My company allows staff to use the net for private purposes so long as we restrict it to breaks. I think that's fair enough and check into Mudcat for a short while during the day.

I agree that there are other ways to be unproductive. I work with a group of people who probably spend about two hours a day, every day, in non work related chat. Problem is that it is done very blatantly - chairs turned away from desks and obviously just relaxing and gossiping. Problem is that one of our number just retired and I've been off for six weeks following an operation and they are now complaining about work loads. Our MD, who obviously was, or had been made aware of their long breaks, has now refused to give them overtime! The situation won't get much better in short term as I will be back to work for three weeks and then off for at least a further six weeks for another op. and then go on secondment for three months. Maybe by the time I get back they'll be a little less unproductive!