nineteen years ago) link

In sum -- get your desk set up so you face the cubicle (in this case a largish shared cubicle) entrance. Ergo, nobody can sneak up behind you.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:13 (nineteen years ago) link

Alan, what is tabbed browsing? How does it differ from the taskbar on the bottom on a windows machine?

It's difficult to explain why it's better than standard the taskbar tray until you start using it. The different pages are more easily accessible and readable when they're up there. Plus you get more control over opening new links in them (choosing to open a link in a new tab but not immediately view it, for example).

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:16 (nineteen years ago) link

but you can only do it with Firefox right?

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:18 (nineteen years ago) link

When I walk unannounced into any co-worker's office there's the quick scramble to click an appropriate window. It looks so stupid and it is so obvious that you're doing something other than work. Even my boss does this, and he doesn't even have a boss.

― mcd (mcd), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:19 (nineteen years ago) link

You can do it (tabbed browsing) w/Opera as well.

― Pashmina (Pashmina), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:20 (nineteen years ago) link

Problem is the desks in my office are set out in a row - like this:
> < < > < where the fourth one along is mine. The third one is only inhabited one day a week. So basically, apart from people walking around, only the first desk can see me.

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:20 (nineteen years ago) link

cf RFI: Management

― ENRG, Friday, 6 August 2004 13:21 (nineteen years ago) link

I've only used it on Safari, but yes, I think pretty much anything but IE and Netscape.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:25 (nineteen years ago) link

I think Netscape 7 has tabs

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:26 (nineteen years ago) link

I've just become a convert to the Outlook trick.

― Jordan (Jordan), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:28 (nineteen years ago) link

use ghostzilla

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:30 (nineteen years ago) link

who uses IE anymore?

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:31 (nineteen years ago) link

Hmm, I tried it once - it took up more of the screen than just using the taskbar. I'm sure it's at least as handy - I'll give it another go.

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:33 (nineteen years ago) link

― dog latin (dog latin), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:38 (nineteen years ago) link

yeah at work we still use IE

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:39 (nineteen years ago) link

Alt-tab usually, but then again my boss knows that every time I go to his desk I catch him reading about guitars or motorbikes so I don't really give a shit.

A colleague has one of those convex mirrors stuck to the top of his monitor so he knows if anyone's approaching. Possibly an admission of guilt in itself, I suppose.

― Onimo (GerryNemo), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:42 (nineteen years ago) link

the secretary of the computer science department has one of those, she's a nice lady

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:49 (nineteen years ago) link

Yeah, IE is imposed by work.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:52 (nineteen years ago) link

i was only half joking of course - i know EVERYONE still uses IE despite it being out of date, the bugs, the bigger bugs w security holes, the no more development til Longhorn in 2006/7/whenever, the CSS non-compliance, the UGLINESS of font rendering (or maybe that's just PCs generally)

scuse me.

― Jaunty Alan (Alan), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:57 (nineteen years ago) link

if you think PCs have bad font rendering, I invite you to try out Linux!

― Red Panda Sanskrit (ex machina), Friday, 6 August 2004 13:59 (nineteen years ago) link

Yup, I do tabbed browsing as well.

― jaymc (jaymc), Friday, 6 August 2004 14:00 (nineteen years ago) link

honestly though ghostzilla is the best (although the authors have stopped doing it cos of guilt of making people do no work!)

http://www.ghostzilla.com

― ken c (ken c), Friday, 6 August 2004 14:09 (nineteen years ago) link

co-workers are all standing up talking about how great friends was last night or something so yeah whatever

― kephm, Friday, 6 August 2004 14:42 (nineteen years ago) link

I read it maximized coz I don't care.

― MarkH (MarkH), Friday, 6 August 2004 14:42 (nineteen years ago) link

I use a video projector.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 6 August 2004 14:43 (nineteen years ago) link

I read it maximized coz I don't care.

same here

― fcussen (Burger), Friday, 6 August 2004 14:48 (nineteen years ago) link

I have my screenreader software running at the same time.

― Ste (Fuzzy), Friday, 6 August 2004 14:49 (nineteen years ago) link

I read it naked, to create a diversion.

