Why I need the Internet at Work (spun off Fave Tech Writing websites)

["Maggie Secara" <maggiros -at- hotmail -dot- com>]

Yeah, ok, so I got a job.  It's a short contract, underpaid, sitting at an 
ergonomically-unsound table in the *machine room* fer godssake, but it has 
promise--essentially contract-to-hire with the consulting group, which seems 
to offer the best parts of a straight job (long term relative stability) and 
contracting (variety and a high hourly wage).

On Wednesday, I finally got my own personal login ID, and it has the oddest 
Internet restrictions.  I can get to the client's website, and the 
consultants', and even the agency that got me the job.  I can get to and use 
Techwr-L.  I can open (this is too silly) Monster.com but not Dice. (!?) I 
spent parts of today experimenting with URLs I could remember off hand to 
see which ones opened politely and which popped up a big yellow stop sign 
saying that site is not for me. Why DO I need net access?

This morning I asked my manager about this.  Rather, I told him what I 
believed at the time--that I had no Web access at all except the client's 
home page.  It's a big law firm and has some interesting things to look at, 
and it also has links to the big wide World outside, including google and 
yahoo.  Links that don't work for me.  My manager said he thought that was 
by design.  Oh right.  I'm just the writer.  I'm lucky I have a computer.

Yeah, I'm on contract, and I'm not there to surf medieval costume sites.  
Fine.  And I can move Techwr-L and Word-PC subscriptions to the office, 
which as of Monday I will have done.  But this is ridiculous! I can't even 
do a keyword search.  I just get the same big stop sign!

I need a non-confrontational argument that will get me simple ordinary 
access in such a way that it sounds like it's in THEIR interest, not just 
mine.  Any ideas?

Maggie Secara