N2H2 Internet Filtering Service
EDTECH Editor-Beil
I am a Tech. Coordinator for a K-6 School and am in search of an
Internet Filtering product to reside on our Proxy Server.
I have recently reviewed the Bess Filtering Service by N2H2. I only
have 60 computers online to the Internet and would utilize their
"redirect" method of filtering to their Server in Seattle. Does anyone
have any comments on this company and/or service ? I am concerned on
degradation of line speed. Our current bandwidth with a cable modem is
500K.
B. Ogle
Waterford, NJ
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EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
For an interesting take, check
http://www.censorware.org/reports/bess/
From that page......
"Passing Porn, Banning the Bible
N2H2's Bess in public schools
When you install a censorware product in your school district and turn on
all the recommended categories, you expect that, at the
very least, it will block hardcore sex.
So why does Bess allow schoolchildren to see
HardcoreSex.com?
The Censorware Project recently
completed a real-world examination of sites
blocked - and not blocked - by a censorware
product called "Bess." Bess is made by
N2H2, who also makes Searchopolis. Our
analysis shows that not only does the
software block a great many valuable
webpages, but also allows through a
startlingly large amount of pornography. "
This page does have screenshot (much reduced) from one porn site found.
http://www.censorware.org/ is a site I have bookmarked at school for
parents who ask about the various programs that are available.
bob
Barbara Ogle <og...@worldnet.att.net>
>
> I am a Tech. Coordinator for a K-6 School and am in search of an
> Internet Filtering product to reside on our Proxy Server.
>
> I have recently reviewed the Bess Filtering Service by N2H2. I only
> have 60 computers online to the Internet and would utilize their
> "redirect" method of filtering to their Server in Seattle. Does anyone
> have any comments on this company and/or service ? I am concerned on
> degradation of line speed. Our current bandwidth with a cable modem is
> 500K.
Robert Eiffert, Librarian at Image Elementary
EDTECH Editor-Beil
> X-From: Barbara Ogle <og...@worldnet.att.net>
> I have recently reviewed the Bess Filtering Service by N2H2. I only
> have 60 computers online to the Internet and would utilize their
> "redirect" method of filtering to their Server in Seattle. Does anyone
> have any comments on this company and/or service ? I am concerned on
> degradation of line speed. Our current bandwidth with a cable modem is
> 500K.
We supervise 53 school sites which are connected to our consortium
university hub with T1 lines....47 are currently using Bess which is
implemented at the university server. Service is excellent and speed
between filtered and unfiltered sites (we are unfiltered at my facility)
is about the same. Our T1 line at my worksplace is also a dedicated line
and consequently I'd estimate we run 20% faster than the other T1 sites
which have more sharing at the main router hub.
There is a learning curve in setting up the filtering software and
you may have some speed problems for a couple of days until you finetune
it with help from N2H2 employees.
Later,
Russell Smith
Region 14 ESC Abilene, Texas
http://camalott.com/~rssmith
mailto:rss...@camalott.com?subject=personal
EDTECH Editor-Beil
I believe that we are going about teaching how to use the Internet totally
backwards when we talk about filtering software. Instead of teaching both
parents and students the right and responsible way to use the Internet, just
like any other type of media, we are being led by "scare tactics" of
thousands and millions of porno sites, which outweigh the good sites for
educational use.
I don't see parents banning their children from going into the local 7-11
store because there are Playboys on the stand by the cash register.
We need to teach parents and children how to use the Internet "as it is".
Be responsible, and productive, not hide our heads in the sand by using a
filter that is prohibitive to our educational goals.
Karen Needles
Technology Consultant
EDTECH Editor-Beil
while the remaining parts are likely unreadable without MIME-aware tools.
Send mail to mi...@docserver.cac.washington.edu for more info.
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From: Philippe Dedieu <PDe...@ESchoolHouse.com>
Dear Barbara,
Robert put it just right, stay away from filtering softwares. There are
alternative solutions to protect your students and still control what they
will see online. Check out www.eschoolhouse.com. This is not only a product
that is safe (Safe2Learn free download) but you get access to great
educational content, you still customise your students' Internet experience,
and you get the connect2school tools, that allow you to create school and
classroom pages online, from homework assignments, to autograded quizzes. Oh
and it's free.
An independent survey noted that the best filter would only be 90%
effective. It's good but for our children, not good enough.