― Porkpie (porkpie), Friday, 6 August 2004 14:50 (nineteen years ago) link

a diversion where??!

― the neurotic awakening of s (blueski), Friday, 6 August 2004 15:04 (nineteen years ago) link

co-workers are all standing up talking about how great friends was last night or something so yeah whatever
-- kephm (keph...), August 6th, 2004.

exactly!!!!

― ENRG, Friday, 6 August 2004 15:12 (nineteen years ago) link

There's no one looking over me at work, as my desk is tucked away in the corner, but I just always get the impression that IT know exactly what are you looking at - and I dunno I feel kinda GUILTY. I've resisted the temptation to post to ILX from work for over a year now, but I do seem to read Freaky Trigger a lot, but there is less likely to be some post about anal sex and kittens there.

― jel -- (jel), Friday, 6 August 2004 15:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Best trick -- I use lynx via a terminal!

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Friday, 6 August 2004 15:21 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't understand what that means, Spencer. Can you explain?

― Markelby (Mark C), Friday, 6 August 2004 15:38 (nineteen years ago) link

Fortunately from a certain distance the ILX page looks like a word document, almost, at least until I forget to hide images and I get a photo of Method Man's head atop a naked Shannon Elizabeth's body or some such visual abortion.

― Gear! (Gear!), Friday, 6 August 2004 16:56 (nineteen years ago) link

Oh man. I thought i was getting away with my ILX-cruisin'; just now my boss told me I could do with looking at the internet less and doing more work. :/ I need this ghostilla shit.

― Homosexual II (Homosexual II), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:36 (nineteen years ago) link

Or just get that job that gives you more cash and less hassle!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:37 (nineteen years ago) link

That happened on a fairly regular basis (every couple of months) at my last job. It sucked. I would get all flustered and mutter a lot.

― St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:38 (nineteen years ago) link

The Outlook-sized window is EXACTLY what I do -- kind of heartening to think of an international community of temps & cubicle-slaves doing the same thing. Had some near-misses thanks to noise-dude postings of humungous, eye-gouging strings of multiple images.

― briania (briania), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:43 (nineteen years ago) link

TURN YOUR PICTURES OFF, PEOPLE! YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN FEAR!

― St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:45 (nineteen years ago) link

Also, I cannot resort to the outlook trick as we use lotus notes here at work

― Homosexual II (Homosexual II), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:52 (nineteen years ago) link

just now my boss told me I could do with looking at the internet less and doing more work. :/ I need this ghostilla shit.

I love how right afterwards you get on the internet and tell everyone about it.

― oops (Oops), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:57 (nineteen years ago) link

It's like falling off a horse.

― St. Nicholas (Nick A.), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:58 (nineteen years ago) link

Okay I just tried this on lotus notes and it still looks all weird-like to me.

― Homosexual II (Homosexual II), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:59 (nineteen years ago) link

i dont give a shit even with all my ilx reading I have still probly done more work than most
-- Ste (ste.foste...) (webmail), August 6th, 2004 6:45 AM. (Fuzzy) (link)

OTMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

― dean? (deangulberry), Friday, 6 August 2004 18:59 (nineteen years ago) link

would someone take a screen shot of this alleged outlook express trick and post it here pls okay thx

― Homosexual II (Homosexual II), Friday, 6 August 2004 19:00 (nineteen years ago) link

ilx is so unassuming in its layout i never really worry about people reading my pc.. and obv alt-tab in case of emergencies.

― bill stevens (bscrubbins), Friday, 6 August 2004 19:01 (nineteen years ago) link

Yes... but tabbing in firefox is easiest, esp. if you maximise the window (F3) and ctrl + tab to a different and pre-selected 'legitimate and safe' screen, with the 'hide tabs' option turned on. All the boss'll see at ctrl + tab is a gigantic and-work safe page, not even the shit you've got running in the taskbar.

― x j e r e m y (x Jeremy), Friday, 6 August 2004 19:03 (nineteen years ago) link

five years pass...

Updates please

I haven't made the jump to using ILX at a my new job, but I know if I do it once I'll never go back. The problem is that the govt. keeps tabs on everything you do on their computers so I'm afraid that if I go onto ILX they'll have my login info and realize that I'm secretly an internet weirdo. Not that I'm currently in an important enough position that anyone would think of checking in on what I'm doing on the computer, but it sucks that the info is always there for the future.

