Internet Screening software blocks "Weaponry" sites....

to: disputes@we-blocker.com

I'm assuming someone there has a good reason for including weapons-related sites in your blocking software. If so, I'd sure like to know what it is.

Is it "for the safety of our children?" If so, do you really think not telling them about firearms is a reasonable solution, or is EDUCATION a better way? Is ignorance truly bliss?

Is it political correctness?

Is it because you're using emotion rather than logic?

Is it because you've fallen prey to the belief that "All guns are bad, therefore all people who own guns are bad?"

Lumping guns in with porn, racism, drugs, et c is utterly insane, and you're simply encouraging the insanity already present in our society by demonizing guns and gun owners.

WE ARE NOT THE ENEMY!

Sincerely,
Coinneach Fitzpatrick
coinneach@uswest.net


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Ignorance is takin' over,
We gotta take the power back.
--Rage Against The Machine
 
A company I do contract work for has a subscription service that provides a database of sites to block. Its the service company that has the severe anti-gun slant and is blocking most gun related sites, except this one. Hell, they even block *knife* related sites such as www.agrussell.com. I don't think my employer even knows they are doing it since rec.guns is publically available on the internal news servers.

It is trivial, though, to get around these filters using a CGI proxy on a remove host.
Check out http://proxys4all.cgi.net/.

One of the founders of the Internet (can't remember his name) was quoted as saying "The Internet treats censorship as damage and routes around it". An appropriate quote in this situation.

[This message has been edited by pbash (edited July 20, 1999).]
 
that figures!!! idiots are ruling the world.
i can't believe that they would link firearms in w/ porno, and the other stuff... wait, yeah, i can believe it. i hate that my country has become a land of IDIOTS!!!!

they showed on the news this evening about the Ca. gun ban, and showed them cutting what i believe(i couldn't see very well) an AK being sawed into w/ a porta-band.. ooohhh, those evil guns!!!! idiots, idiots,idiots!!

to steal Kodiaks line....I HATE IDIOTS

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what me worry?
 
Rob, is this software something that end users install on their own puters to censor their kids and spouses or something that goes into the free search engines?
I would have thought that "Known to the State of California" a portaband was way too dangerous to use within the confines of Kali and thus the entire world!
Hank
 
My understanding is that is the kind of thing that you can buy at a retail store and install it on your home computer.. I think there is more info on that issue at the link above.
 
If Bossman Rich would take my suggestion to heart, The Firing Line would become either "For the Children" or "Childs' Place" (and we ain't talking French Chef. By the way does anybody else realize Julia use to work for OSS during WWII?).

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Vigilantibus et non dormientibus jura subveniunt
 
Who in heck needs blockers anyway?

If you ain't going to watch your kids, then they'll get around it anyway.

If you got a company, then why are letting employees on the net to goof off anyway?

[This message has been edited by Prichard (edited July 20, 1999).]
 
pbash
i think al gore was the one who said that. i believe he took credit for that quote among many other's on lemme see who's infomercial s tv show? oh yea it was gearaldope.
 
pbash:One of my contracts is a school system. They use blocking via their firewall to filter domain names. The kids figured out they could resolve the domain to an IP address and open the IP address in the browser in something like 15 seconds. 18 months later the school system still hasn't caught on, even though it has been pointed out numerous times. I concluded it was all just to cover their ass for the sake of any parents that asked. What you have here is people in authority looking the other way, just to cover their own ass. Good object lesson to teach kids huh?

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Want to feel your age?Check it out. http://web.superb.net/boy/age1.html
 
Hal, I'm considered by many who know me as something of an "expert" on networking and it *never* occurred to me to get the IP address of a site and use that directly to bypass filtering. Damn those kids! :)

I think, like you suggest, that using these filtering packages is a lot like passing new, unenforceable, gun laws. It gives the powers that be a warm fuzzy feeling.

What do all these stupid rules and regulations teach our kids? The same thing it taught their parents, who regularly exceeded the idiotic 55mph speed limit whenever anyone wasn't looking. Who might even smoke a bit of pot every now and then or drive even though we know we've had a couple of beers. We are all practicing civil disobedience every day, in the face of idiocy, even though many of us wouldn't know it unless someone pointed it out.
 
what does it teach our kids?
it teaches them that it's ok to do WHATEVER you want, as long as you don't get caught.
at any of several leadership courses that i attended, one of the big things brougt to your attention, over andover, is, "don't give an order you KNOW won't be obeyed".
letting "the little things" slide only encourages letting everything slide. this does not mean that all in a position of authority must be martinets and unfailingly punish any infraction. it does mean, however, that it is important that we only make rules(laws) that are necessary and that people will abide by. most of our problems now are the result of a confusing proliferation of laws. many feel that they don't know what the law is , so they do whatever they want.

i wish that there was a way to reduce the number of laws on the books, but i don't know how . passing more laws and selectively enforcing them will only encourage people to disregard any law as they see fit.
personally, i feel that the less gov't the better. but, how to get there?


sorry for the ramble cmore
 
As PO'd as Eric has a right to be, he should be somewhat flattered. With what passes for politically correct sites in this nation, I'd prefer to be on the ban list.

I encourage any Member here to submit TFL to their panel for review. Then tell 'em I said, "Bite Me".

While you're at it, you might make reference to specific Rosie Board posts about teenage sex, teenage homosexuality, adult sex, adult bestiality, violence and the like. Then tell 'em I said, "Bite Me".
Rich
 
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