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Library Censorware Blocks Own Site
squiggleslash writes "The Daily Dayton News reports that a demonstration of a new website for a library in Piqua, Ohio, went horribly wrong when the site was blocked by the library's own censorware. Why? Because the library, founded by and named after businessman Leo Flesh 70 years earlier, had the domain name www.fleshpublic.lib.oh.us. And that key word, 'Flesh,' was a no-no as far as Flesh Public Library's copy of Net Nanny was concerned." And for an extra dose of tragicomic priority reversal, the library actually decided to change its domain name rather than have Net Nanny fix the erroneous blocking. I hope no one at the library wants to read about the fleshpots of Egypt.
Someone needs to upload illegal MP3s to the RIAA's server so they can sue themselves under the DMCA!
Alcohol and Calculus don't mix. Don't drink and derive.
The University of Essex
Cosmic Pussycat Designs (okay, maybe this one should be banned)
you get the idea...
moto411.com
The point is people who don't know any better are using completely useless filters to "protect" their children. They are as effective as using a howitzer to remove an ant pile.
I disagree. If I search for a "flesh library", I don't want to find the web site of a library founded by some guy named "Flesh", I wan't nudity, and a lot of it. Fixing the domain name was the right thing to do. You have to think of the perverts too.
After three months of work by the staff, Oda was justifiably proud of the site.
Three months of work? Are you fucking kidding me?
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
You would not believe the trouble I had looking up the Trojan War.
That's a story about men entering a horse.
"I have opinions of my own, strong opinions, but I don't always agree with them." -- George H. W. Bush
Have them ummm, errr, read books? Gasp! Shriek! Oh, the inhumanity!
Sigs are bad for your health.
Ah, yes, the latest karma whoring strategy. Post a vague and completely unrelated quote from a well-respected authority, without commentary, and wait for the mod points to roll in.
Test succeeded. You can start doing this as a logged-in user now.
Or... intriguing. Maybe this is just chaff. You know, a distraction so the people with mod points will spend their points on this post, leaving them with no points for down-modding the trolls. Great strategy! Brilliant!
I write in my journal
FUCK COCK SHIT BITCH CUNT.
Guess no one can get their news now.
They are as effective as using a howitzer to remove an ant pile.
Bad analogy. A howitzer would be a supremely effective way to remove an ant pile.
In this case, though, the problem is that the software blocks legitimate sites while letting pornography sites through. This is more like attempting to use a howitzer to remove an ant pile, missing the ant pile completely, and hitting your own house, after which the ants move in set up an even bigger ant pile in the smoking crater where your house used to be.
I write in my journal
Reminds me of when I was a lot younger and the only net access I had was from the school library. I was banned, my parents were phoned, and I had to see the principle because they would log every hostname resolved and if they found anything suspicious, they would ban you. I explained at least 10 times that it isn't my fault if a perfectly reasonable site on a free host had a porn advertisement on it.
I argued with the principle for 15 minutes. He'd just repeat "You were accessing bad Internet numbers.". I tried so hard to explain about the concept of images residing under different hosts being shown in innocent web pages, yet he wouldn't listen. I then explained that he should probably learn to understand the technology before punishing me for using it. That didn't get through to him at all. I soon found myself explaining to him that I was amazed that somebody so ignorant, arrogant and most of all retardedly stupid could become the principle of a high school. So I got suspended.
2 months later I had to see the principle again. "Please design the school webpage for us..".
When I went home that year for Christmas my parents got all embarrassed when I announced in front of family and their friends that I would go to the Heyman Center for a good time.
Sure, the censorware doesn't work very well at all and will probably prevent people from accessing necessary information that contains words that could be used in a "naughty" context.
Sure, people who want to access porn will probably still find a way to do so, rendering this software useless.
Sure, censoring information for any reason is one of the first steps to becoming a facist state.
BUT THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!!!!!
"You spoony bard!" -Tellah
I dont know.
I'm still waiting for the version that doesn't let me browse slashdot at a threashold lower then 3.
This happened at the main public library in Austin, Texas, too. The library was using a filtering product that used a "three-letter" algorithm -- you can guess the letter combinations -- to block sites.
The name of the main library site is the John Henry Faulk Memorial Library.
Local civil libertarians picketed the Austin Library Commission with signs that read "Free the Ducks!"
That method of filtering was discontinued at the Austin Public Library.
Let's compile a list of bible verses that get blocked by censorware, publish it on the web and have someone at every place that installs NetNanny write a fundamentalist letter to the editor along the lines of "NetNanny censorware blocks our children's access to the WORD".
Do the same with compassionate conservatism lingo, pro-life web sites, NRA... and see how fast NN get's brabded as part of a vast left wing conspiracy.
Conversation overheard at library:
Manager type: "Mr. Tech! Why didn't you tell us we had a pornographic domain name!"
Mr. Tech: "Er, because we don't?"
Manager type: "I can't believe you call yourself a tech! Our Net Nanny software clearly says that our domain name is pornographic. Don't you know anything about domain names?"
Mr. Tech: "Sure, you mean like the fact that the system is a way for mapping names to IP addresses?"
Manager type: "Nevermind that! Quick, change our domain name! We don't want to be listed as pornography!"
Mr. Tech: "Er, OK, sure."
Manager type: "By the way, what is our IP address?"
Mr. Tech: "214.57.69.0/24"
Manager type: "What? Are you kidding? You picked a *pornographic IP address*? What kind of tech are you? NetNanny says that addresses that include 69 are pornographic! You're fired!"
Mr. Tech: "Thank god for that."
Cheers
-b
If I wanted a sig I would have filled in that stupid box.
I was planning to open the Dr. Samuel Skinflick Memorial Online Museum at www.skinflickmom.com
:)
Damn the luck.
In Topeka, Kansas, there are two high schools which compete with each other in several sports and other events.
Typical headline reads "The Topeka High Trojans Overcome Topeka Seaman".
I can only imagine their censorship problems.
Banning the word "free" would be a much more reliable way of blocking porn.
The UCLA main research library used to be officially named the "Hugh G. Dick" library -- everyone called it the university library. If the CIPA case gets reversed by the Supreme Court, all libraries will have to think hard about their names (and anyone else who wants to be found by people in libraries).
ROMANCE MATHEMATICS--
Smart man + smart woman = romance,
Smart man + dumb woman = affair,
Dumb man + smart woman = marriage,
Dumb man + dumb woman = pregnancy,
Just Limin' Mon
I think that they should censor vulgar words of pornographic nature also in other languages, unless they only want to block English pornography. My first suggestion would be the word "cipa," which is "pussy" in Polish. If you don't believe me, search Google for "cipa" on .pl domains or
"cipa" in Polish language websites
-- almost nothing but porn.
Enjoy.
I think C.I.P.A. should add "cipa" to its pornographic filters and finally censor itself, while I'm going to start a similar anti-porn organization here in Poland, which I will name P.U.S.S.Y. Of course, the interaction between C.I.P.A. and P.U.S.S.Y. will be somehow limited, as we will keep censoring each other -- but it's maybe better that way, since such a kind of interaction could be described as a lesbian sex and we could all go straight to hell.
(By the way, imagine my laugh when I first read about CIPA protecting children from porn...)
root@aio:~# nmap -sX -iR -p1- # Ho, ho, ho! Merry Xmas, everyone!