"Pointless Internet Filters"
by Vorfeed

Ever been innocently researching in the school library or computer lab, only to be stopped by the school's Internet filter? Don't we all hate that thing? Although I oppose all censorship (aside from the self-inflicted kind), I know that no amount of debating will get the filters taken away, so this article is to serve a more informational purpose.

Tired of looking for APPROPRIATE webpages only to be stopped by the filter, I decided to do an experiment. I typed in the URLs of various controversial websites, some "good" controversial, and some "bad" controversial. I was shocked at the results. While the school's filter blocked the Planned Parenthood website, it allowed websites made by fundamentalist wackos claiming that anyone engaging in premarital sex or anyone who had an abortion would burn in hell. It blocked websites debunking superstitious claims, allowing websites further fanning the flames of fear. Of all things, it allowed the famous "God Hates Fags" webpage, a vitriolic hate shrine to homosexuals, to be accessed, as well as a page that claimed all minorities, non-Protestants, and GLBT individuals were going to burn in hell for eternity.

It seems the school wants to discourage logic and reason by blocking such legitimate websites and allowing access to such detrimental ones. Either the filter is not doing its job, it was programmed like that in the first place, or the school administration and librarians are willingly allowing bad websites through. What can you do? When you come across a bad website, tell a librarian. If you aren't that bold (or want to cause more of a stir), add it to the browser's Favorites list so it grabs the attention of others. Better yet, if there are a lot of people in the room with you, print the bad page, and don't go to the printer to claim it. This will certainly get the attention of the librarians, and they shouldn't be able to tell which computer printed it. Even just going to the page will alert the librarians, because they can track which websites you have been to; if they ignore the website in question for an extended period of time, take more extensive measures to alert them.

How to Get Around the Filters

There are two easy ways to get to the websites you want to go to. The first method is typing in the IP address of the website. Every single website has an IP (Internet Protocol) number that allows it to be identified beyond the regular method of blahblah.com. Obviously everyone is not going to know the IP address of every website they want to go to; for that, go to DNS Stuff and type the website's URL into the Ping box. For example, I did a ping on Google. The first line is "Pinging google.com [216.239.39.99]:" The bold set of numbers in the brackets is Google's IP address. If you enter that number into your address bar with "http://" attached to the front of it, you will go to the Google website.

The second method is to use a proxy website. Proxies allow you to surf the web without the filter knowing you are on an off-limits website. Here is a list of proxy websites, but if you need something quick and easy to remember, a good one is Proxify.com. If you are planning to use proxies, you should find an obscure one that the school hasn't blocked (PFU is blocked, as are most proxies).

Even though you may get through the filters using these methods, the school still has the ability to trace your account and know which websites you have been visiting, so be responsible. Please do not visit any pornographic websites, pages with illegal materials, or pages with instructions for hacking or making weapons, because you could get into very big trouble. Just because we told you about the ways to get through the filter does not mean that we are liable for any problems that occur. Use these methods at your own risk.

More Help

Peacefire is a very informative and helpful website that deals with children's rights (yes, that includes us) online. It updates with news on censorship in the computers in schools and libraries, and provides a program that can allow one to access any blocked page via a special URL. Some of the findings on the site are really disgusting, like the first article under the "Highlights reel" that talks about Internet filters blocking small, independent offensive websites and not ones of big-name corporations and individuals.

List of Unjustly Blocked Websites
http://www.geocities.com/postfallsuncensored NOW ALLOWED!
http://www.plannedparenthood.org NOW ALLOWED!
http://www.teenwire.com
http://www.anomalies.net
http://www.skepticplanet.com

List of "Bad" Allowed Websites
http://www.godhatesfags.com
http://av1611.org/hell.html

If you come across a website that shouldn't have been blocked, send the URL to me! I'm also looking for bad sites which go through!