USTINET - Family-Safe Filtered Internet Access FAQ

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Family-Safe Filtered Internet Access 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 it handle news, mail, chat, and telnet?
What happens when a user accesses a blocked site?
How are sites chosen to be blocked?
How often is the database of sites updated?
Do you do inclusion or exclusion filtering?
Does it work with any browser?

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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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