Now owned by Internet giant Google, YouTube was first developed by three employees of the e-commerce site Paypal in 2005. http://www.youtube.com/t/about Since then, it has come to be known as one of the most popular websites to date. With YouTube's user generated content, it's not uncommon that access to the site is restricted by computers at businesses and schools. However, even when businesses use restrictions such as firewalls or monitoring systems, where there's a will, there's always a way. If you are looking for a way to entertain yourself with a few funny videos on your breaks or downtime, this guide will show you how to get on YouTube at work.

Remember, many companies have policies regarding the use of company Internet access for personal use. Before accessing sites such as YouTube from your work computer, be sure to understand what the guidelines are for your company, and what the consequences may be if you were to be found violating those policies. If you are not able to locate a written set of guidelines, be sure to inquire with your human resources department to clarify the policy. Also there may be alternative ways to enjoy YouTube at work, without risking disciplinary actions. Mobile smartphones and computers can provide another method of accessing YouTube while at work.http://www.google.com/mobile/youtube/

Prior to accessing restricted websites from a work computer, it is always wise to review your company's policy that refers to Internet and computer access for personal use. While some employers feel that allowing employees access to personal or social websites can be a morale boost. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/shocking_news_scientists_say_workplace_social_netw.php

Due to the demands of many jobs, employers may view allowing their employees a few moments of free time to check email or browse the web as a positive benefit and actually increase productivity. While others may view this as a productivity hindrance. Therefore companies may have policies in place to inform employees of the possible consequences for these violations.

In addition to enforcing policies and setting restrictions, employers may also have firewalls installed or other security measures such as monitoring services that allow them to view the activity of all the terminals within their network.http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/3541533/Most-employers-monitor-internet-access-at-work.html

If your employer does not have restrictions for Internet browsing while on the clock, be certain to exercise caution when viewing videos. If a co-worker becomes offended by your browsing activities or by the content that you are viewing, they may file a complaint. Be sure to use tact and avoid inappropriate subjects when in the company of others.

To deter employees from using company computers to access restricted or inappropriate content, your employer may be utilizing a firewall. When a company installs a firewall, they are creating a barrier between the computer and the intended website.http://www.howstuffworks.com/firewall.htm In addition to compiling lists of websites and restricting them, firewalls can also be customized to restrict specific keywords. If your company uses this type of security measure, you may consider using a proxy website.

A proxy provides a gateway to navigate from a “stealth” URL to the original website.http://proxy.org/ Not only does the use of a proxy provide a portal to the restricted website, it also provides a mask that essentially hides to computer's browsing history. To use a proxy site, simply visit any one of the many that are available online. Most are free to use and offer the same result. When using a proxy, the URL that belongs to the proxy, will be the only URL that is seen. Once there, simply enter the URL of the site you wish to visit such as www.youtube.com. You'll see that while you are redirected to the YouTube website, the URL being visited will remain consistent with the proxy's original URL.

Companies may have implemented other security measures to restrict and monitor the browsing habits of their employees. System administrators have access to each terminal within a network, and have monitoring techniques that can report the terminals activity. In cases such as this, the URL they are seeing, is the proxy URL, rather than the intended site URL. An alternative monitoring method is keystroke monitoring.http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs7-work.htm This allows the administrator to see every action and prompt that the terminal has been given, instead of just the browsing history. In other words, they can determine what has been typed as a command and what actions they result in.

If you do not have access to a computer or the Internet, you can still visit YouTube from a data enabled smartphone. Devices such as the Blackberry, Iphone, Ipod touch, and Google Android phones have applications that users can download to view YouTube content. While Android and Apple platforms have a preloaded app, Nokia and Windows Mobile phones can also receive YouTube content by visiting m.youtube.com.http://www.google.com/mobile/youtube/

For Blackberry users, you can either visit YouTube from your mobile browser, or download the XENOZU YouTube Player. The app can be downloaded from the Blackberry App World at no cost. http://appworld.blackberry.com/webstore/content/1486

Apple Iphone and Ipod Touch users also have access to a YouTube application. With this app users can view videos and share them with friends. You can search for videos and bookmark those you like. http://www.apple.com/ipodtouch/features/youtube.html

Lastly, if you have access to a wifi connection while at work, you could utilize your own laptop computer to view content and YouTube videos without risking detection and possible disciplinary actions.