2009-02-10

On Stupid Stupid Internet Filters


So my school has a filter on its internet connection. I can comprehend (but don't agree with) the logic that would result in installing a filter on our internet, but their choice of filter software is ludicrous. The company is called FortiGuard and they are blocking all kinds of stupid sites, and leaving dangerous ones accessible. For example the site for installing a hacking tool called metasploit is accessible, but a site called hackaday which contains nothing dangerous, just interesting articles is.
The worst offense by far is the fact they have blocked a site called wikileaks. This site is a haven for whistle blowers and anybody who wants to publish documents for the benefit of the public that organizations would rather repress. They hosted the screen shots of Sarah Palin's (yes the VP candidate) email account when it got hacked detailing her use of Yahoo to avoid leaving a paper trail if she had used the government email. They host all sorts of documents that organizations would rather suppress and they make sure that the content stays up. No. Matter. What. A very cool concept and hopefully one that isn't recquired very often, though I fear it will be used.
They blocked it. How ridiculous is that? I mean what could the school possibly be worrying about? It hosts political documents that people have tried to SUPPRESS. Ah well, for those of you at the school that want to poke around we can thank our lucky stars that the site is still accesible via it's IP, instead of using DNS.
HERE it is.

2 comments:

Malcolm said...

Actually, I'd say the worst offence is one like amnesty.org, which is SOO clearly unoffensive. (many still are, but Parker unblocks any that I send him, which I will do with this one)

The problem is that there are advocacy organizations that are not so benevolent - the KKK, for example.

Anyway, thanks for sharing the site and IP link, and I will also pass this site onto Parker, although I have to admit it seems a little sketchy til you realize what it really is.

Malcolm said...

Also, don't blame fortiguard. The school selects which categories are blocked. Fortiguard is just making the software, which they do because people like us buy it... so blame capitalism.