So you want to access Facebook or use instant messenger from work? By connecting to your unrestricted home internet connection from work, you can! Here's how:
If you only need access to restricted web sites from work, read this tutorial.
If you need to access restricted web sites and instant messenger, ftp, or other restricted protocols, read this (easier for Windows users) or this one (easier for linux/osx/unix users). Both tutorials work for Windows and *nix-based operating systems.