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Firewalls and filters that are just too ridiculous

Last post 10/10/08 a 22:59 by gnulinux, 8 replies
Post started by highhorse on 04/10/08 at 20:22

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  • highhorse avatar
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    Posted by: highhorse 04/10/2008 at 20:22
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    Is anyone else constantly frustrated at work when trying to look up websites, resources etc. ? Our council has recently got a new filter that is just ridiculous and makes me want to scream. Yesterday it blocked cbeebies but let me look at amazon ??? We don't have glow yet, I am just hoping that will make things easier, but at this rate we won't even be able to log on to that, it'll be blocked. Even looking at the TES forums is blocked although we have a link from our council website. I'm all for safety, but how safe do we need to be?
  • Archimedes avatar
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    Posted by: Archimedes 04/10/2008 at 20:28
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     It is really frustrating. Perfectly good educational sites which would benefit our pupils are not available for no good reason at all.

    Just keep contacting your provider and asking for sites to be unblocked and keep doing it and keep doing it.

    Contact your network admin and see if they can give you a different level of access?

     

     
  • Pete Sake avatar
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    Posted by: Pete Sake 05/10/2008 at 09:20
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    highhorse:
    Is anyone else constantly frustrated at work when trying to look up websites, resources etc.?

    Couldn't agree more. It feels like the geeks are getting their own back!

    There are a lot of 'iffy' websites out there though and, having been on the ICT side of the fence working both in corporate ICT and Education ICT, I know how it feels to be responsible for what people (especially kids) have access to. It's a brave person who lets pupils have access to Nazi or White Supremesist propaganda sites in support of their Higher Modern Studies, for example.

    We're in an age of heightened awareness and hyper-sensitivity on issues surrounding child safety and I think, as Archimedes says, it's down to having an understanding and responsive network admin team. As time consuming and frustrating as it is, keeping requests coming in to unblock valid sites is the only way that new filtering software becomes useful.
  • sel_chick avatar
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    Posted by: sel_chick 06/10/2008 at 16:53
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    A couple of weeks ago our servers went a bit loopy - I couldn't access the usual 'legal' sites (bbc, sqa, lts etc.) but the normally blocked ones (hotmail, bebo, ebay etc.) were fair game!!

    I didn't get much work done that day, was having far too much fun! Unfortunately, the system was fixed the next day!
  • RG_one avatar
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    Posted by: RG_one 10/10/2008 at 04:05
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     i know kids at my last school used proxies to access youtube, bebo and other blocked sites

    i don't know what a proxy is for sure but here is a list of them

    http://proxy.org/

  • RG_one avatar
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    Posted by: RG_one 10/10/2008 at 04:10
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    what annoys me is when you can't install anything without permission with BT syntegra and Miter(?) networks.

     

    Example, i found a really good mind mapping site at home. couldn't access it at school as i wasn't allowed to install a flash plug-in

     

    Restricting technology is like supressing freedom of speech

  • Durkin avatar
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    Posted by: Durkin 10/10/2008 at 10:21
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    RG_one:

     i know kids at my last school used proxies to access youtube, bebo and other blocked sites

    i don't know what a proxy is for sure but here is a list of them

    http://proxy.org/

     

    And  are probably breaking your school's and EA's Acceptable Use Policy in doing so.  Firewalls and filtering are there for a good reason.  The next time your network goes down, perhaps during exam time,  due to a pupil or teacher accessing blocked sites through proxies it might dawn on you why they are a necessity.
  • highhorse avatar
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    Posted by: highhorse 10/10/2008 at 22:47
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    Durkin, fair enough firewalls and filters are there for a reason, but if they are so extremely strict as they seem to be, it's no wonder the pupils start to use proxies etc. An example of this is youtube- it's blocked but I know there are loads of things on it that are useful and educational. I'm sure firewalls aren't so primitive they can't distinguish at least some content. The fact that they can't/ won't is just another example of some software developer out to make a fast buck out of fear and ignorance in the education world. We can't protect pupils from everything- how do we block them from using phones with internet access in school? Are we going to be able to ban phones? There needs to be a way round this- there's nothing like utter prohibition to encourage rebellion ( and proxies).
  • gnulinux avatar
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    Posted by: gnulinux 10/10/2008 at 22:59
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    filtering certain types of offensive site is one thing but the process is going too far.  there are now many valid educational sites that are blocked for no good reason.  also, if you are trying to teach computing say, then the chances are that you won't be able to create/run macros, scripts, compile code, or run exe file.  these are important concepts in all certificate computing courses.  you may also be prevented from using open-source software - it can't be any good as its free, or it might corrupt the system (all rubbish of course).  

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