SurfControl in libraries

I’m in the public library. They have the rather neat feature that you can use the net for free; good on the library! I’ve just been reading up about cross-compilation, and I followed a link to an IBM article, at http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/wi-zaurus/, which seems to no longer exist (thanks for that, IBM!). It’s not in the Google Cache either, so off I went to the Wayback Machine. The URL http://web.archive.org/web/*/http://www-128.ibm.com/developerworks/linux/library/wi-zaurus/ is unavailable to me, because apparently it’s been “blocked by SurfControl”. Now, I don’t blame the library particularly for putting in some blocking software, since they’d never get any government funding without it, but this is why blocking software is bad. You see, they have this big list of URLs that you shouldn’t go to, but the Internet Archive would give you a way of getting to those URLs without visiting them directly. So, what’s the solution, boys and girls? Yes! Block all of archive.org! Hooray for that! Thanks!
Morons.
The Peacefire people have a lot more to say about this, including examples of where blocking software is used by the manufacturers to push a political agenda, which is contemptible. Of course, I can’t see that from here, because that site is also blocked by SurfControl. No hidden agenda there, obviously.

Update: Bloglines is blocked as well. Those damned seditious bloggers; can’t have you reading any of that.

21 Responses to “SurfControl in libraries”

  1. Another reason why librarians will not inherit the earth. I hate this principle of almost pre-supposing guilt and stopping innocent behaviour. If you don’t want someone to look at your website, then it’s your problem to stop them looking at it or to track down the guilty critters once they have looked at it. This is like stopping people walking down my street to stop them burgling my house.

    Not a bad idea on reflection, considering that our house is a conduit from the pubs to the more undesirable local housing.

    Tom
  2. I suspect that the agenda of libraries is less from keeping you safe from the evils of the internet, and more about keeping themselves safe from the increasingly litigious society.

    mrben
  3. mrben: increasingly litigious government rather than society, I think. There’s a certain segment of the political bits of the world who would like, I think, to see libraries remain dusty rooms of mouldering books into which only retired colonels, blue-rinsed dowager duchesses, and kids on school trips go. Therefore, putting things like free internet access (free! none of this “pay a pund per fifteen minutes lark) in a library is ipso facto a bad thing and must be stopped. The librarians of the world are overcoming their glasses-on-a-chain-around-the-neck image by doing stuff like this, but if they’re waging a constant battle against their funding agency they can’t afford to be too outré, and so they end up having to accept things like blocking software to protect people from the evils of child pornography or MRSA or whatever this week’s hotbutton is.

    sil
  4. Any ideas on how to break through the surf control?

    Anonymous
  5. I think surfcontrol sucks.. Im a student and practically EVERYTHING is banned. Sometimes we have free lessons in I.T., and I happen to have it about 3 or 4 times a week. All I really go on is Neopets.. even that has been blocked. I mean.. what ’s so bad about that? Neopet porn? Give me a break.

    Adelle
  6. Neopets? I mean.. what ’s so bad about that? Neopet porn?

    Adelle
  7. I am a student also and require the internet but surf control in my school has baned everything even ways to look at pictures like yahoo images. Some people are stupid like that I guess. Dose anyone have anything to get passed it other than mfp.hostwindsor.com and others listed above?
    PLEASE

    Andrew Mullins
  8. They call me shadow, I am a student like many of you and I can no longer stand this!! I and an elete team are working on a way to get passed the surf control. but so far ALL THE WAYS TO GET PASTED SURF CONTROL ARE BLOCKED BY SURF CONTROL!!! grrrrrr….don’t worry, we’re not giving up on this. I am very close to figuring out how to disable this and all help is accepted. email me if you have any hints or clues

    shadow
  9. damn surfcontrol blocks everything i’m a top hacker so if any one finds a way to get pass surfcontrol and needs some help i’ll be more than happy

    P.S please someone mail me a way of getting pass surfcontrol

    Luicky
  10. I found a way go to this website http://www.proxykid.com

    Lucky
  11. hey EVERYONE!!! i go to a school where everything but email is blocked by surf control. will someone please email me and give some sort of hint. I’v tried alot but things are getting more advanced and im representing the school in finding a way to do this. PLEASE HELP!!!!!

    thank you!

    Leigha
  12. ProxyKid does work, thanks heaps for that Lucky

    Good luck to you hackers trying to bypass the SurfControl with other methods.

    Anonymous
  13. It’s a damn shame these folks are trying to control how you can use THEIR computers. I know they belong to the govt, but hey, you want unrestricted access, buy your own computer and internet access.

    The reason their restricted is ABUSE.

    anonymous
  14. anonymous: I have no problem with blocking sites that would count as abuse. What I have a problem with is that it’s not the government doing the blocking; it’s a private company, SurfControl, and they’re pushing an agenda which is different from the government’s.

    sil
  15. Try http://www.stupidcensorship.com. It worked for me when my work banned us from going on Ebay - gits!

    Lorn
  16. Surfcontrol sucks!!!!!! A little while ago i bypassed it by typing .nyud.net:8090/ after .com But what do you know they blocked that. I can find another way to bypass it just i need to know how to find a ip address!!!!!!!!

    Bogdan Linchuk
  17. Hi, i’m just joing the que of people waiting for the answer which is how to get round this stupid surfcontrol. I’ve tried everything. Even my lecturers get cheased of with it please someone come up with an idea.

    Karlos
  18. I’ve used the method typing .nyud.net:8090/ after .com. For some websites it works for others it doesn’t it’s a pain. can someone email me when they find a way please

    Karlos
  19. you can go in to ms dos and type in ping or ip ping and it should tell you the ip adress and its mask :)

    tom
  20. ipconfig
    works
    the rest dont

    tom
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