RFD and high internet traffic generation

[braxton]

Our IT guy at work keeps giving me the gears because he claims the redflagdeals site generates extremely high internet traffic on our network. I usually open the page in the morning, browse for 5 mins,, and check the site again 1-2 times over the course of the day. However, the web page remains opened and minimized on the desktop, and he claims it continues to generate high traffic and hits all day long simply by having the page open.
Then he starts mentioning the high number of cookies that his anti-virus software has to block from the site, claiming that rfd has spyware embedded in the page to track people's spending habits etc etc.

Not only is this guy an IT nazi (he loves regularly hassling people at work), but there's times I'm not sure he knows what he's talking about. Case in point above.

Anyone else get into trouble for vistiting rfd at work?
Does rfd really generate that much traffic by just having a page open?

[Ryan]

It shouldn't cause any data transfer if you aren't loading new pages and there isn't any spyware. The guy probably just wants you to do more work or maybe your coworkers are browsing RFD too and he sees that traffic but only knows about you.

[Rehan]

Install ethereal on your computer and prove him wrong.

[hardcoredummy]

Like Rehan said, run ethereal (it's a packet sniffing program), save the log, and send it to him.

However, if you're running thin clients, where the servers are doing the processing and serving the pages to you, then you could possibly be affecting the server. Most likely it's the flash ads (if there are any... i see no ads ).

[neospice]

A lot of the IT support/admin guys tend to have issues, and make themselves feel important cause their job is boring.

[braxton]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Although I'm sure I'll get into additional trouble by installing ethereal.
We cannot install any software on our desktop PCs unless he approves it first.
Again, he regularly goes to the PCs when we're not there and checks for non-authorized software.
Of course, he has used bit-torrent at work and is a regular pirate, so he's quite the hypocrite. But that's another story...

[macuser]

Remove his Ethernet cable and put in its place a plugged in to 120VAC Etherkiller. Watch his face when he plugs it in.

[hardcoredummy]

Well, your IT guy is a dumbass. Hard to say what you can do though, perhaps ask his superior if it's alright if you visit RFD. If he says yes, then you can just tell him to back off or talk to his superior.