School Internet Filters Give False Sense Of Security

from the more-evidence dept

Thu, Sep 4th 2003 4:02pm — Mike Masnick

As if there weren't enough reasons why putting internet filters in schools was a bad idea here's another one. While pointing out the problems of both false negatives (letting through content that is supposed to be blocked) and false positives (blocking content that should be allowed), internet filters create a false sense of security. Parents and teachers assume that if they have a filter in place, then everything is good. They don't teach the kids how to deal with real world issues - but the kids still come across plenty of content they may not be prepared to see. For all the talk about how families are supposed to be playing a bigger role in raising their children, isn't it a bit odd that we're then forcing schools and libraries to give up that ability to a software program?

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22 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 4 Sep 2003 @ 6:43pm

No Subject Given
I run a private web proxy that all my friends (and a few peeps I don't know) use at my High School.
Also, A couple guys I know went off to BYU and use it their with them cause of the insane blocking they have.

Filters are wayy to easy to get around. They don't work.
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- Dani, 8 Sep 2003 @ 1:21pm
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  um, great, can u help me get around mine then, cause this school has websense, and they are absolute freaks, and we can't get on mail sites (yahoo, hotmail, aol) or instant message, which is a problem for me, as I no longer have internet at home cause sbc screws up all the time, and I stay at after school till 6. how do i get aim express even??it just doesn't work! Hell, I got past the filters on aim at the library when i was able to go on the weekends which was relatively easy, but not at my school.this really sucks.please help!
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- Jimmy, 22 Jun 2004 @ 5:39am
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  Hi,
  I would really like to get past my ckool filter on my laptop.Cos its really fast for downloading tunes.Also it is really stupid cos they block eduacational sites aswell.The problem is that i am a boarder here.So i can never use this at home either.Is a proxy the only way we can do this.
  Thanx,Jimmy.
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- Anonymous Coward, 8 Sep 2004 @ 5:25am
  
  whats your proxy
  Hey ive got a crazy filter here at school too and using a proxy like yours would be a great help, do you think you could give me the address?
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- Anonymous Coward, 23 Feb 2009 @ 7:09am
  
  Re: No Subject Given
  everything is blocked though, even the proxy's.
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Average Joe, 5 Sep 2003 @ 7:22am

Filters do not work
Hmm ... Lets see.
I want to get around filters so I go to www.google.com.
I type the word "Boobs " into the subject line and search for images ...

So much for filters
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- Dani, 8 Sep 2003 @ 1:24pm
  
  Re: Filters do not work
  hey yea, the google thing, ive tried it in all sorts of ways for express, just doesn't work for school....did for the library thing tho
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victoria, 26 Sep 2003 @ 6:23am

nasty filter!
we have a really pathetically nasty web filter on our school internet thingy, webfilter.schoolnet.org.uk by the filter. does anyone know how to get around it? ta, luv tori
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Jake, 11 Dec 2003 @ 9:26pm

WEBSENSE
ok so at school when im doing my laptop classes whenever i plug into the network for internet access websense starts on my comp. i went to www.websense.com to learn about the program. it runs from the master computer on the network and blocks any sites that it is told to, stops all peer to peer networking programs such as aim or winmx or kazaa, and etc. It is very annoying. If anyone knows anyway to get around it or stop it from activating itself on my computer when i plug into the network please write me an email. thanks.
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- LJNaff, 7 Apr 2004 @ 6:25am
  
  no subject
  I'm in high school and they currently have gwlite01.core.tn.ena.net:5312 as their block. Is there a way to get around this?
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  - Rui, 7 May 2004 @ 10:08am
    
    Re: no subject
    go to http://babelfish.altavista.com/ and translate the site from chinese to english.. voila
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- luke taylor, 11 May 2006 @ 3:55am
  
  Re: WEBSENSE
  just go into options in start and click in programm someting. then change the get rid of the blocker
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- cant say, 1 May 2007 @ 3:57pm
  
  Re: WEBSENSE
  www.surfunblock.info will let u get around any system the school has so go to it during school and be amazed
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les, 16 May 2006 @ 5:37pm

TUKI
this is nuts. my parents put a silly web filter named TUKI on my computer. it is nothing more than a filter i am sure but i do not know how to break it. can anyone help me with it?

http://www.childrenseducationalnetwork.com/
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Tibby, 22 Jun 2006 @ 8:02am

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!
i do not understand how to get around websense!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please tell me NOW and explain EXACTLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ala, 22 Sep 2006 @ 9:00am

do u kno how to get to myspace
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Anonymous Coward, 5 Oct 2006 @ 8:23pm

getting around filters
just go to google and search for "web based proxy", and start testing sites. Here are some I know.

www.smallproxy.com
www.calculatepie.com
www.flyproxy.com
www.fishswimfast.com
www.birds flyfast.com
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- lol, 19 Oct 2007 @ 7:39am
  
  Re: getting around filters
  these are porno sites .....
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scott mazeltov, 7 Dec 2006 @ 9:23pm

filters and such
u could use a unix shell via ssh.......myspace.com isnt to shabby under links or lynx...if you dont mind text only.
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- scott mazeltov, 7 Dec 2006 @ 9:28pm
  
  Re: filters and such
  well, it doesn't have to be text only....if you have ftp access to your shell, you can save images then download them via secure ftp.
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Dec 2007 @ 11:36pm

the thing is, there's no use searching for proxy sites. the schoolfilter.org.uk blocks them all. unless someone designs a program to filter the school filter there is no way you can get round this.
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sprearson81 (profile), 8 Jun 2012 @ 6:15pm

Just block life full stop . . . then no harm can come
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