― Tom Pagnozzi (Z S), Saturday, 22 August 2009 01:07 (fourteen years ago) link

Main reason I'm on ILX in the first place is cos of the colour scheme, doesn't obviously look like yr surfin' the web.

I know I'm not fooling anyone on my team at work, bloke I sit next to's already made comments about "Site new answers".

― someone who is ranked fairly highly in an army of poo (Colonel Poo), Saturday, 22 August 2009 01:14 (fourteen years ago) link

One bad habit I have to break is minimizing the browser whenever I hear someone walking by, regardless of what site I'm at. NYT, weather channel, TPM, wikipedia...it doesn't matter, when I hear the footsteps coming I instinctively minimize it, and up pops the Excel spreadsheet. Eventually they're going to catch on because no one earth can stare at an excel sheet all day.

― Tom Pagnozzi (Z S), Saturday, 22 August 2009 01:22 (fourteen years ago) link

LOL I do that all fucking day long. I know people see me do it as well, I just can't help myself at this point.

― someone who is ranked fairly highly in an army of poo (Colonel Poo), Saturday, 22 August 2009 01:22 (fourteen years ago) link

from now on, I'm never minimizing a window again!

― Tom Pagnozzi (Z S), Saturday, 22 August 2009 01:24 (fourteen years ago) link

I'm letting it all hang out. That's right people walking by - I'm on the internet, and I don't care who sees me do it. Deal with it.

Leif.

― Tom Pagnozzi (Z S), Saturday, 22 August 2009 01:25 (fourteen years ago) link

Cell phone browsing. Work blocks ILX anyway, and even if they didn't they still record who looks at what and stuff.

― StanM, Saturday, 22 August 2009 04:24 (fourteen years ago) link

Set up a proxy on your home computer while your at work :).

― svend, Saturday, 22 August 2009 04:39 (fourteen years ago) link

Nah. I'm there to work. Imagine you hire a couple of guys to paint your house and they read the newspaper half the time they're there, would you just accept that?

― StanM, Saturday, 22 August 2009 05:20 (fourteen years ago) link

I'd be too busy reading ILX at work to know they were slacking off...

― Bill A, Saturday, 22 August 2009 09:19 (fourteen years ago) link

FYI, minimizing a window as someone approaches is the most obvious "Oops, I've been caught fucking around" move ever!

I browse ILX out of a tiny, tiny window at work. The 'Add a Post' field, however, doesn't scale down properly in whatever antiquated version of IE my workplace uses. So I can't see the right side of my posts, which leads to lots of typos and sentences with no flow.

But, yes: ILX is the perfect site to browse at work. I've had conversations with my boss while it was on-screen, no problem.

― Actin' on the moment (spontaneous) (Deric W. Haircare), Saturday, 22 August 2009 12:47 (fourteen years ago) link

yeah except when they quickly glimpse a thread title such as "up the arse corner",

― Great Scott! It's Molecular Man. (Ste), Saturday, 22 August 2009 13:54 (fourteen years ago) link

Or when you're intrigued by this 'Wallogina' thing everyone keeps talking about.

― KEEP CALM+++THRILL FACTOR OVERLOAD+++KEEP CALM (Deric W. Haircare), Saturday, 22 August 2009 14:01 (fourteen years ago) link

being in a two person office with my boss working from home most of the time = wahey. Good thing, as five years on from this thread's celebration of tabbed browsing I still can't do it, so antiquated is the version of IE I'm stuck with. I do end up doing the obviously highly suspicious reflex alt-tab or minimize whenever anyone else on the floor pops in. Like, not only do you not care, but you don't have the slightest bit of power over me, so what am I doing, making it look like I'm looking at pictures of Method Man's head on Shannon Elizabeth's body when I'm really just involved in some innocent Wallogina action?

I do worry that I'll eventually get a note from IT saying "dude, you're on the net every minute you're in the office, stop it", though.

― Akon/Family (Merdeyeux), Saturday, 22 August 2009 14:18 (fourteen years ago) link

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