Smart Filter now blocks DU. (Free Republic not blocked)

[Kolesar]

In the last few days, I noticed that the Smart Filter service blocks our "Journal" pages at work. As of today, the DU home page is blocked as a "personal page". The virtual-fascists censored all of Daily Kos this way a few months ago. I expect they will censor all of DU soon. I have noticed that many Democratic blogs linked off of www.salon.com 's Daou Report are now blocked. http://daoureport.salon.com/

[Cha]

1. BUMMER! Where do you work?

Fascist Central?

[madaboutharry]

2. I am also having DU blocked.

This is interesting. Over the last several days, on my computer, DU has been blocked due to "sexual content." I have to take off the parental controls on the security program in order to access DU now.

[Kolesar]

3. I hear boots coming toward my cube. Gotta grab my bag and leave immediately!

Shit! Grabbed my smelly workout clothes by mistake!!

Seriously, though. Employers pay one of several filtering companies. Each company has some automation and some staff that sort through pages and label them naughty or nice. Huge numbers of DKos cube rats were cut off a few months ago at employers all over America. Kossacks actually wrote emails to Smartfilter company asking them to "reclassify" Daily Kos. Smartfilter had them categorized as "profanity" and most companies block access to those. The letter writing campaign did not work, obviously. This is just a hint of what is going to happen as mega-media companies take over the internet (note the net-neutrality campaign).

[Cha]

11. Wow! I'm sorry! We

have to counteract that, someHOW!

[BlackVelvet04]

4. Why are you visiting DU while you're at work? n/t

[Kolesar]

5. Because Daily Kos is blocked!

[treestar]

10. Break time, lunch hour, and some people have discretion over how

they use their time during the day.

[BlackVelvet04]

14. I didn't mean it snarky.....

although I realized it sounded that way. But, seriously, I never had time at work. Of course that job was so insane I quit at the end of October.

[diane in sf]

6. We need to start setting up those

networks for use in fascist places that let one bypass censorship by going to someplace innocuous and porting from there. Sorry I don't have links or remember how to do this.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. Nothing Fascist About This. Let's Not Go Off The Melodramatic Edge Here.

[Kolesar]

12. Not even "virtual-fascist"?

Don't take my fun away. I have a need to be bombastic.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

7. Has Nothing To Do With Politics, But All To Do With Board Format.

At least that's the case in the overwhelming majority of cases I've come across similar to yours.

My work blocks DU as well. But it's because of the particular message board format, not for any other reason. For example, I can't get onto the babycenter message boards either, when my wife sends me a link.

I doubt there is some political conspiracy going on at your work. Usually it is just an updated filter code that seeks out particular formats. Since FR is so archaic, it probably doesn't get recognized.

[Quantess]

23. Since FR is so archaic, it probably doesn't get recognized.

You just might have a point.

[KamaAina]

9. Fight the power with Proxify!

https://proxify.com/

"My employer has strict Internet policies. Without Proxify, I can't go to websites that they censor. Thank you for giving me my Internet freedom back." - anonymous Proxify user

Proxify® is a web-based anonymous proxy service which allows anyone to surf the Web privately and securely. Unlike other proxies, there is no software to install or complicated instructions to follow. Just enter a URL (website address) in the form above. Through Proxify, you can use websites but they cannot uniquely identify or track you. Proxify hides your IP address and our encrypted connection prevents monitoring of your network traffic. Once using Proxify, you can surf normally and forget that it is there, protecting you.

The free version only unblocks one page at a time, though.

Our office has a SonicWALL firewall that blocks the strangest things, like a Florida transit agency whose initials are SCAT (scat is an obscure synonym for No. 2). On occasion I use Proxify to get to perfectly legitimate sites that the goofy firewall has blocked for no apparent reason.

[Kolesar]

17. I will have to try Proxify

I wish I understood internet concepts so that I could figure out exactly what I am "going around". Thanks for the advice.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

20. using that sort of tool in some offices will get you fired

most companies have a filtering policy for a reason that is of their own making...bandwidth, security, worker dedication and sometimes politics...and sometimes those policies include sacking you if you try to bypass them. They have to catch you doing it...but it is still kinda dangerous in terms of security of your job.

sP

[Kolesar]

21. Well now you tell me! ... eom

[ProdigalJunkMail]

24. well, I TRIED to help :-)

you are probably fine...but just check those local policies...

sP

[David__77]

13. Not from here.

I think it depends. We have that filter, and it isn't blocking me at all. Only very rarely.

[Cleita]

15. Look at the bright side. It keeps the trolls out of here and

sends them to Free Republic instead.

[Kolesar]

16. Just remember to laugh and dance and sing

Yes, that is one way to get exclusivity, but I would rather have exposure. :dilemma:

[FreeStateDemocrat]

18. DU was blocked at my county library until I reasoned with the director to allow access.

[Efilroft Sul]

19. A library's the last place any information should be forbidden.

Any librarian worth his or her salt wouldn't stand for such crap.

At this time, I'm reminded of a quote from one of the most intelligent computer games ever created, Sid Meier's Alpha Centauri: "Beware he who would limit your access to information. For in his heart, he already deems himself your master."

[tinfoil tiaras]

22. At school we have Websense and both DU and FR are blocked

under the category of "message board".