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EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
But the children have a hard time getting the convenience store sex
magazines right? The clerk is a filter (sure the kids can get them from
older college students, but that's still a filter process).
We have to respect community standards on access to sexual materials.
While an unfiltered solution may be appropriate in XYZ community it may
not be worth a nickel in Dime Box, Texas. Some school boards are very
conservative and request filtering whether it is 100% effective or just
50% effective. Full adult rights have never been granted to minors and
there are many examples in legal cases...dress codes, school newspapers,
weapons searches, drug testing, etc..
Russell Smith
Karen Needles <knowled...@fament.com>
.
> I don't see parents banning their children from going into the local
7-11
> store because there are Playboys on the stand by the cash register.
> We need to teach parents and children how to use the Internet "as it
is".
> Be responsible, and productive, not hide our heads in the sand by using
a
> filter that is prohibitive to our educational goals.
Russell Smith
Region 14 ESC Abilene, Texas
http://camalott.com/~rssmith
mailto:rss...@camalott.com?subject=personal
EDTECH has changed addresses. The new list address is
EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
>I have recently reviewed the Bess Filtering Service by N2H2. I only
>have 60 computers online to the Internet and would utilize their
>"redirect" method of filtering to their Server in Seattle. Does anyone
>have any comments on this company and/or service ?
Our Administration and School Board insisted we use filtering. We are
currently using BESS. For a filtering package, it is OK. However, I would
prefer not to have filtering.
Several people have replied about BESS blocking good sites and missing
bad ones. This is what filtering does. The main objection I have to using
filtering in the classroom is that I feel it gives the teachers a false
sense of security. I feel teachers are more prone to "turn 'em loose" to
do "research" with filtering in place. Nothing will replace well thought
out, directed, and supervised uses of the vast resources the internet has
to offer.
Last March I learned of a web site titled "6th Grade Brain Bank" on this
list. When you searched for that phrase on Alta Vista, several hits were
presented promising help with Math, Science, Social Studies, etc.
homework. The next day after reading about it, I went to school and tried
it. Sure enough BESS didn't block it. Instead of homework help, pictures
of nude teen girls were presented with offers of more if you had a credit
card. I reported it to BESS and they had it blocked two days latter when
I got to the NCCE conference. It was a real eye opener to staff members
when I showed them what hadn't been blocked!
HTH
Jim Baggett
Technology Coordinator
Brookings-Harbor School District 17-C
<jbag...@mail.coos.k12.or.us>
EDTECH Editor-Eiffert
Jim, this is certainly my experience with our district filtering system,
which I believe is Novel. We've had several incidents like you've
describe. We've also had good sites blocked by our system,
http://www.bconnex.net/~jarea/lessons.htm a lesson plan site for
kindergarten art, as an example although it's been almost a year since I
tried it again.
Another potential for headache is that the filtering system itself may
not be able to support the load. It was very common at our district to
have a web site say "loading" for several seconds with our proxie server
address showing down at the status bar. Then there would be a "server
is down" message, again with the proxie address at the bottom. Most
uninformed teachers think it was the web site, but in fact it was our
request for filtering that timed out. A quick click of "reload" usually
fixed it, but again, most teachers don't know to try it. This problem
was worse when we had webtracker, I believe, for a filtering system.
Since Novel border manager was installed, I think it's got better, but
we still have the problem.
I've asked our data center and they won't tell me if it was ineffective
software or an undersized server (or both). Anyway, we've still got the
problem quite a bit of the time, just not as bad as it used to be.
If you can avoid this problem, you will make a lot of teachers and
students very happy. The filtering system slows the use of the net down
any way you look at it. I *routinely* get around the net at home on my
28.8 modem faster than I do at school. Part of it, of course, is the
time of day, but I think most of it is our filtering system. We have T1
to the classrooms, by the way, and my principal says we are getting an
upgrade this summer.
Gail
snip
> I reported it to BESS and they had it blocked two days latter when
> I got to the NCCE conference. It was a real eye opener to staff members
> when I showed them what hadn't been blocked!
--
Mrs. Gail Watson, Computer Tech, John F. Pattie Elementary School
16125 Dumfries Rd., Dumfries, VA 22026
School Page: http://www.illuminet.net/pattie/
Personal page: http://www.illuminet.net/~gwatson/