NASA Langley Research Center Blocks Employee Access to Internet Audio and Video

Editor’s note: In recent years NASA has made a substantial improvement in its PAO websites- the most notable being those at NASA HQ and NASA JPL. An example can be found at this page on the preparations for the upcoming EVA on the ISS. Included in the links are MP3 files with audio. One audio file was also posted on SpaceRef yesterday.

Much to my surprise, I got this email from someone@larc.nasa.gov today. Of course, you don’t want people sitting at their desks wasting time. But when an agency goes to the extent NASA has gone to be state of the art in terms of its web presence for the rest of the world it seems silly that it denies the same access options to its own workforce.

“For what it is worth, at least at LaRC, the recently implemented blocking software restricts access to MP3 files. See the attached intranet message and blocked URL message. Would you mind adding an additional format, such as WAV that at least many might be able to listen to?”