Virtual ISP
Filtered FAQ
What is Internet filtering?
What is server-based
filtering?
What is client-based
filtering?
What is an Internet cache?
What makes a Web site
inappropriate?
How does your filter
handle news, mail, chat, telnet, and such?
What happens when a user
tries to access a blocked site?
How are sites chosen
to be blocked?
How often is the database
of blocked sites updated?
Does the Filtered Access
Service do inclusion filtering or exclusion filtering?
Does the Filtered Access
Service work with any browser?
Q.What
is Internet filtering?
A. Internet
filtering is a process that prevents or blocks access to certain material
on the Internet. Filtering is most commonly used to prevent children from
accessing inappropriate material and to keep employees productive on the
Internet.
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Q.What
is server-based filtering?
A. Server-based
filtering occurs on a central computer (server) on a local area network,
or at the Internet Service Provider (ISP). With server-based solutions,
a site is blocked before it gets to the user's computer. It is the most
efficient, least costly and most reliable filtering solution.
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Q.
What is client-based filtering?
A. Client-based
filtering occurs on an individual computer. The filtering software and
list of blocked sites are stored on the user's computer. This was the first
type of Internet filtering available to consumers. It is slow, prone to
software problems, and difficult to keep current.
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Q.
What is an Internet cache?
A. An Internet
cache stores Web sites that have been previously requested on the proxy
server. The next time a user tries to access the site, it is retrieved
from storage (the cache) rather than from the Internet.
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Q.
What makes a Web site inappropriate?
A. The
Internet is a wonderful resource, but it also contains a vast amount of
inappropriate information including pornography and other material unsuitable
for young people. The Filtered Access Dial-up Service identifies the types
of web sites which maybe inappropriate and has developed a 'Filtering Philosophy'
that we use to make determinations on which sites we block.
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Q.
How does your filter handle news, mail, chat, telnet, and such?
A. Our
filter denys access to all NNTP (News) Servers on port 119. However, your
users will still be able to access news through web-based news services
such as Deja News. Web (HTTP), FTP and Gopher site access is controlled
through our filter. Chat, Telnet and other software is allowed with full
unrestricted access.
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Q.
What happens when a user tries to access a blocked site?
A. The
user will be presented with a screen that says they have been blocked from
the site they are trying to visit. At this point the user must hit the
back button on their browser or enter a new address to visit.
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Q.
How are sites chosen to be blocked?
A. Sites
are blocked based on the following criteria: nudity, adult content, sex,
violence, drug use, bad language, crude or vulgar language/gestures, discrimination,
denigration of others' race, religion, gender, nationality and/or orientation,
crime, tastelessness, and high risk.
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Q.
How often is the database of blocked sites updated?
A. The
database gets updated every night of the week with sites constantly being
added & removed from the list at their content changes.
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Q.
Does the Filtered Access Service do inclusion filtering or exclusion filtering?
A.Inclusion
filtering takes place when you only allow access to sites included in your
database. Exclusion filtering takes place when you allow access to all
sites except those listed in your database. The Filtered Access Service
is fundamentally exclusion filtering. This means allowing access to any
Internet site unless the filter explicitly blocks it. Because of the vast
array of sites available on the internet, exclusion filtering is the only
practical way to filter.
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Q.
Does the Filtered Access Service work with any browser?
A. Yes.
The Filtered Access Service is usable by any browser that is configurable
to run through a proxy. These include Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet
Explorer, Mosaic, Web Explorer, and others.
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