Are you allowed to use the internet for reference at work?

At your work are you allowed to google for help, MSDN, forums, other sites etc for help in with your coding.

For example i have been coding on and off for a while at home but i still would be lost without the net for a quick reference as i never make a point of memorizing code, i know the basics as you say, but i totally rely on the internet for reference, i do a fair bit of cut and paste for exmaple.

This is not just for coding, network admin, systems admin, coder etc... all areas.

So i have a job interview for a general IT position which will have some coding in it, now for exmaple i could probably develop any appliactions i was required too as long as i could get online for some reference, code exmaples etc.. if not i would find myself out of a job pretty quickly.

Both of my programming jobs expect me to know how to look things up online to help me with my projects, it's a top priority for them to have internet access to us (the developers).

I don't think you'll every find a job that says you cannot use the internet as a resource. No programmer knows everything and it is a helluva lot cheaper for them to allow you to use the internet than to buy you a couple douzen books to help you accomplish your task.

I agree with what others have said in that pretty much any company will let you use the internet to help you get something done but in an interview situation they will expect you to at least know some things without having to look them up. Obviously the more you know the better so I would say instead of relying totally on the internet you should make an effort to learn things as well as just copy and paste

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Originally Posted by kfcSmitty

I don't think you'll every find a job that says you cannot use the internet as a resource. No programmer knows everything and it is a helluva lot cheaper for them to allow you to use the internet than to buy you a couple douzen books to help you accomplish your task.

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I agree with the sentiment, but not the fact. I believe that there are seriously dumb companies out there. Interestingly, some studies have recently shown that people who do a moderate amount of web surfing at work, are actually more productive.

I work for the (second) biggest mobile network in the world and I don't even have access to our external website!

So no not everyone has web access. The annoying thing is it would make my job ten times easier but alas that just the way it is!

Hey,

I have full access to the internet from my office. The only restriction that came in was when someone got the Koobface virus on their PC after looking at FaceBook, so FaceBook got banned.

Gary

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Originally Posted by DeanMc

I work for the (second) biggest mobile network in the world and I don't even have access to our external website!

So no not everyone has web access. The annoying thing is it would make my job ten times easier but alas that just the way it is!

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So does my wife (work for that co as well) and she has access and a 3g Dongle to take home with the laptop they provide her. have you asked for internet access? she is also being sent on a VBA course later this week seem strange as she works with SAS, another feather!!

I have access as i am a lone ranger in that i don't have a team of people to help me with coding or other stuff that i am required to do. I would be lost without it.

I would expect they would only test your basic skills of logic, syntax and how to read an object model perhaps. if the job is not 100% coding then i don't think it will be too much. what are the other aspects of the role ?

thanks

David

For me, it's also a requirement. My last two companies I worked for had it locked out though and it was a real pain in the rear to get anything accomplished as a developer.

At the first place (one of the Big-3 American Automakers), I probably could have cut months off my development time and saved them tens of thousands of dollars if I could just look up VB6 problems online that day. Instead, I'd scrounge through the local help and pound my head against my keyboard for 6 hours straight trying to figure out some stupid problem in my code or how something worked. Finally, it would be time to quit, I'd go home, look it up, and FIVE MINUTES LATER, I had the answer I needed and wouldn't have had to spend those 6 wasted hours hitting dead ends.

After a few months of it, I stopped trying and just twiddled my thumbs and looked busy until I could get home and get the resources I needed. I even tried to get access just for myself as a VB developer but corporate IT wouldn't have any of it. "Against policy".

That's half of programming these days. Need a function? Search. Found it. Modify it. Done. Can't find it? Keep researching. Post on a forum.

I don't like MSDN installed locally either, so the Internet is my lifeline. Besides, if there were no Internet at work, how would we check failblog and thisisphotobomb and flickr? :D

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Originally Posted by mendhak

I don't like MSDN installed locally either

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I actually find it quicker to search MSDN online, rather than firing up the local copy, especially when you use it in conjunction with the Google Chrome Search Engine, and Google's "I'm Feeling Lucky" search.

Gary

Yes Yes Yes!!!

I wouldn't work anywhere where they would restrict it.