Blocked websites

I posted it as a response to the Mac v. Windows things,
But also thought it deserved its own sedtion,
So debate away

What I do see a problem with is the blocking of certain websites,
Such as, but not limited to:

"Non-Traditional Religions and Occult and Folklore"
Defined by websense (Our schools blocking server) as "Sites that provide information about or promote religions not specified in Traditional Religions or other unconventional, cultic, or folkloric beliefs and practices."

"Sex Education"
Defined as "Sites that offer information about sex and sexuality, with no pornographic intent.'

"Web Hosting"
Defined as "Sites of organizations that provide hosting services, or top-level domain pages of Web communities. "

"Web Chat"
Defined as "Sites that host Web chat services or that support or provide information about chat via HTTP or IRC."

"Social Networking and Personal Sites"
Defined as "Sites chiefly devoted to personal expression by individuals (as in diaries or personal blogs) or small groups, often but not necessarily involving multiple links to similar sites."

"Tasteless"
Defined as "Sites with content that is gratuitously offensive or shocking, but not violent or frightening. Includes sites devoted in part or whole to scatology and similar topics or to improper language, humor, or behavior."


I believe that these have no place being blocked, as some are educational, others are subjective, and just about all do no harm to the users and are not actually in appropriate for school,
And blocking them is just uncalled for.
If a kid wants to use them,
They'll go around the blocker server.

However I also recognize that some categories still deserved to be blocked, such as pornography, etc.

I understand the faculty and administrations reasoning behind this censorship nonsense. But their logic only really applies to elementary/middle school students. In all reality, if they think that by blocking certain websites because of the afformentioned "harmful" content, we won't be able to "poison" our minds with it. They obviously don't comprehend the fact that most of the student body has access to the internet outside of school. Their incesent blocking of websites doesn't protect us, it just impedes our ability to learn and complete tasks that must be done in the class room. If the kids want to go on these sites, let them suffer the consequences, may they be punishment or failing a class, it's a decision that should be for the students for themselves to make.

The blocks aren't effective at keeping us from visiting websites, as we can always go home and access them on our own time, so they really aren't protecting us from the 'poison' of internet. Instead, all the blocks do is prevent us from going to certain websites when we need to. Games and Web Hosting can be accessed at home, but sometimes during school, while working on a project in class, is the only time one could effectively view educational sites that may be blocked, intentionally or not.

I also don't see blocking any social networking, games, etc. sites as the best way to keep the students on task. If the students aren't doing an activity that involves the internet, just block the whole priviledge via a program like Syncroneyes.
And if the activity does require the use of the internet, then it's the student's own fault if he or she doesn't get his or her work done. If this student is getting into too much trouble, then the teacher may simply warn him/her to stay on task, or block his/her internet connection and provide a different activity.

Millcreek should only protect us and our computers from sites that we wouldn't want to visit anyway, like pornogorphy and viruses, and possibly from hacking and other illegal activities sites for their own protection. The rest should be left up to the discretion of the teacher, and most importantly, the student.

Lol.
FTW

Enough said.

Yeah first amendment.

CONGRESS aint gunna pass no law.
Don't say shit about school boards.

You guys shouldn't be lookin' at porn anyways.
U dont liek school blocked sites?
Dun fuckin' use'em yo,

Mah-fuckin' ninja out.

I today learned that xkcd is not blocked.
ftw.

Roland Deschain wrote:

I today learned that xkcd is not blocked.
ftw.

I love xkcd.

|\|||\|_|/-| wrote:

You guys shouldn't be lookin' at porn anyways.
U dont liek school blocked sites?
Dun fuckin' use'em yo

It has already established that porn is reasonably blocked.
It's other ones,
Such as websites that are blocked for talking about "non-traditional" religions.
It's ridculous.
And tasteless?
Isn't that subjective?