School Network

[mada360]

I've used every way possible to try and bypass the schools network restrictions but everything is blocked and i mean EVERYTHING i can't even use google images.

[BlueWyvern]

I've used every way possible to try and bypass the schools network restrictions but everything is blocked and i mean EVERYTHING i can't even use google images.

I question why your school network would block google images... are we talking about a college network or a high/middle school network?

and are you trying to get around the restrictions for your own purposes or ....?

[Mr-Protocol]

I've used every way possible to try and bypass the schools network restrictions but everything is blocked and i mean EVERYTHING i can't even use google images.

I'm sure there is a reason for it.

[mada360]

I haven't got a clue why they've blocked google images but it's annoying when i'm trying to find an image for a piece of work like a presentation at school. It's a high/middle school network so the age range starts at something like 9 or 10 years old.

It's really for my own purposes.

[charm_quark]

sucks for you dude ! :)

Edited October 6, 2010 by charm_quark

[Mr-Protocol]

There is a reason why they use proxy filters like Bess or whatever they use. Kids in middle/high school are under age and shouldn't be allowed full access to the internet. :)

[BlueWyvern]

Good point Mr-Protocol

[mada360]

I can understand that but it would be great to actually be able to get images from google or bing or any other decent image search engine; the only one we have access to is http://www.picsearch.com/ have you ever used this site? if anything i can get even worse images from that site than google with a filter on it.

Edited October 6, 2010 by mada360

[Infiltrator]

So what are you considering in doing?

[digip]

The reason they block it is because naked pictures can show up in search results, even when safe search is enabled in Google's settings. Its not your network, so you have no authority to do what you wish with it, but it might be a good idea to ask for permission to access certain things and see if they can some how accommodate you in the process. That, or do the research from home. School networks are like work networks. The admins have requirements of what they are asked/told(or come up on their own) to do under the schools policies or place of employment. This doesn't mean they won't give you access to google images per say, just that the default policy in place prevents you to access it. Ask someone in charge for help, and if needed, petition the school for access to sites like google images for school work related assignments.

More than likely, they can set it up to allow you access to the search engine while still shielding children from the random naked pic results. If someone begins to abuse it though, I'm sure it could make things worse and become more restrictive, so tread lightly and be sure to have a good argument as to why you should be allowed access to the restricted resources. Maybe even have your parents help with the situation and get the school more involved, because at the end of the day, its about education, and restricting access to information is no way to help with that process.

[The Sorrow]

I think most network restrictions are more hampering than protective. When i was in high school back home (which was also a Jr/Sr high school) they blocked Google images and all other search engine image searches. I'm a big fan of non-censorship. But hey, who am i to speak for the kids that i just got out of school with B)

[charm_quark]

well i would support the argument of use the school network only when necessay! if incase your argument backfires' it a massive problem.

[The Sorrow]

Early education and preparation for real life. The world ain't pretty. nuff said.

[Mr-Protocol]

The problem is if a kid sees some images that are not appropriate, the parents could sue the school for not providing measures to prevent such things from happening. At least with using those proxy services to block content, they can say they have some prevention to make them not responsible for the content that may be inappropriate.

[The Sorrow]

The problem is if a kid sees some images that are not appropriate, the parents could sue the school for not providing measures to prevent such things from happening. At least with using those proxy services to block content, they can say they have some prevention to make them not responsible for the content that may be inappropriate.

Which is a problem. Sorry to make this a political topic, but the subject does bring up a certain amount of politics. America is sue-happy. If I wake up to a burglar in my home and I subdue him for authorities to cart away and i hurt him in even a slight manner I can be the one in bracelets. All be it that some screening of content is more than rational (X-rated content and so on that has NO place in school), it shouldn't block potentially useful tools like Google Images for the simple fact that kids will be exposed to minor nudity regardless of where they're surfing. Plus I've been there recently enough to know that most kids are not new to seeing more skin than one's face.

Getting to the blocking some content. A simple defense to the occasional bare posterior shot on image search engines is easily defended with the rationale that said images are open anywhere and the real "damaging" content is strictly filtered.

[Mr-Protocol]

If I wake up to a burglar in my home and I subdue him for authorities to cart away and i hurt him in even a slight manner I can be the one in bracelets.

That's why you kill the individual.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine

A Castle Doctrine (also known as a Castle Law or a Defense of Habitation Law) is an American legal doctrine claimed by advocates to arise from English Common Law[1] that designates one's place of residence (or, in some states, any place legally occupied, such as one's car or place of work) as a place in which one enjoys protection from illegal trespassing and violent attack. It then goes on to give a person the legal right to use deadly force to defend that place (his/her "castle"), and/or any other innocent persons legally inside it, from violent attack or an intrusion which may lead to violent attack. In a legal context, therefore, use of deadly force which actually results in death may be defended as justifiable homicide under the Castle Doctrine.

[manuel]

the issue is, that schools must filter all forms of communication, according to CIPA, a law that is in place to prevent students from accessing questionable content in schools. There was a time when we had to block google images here, because the content filter couldn't force safe or strict filtering on search engines. It was the only option we had until we got a different content filter.

Now with the one we have, it allows us to have google image search open, while it forces strict search, no matter what happens on the client side.

The reality is that as a School IT admin, I'd rather not have to deal with blocking any content at all, but it has to for two main reasons. 1) the law says we have to, 2) there is only a limited amount of bandwidth we have that can be provided to the school, and we have to ensure that access can still occur for everyone.

As said earlier in this thread, if you must have access to stuff that is blocked, do it at home. You can wait 8 hours or whatever it is to do your stuff at home.

[digip]

I'm sure there are plenty of questionable places they can get to that aren't even checked. If they wanted to get around the filters, I'm sure they would find a way to with enough time on their hands. Doing so might mean getting expelled though, or even arrested in some states, since it could be seen as the equivalent of computer fraud and circumvention, or even WIPO territory.

I'm surprised companies/schools/governments haven't already joined forces to create .edu search engines that are for this sole purpose of k-12 schools though. Someone should take up that cause. I think it would be in the best interest of the schools and governments, that if they are going to filter out questionable stuff, they at least have an alternative that doesn't hinder the studies and research of the children accessing the internet. kids might not know where to turn for their studies when the only places they know are blocked. The sole purpose of the internet is communication, and to hinder and censor it in such a manner defeats the entire purpose of using it. What are the kids even aloud to access via these school networks?

[Guest Deleted_Account]

That is some restrictive network. My highschool only block social networking and such (and every port but 80). What we did was simple: befriended the Computer Teacher and he let us PenTest the network, admin knew about it and all and didn't care as long as we told them when we found weak points and didn't mask our MACS so IF we did anything malicous they would know. It was reasonable. On a side note this was a smaller school of say 400 or so students :P

[Infiltrator]

That's why you kill the individual.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castle_doctrine

Just going off topic for a moment, that's why America has a high rate or criminality, everyone has a gun and shoot who they think they should, which is wrong. But yeh that's America.

Edited October 9, 2010 by Infiltrator

[Mr-Protocol]

I Love America :D

[Infiltrator]

I Love America :D

Hahhah what a crazy law.

[The Sorrow]

To summarize all of what i said, just use a proxy server....flyproxy vtunnel etc. Just dont surf into anything stupid that will give you more than a slap on the wrist for browsing blocked content.

[hacker07]

try using a vpn

[Infiltrator]

try using a vpn

If you don't want to get caught or expelled use your own internet. Or if you want to cover your internet tracks, use someone else's account. I know its illegal and will get you into trouble, I used to do that all the time in High school.

Edited October 10, 2010 by Infiltrator