if you let people on the Internet, you need to give them freedom; don't expect half-measures to be effective; they just slow down legitimate work
@AaronHall your biggest knowledge gap was in not recognizing that you were being forced to route through a proxy, and that Lynx, unlike IE/FF/Chrome, is unable to automagically sense Windows proxy settings and pick them up
"can't connect to internet through Lynx" is a far cry from "configure Lynx with PAC" in terms of specificity
basically just lack of awareness of your operating environment
don't be afraid to snoop under the hood; few, if any, employers will even know you looked, let alone punish you
snooping and changing stuff are two different things though
the mentality that I'd suggest is, don't treat anything as a magic black box
start out with the nearest topic or element that you are aware of (in terms of its existence) but don't understand, and google that topic to understand it
try to find answers to questions like, "how can I find out how my network is configured?"
then keep peeling back the onion
it's literally the same discovery process as a prisoner who's locked in solitary confinement and trying to find a way out
look around; use your senses; try to find tools you can use; try to find weaknesses or cracks in the wall; observe the behavior of the guards; keep track of time; monitor patrol schedules, shift rotation, meal time, evidence that you're being observed, etc. etc. etc.
(not that I've ever been in prison)
a corporate network can feel a lot like a digital prison, though
there's the sensation of panopticon (you don't know if you're being monitored); there're strict controls on your behavior; there're severe punishments for matching any of the criteria deemed by the operators to be in violation of rules or policy; etc.
it also, fortunately, possesses, in most cases, one additional similarity with prison: there are tons and tons of gigantic loopholes
ever hear of the gangs that are literally operated out of prisons in California? that's right; inmates, behind bars, actually making decisions and strongly influencing entire groups of (violent) individuals in society outside the prison
I'm one of the most non-violent people you'll ever meet :P but darn if I can't find my way to freedom when I'm behind a corporate network :P