How do work website blockers work???

[yoda313]

Hello,

I was wondering how website filters work. Obviously they don't just block EVERY site that contains a particular word. Though some might be that strict. Like ones that would block out any site containg the words "star wars". But what about sites that have "star" and "wars" but not next to each other????

What's the protocol for blocking sites like that?? Do the url's have some intrinsic signature that can be added to a block list????

Kevin

[bazooka]

It goes by ip number.

[redwudz]

Check out programs like Protowall or Peerguardian for good examples of ISP blocking by list. They use a pre-established list of ISPs. Problem is, who makes up the list? PW has blocked my antivirus updates, so they do have listing problems. I use a program called Blocklist Manager to get my lists.

Some others use keyword blocking, but as you mentioned, that results in errors in blocking friendly sites. If you blocked every site with the word 'sex' in it, half the internet would disappear.

[tekkieman]

Parents trying to cut off your porn again yoda? :P

[yoda313]

Parents trying to cut off your porn again yoda? :P

Hello,

NO! Just curious that's all. I was just wondering what the procedures were.

Bazooka - Are there IP ranges known for just sports/sex/entertainment that can be easily blocked?????

Redwudz - Interesting - so there are some that used "well established" block lists huh???

Kevin

[bazooka]

I don't know Yoda.

It depends on how much of an a** the administrator wants to be.

[yoda313]

I don't know Yoda.

It depends on how much of an a** the administrator wants to be.

Hello,

It's strange too because the major websites are accessible except for the sports and entertainment sites.

Another oddity - one local newspaper website has the sports and enternainment section blocked but the major competitor in town has all the pages open!! (excpet for sport stats ).

Kevin

[bazooka]

That sounds like the admin we have at the school.

He is a pathetic excuse for an admin.

[handyguy]

People can use Anon Proxies to get through these blocks but some ISP's keep lists of anon proxies, they can have more than 10,000 in a list.

[Cobra]

I heard that the web filter used at my old secondary school actually looked for the amount of skintone colours in pictures. Above a certain amount, it blocked it.

I was looking for information for a business studies exercise once, and it blocked the local garden centre website because it spotted the word "grass" in there. That's stupid...

[yoda313]

I heard that the web filter used at my old secondary school actually looked for the amount of skintone colours in pictures. Above a certain amount, it blocked it.

I was looking for information for a business studies exercise once, and it blocked the local garden centre website because it spotted the word "grass" in there. That's stupid...

Hello,



Boy that's pretty STRICT :P

Kevin

[jackal70058]

My school has website blocking. But it real quirky; it allow questionable content through half the time and blocks safe information.

I don't like the blocks. Whatever happened to First Amendments Rights?