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Categories:

Hardcore pornography:   Hardcore pornography sites are generally self identifying. These sites contain graphic descriptions and depictions of sexual intercourse, masturbation and other sexual actions. Included in this category are prostitution, bestiality, scatology, fetish and masochistic sites. 

Softcore pornography:   Web sites which present sexual material in the form of swimsuit, lingerie, nudists and model depictions are included in this category. 

Alcohol:  Alcohol sites include web pages that promote an alcohol product, a distributor or a vendor. 

Drugs:   Sites that offer drugs and drug related paraphernalia for sale are blocked. Sites which advocate legalization of drugs are treated under the "topical" category. Discussions of drug use and drug impacts are not filtered. 

Tobacco:   Sites which promote tobacco use, including tobacco corporate sites, are blocked.  Pro and con discussions of tobacco use are not blocked. 

Gambling:   Gambling sites offer access to gambling. The blocking list includes gambling sites that are legal for adults as well as sites that are illegal in a given jurisdiction. Also included in this category are sites that promote gambling locations, behavior and techniques. 

Disturbing:   Shocking or disturbing sites are web pages contain graphic pictures of mutilation, injury and/or repulsive scenes. While these sites are not objectively illegal, their intention is to shock or nauseate the viewer and are blocked as inappropriate and desensitizing. 

Illegal activities:   The largest number of illegal sites are sources of bootlegged software and stolen music Also included in the illegal category are phracking, hacking and virus source sites. In addition to computer related, illegal activities, this category includes revenge taking techniques, bomb building and commercial term paper vendors. 

Language:   Sites, which use crude and racist language as well as repeated profanity.

Violent:   Snuff sites and sites which depict or promote interpersonal violence are included in this category.

Weapons:   Sites which advertise hand guns, automatic weapons and other such munitions are included in this category. Sites which provide for the Internet purchase of weapons are also blocked. Discussions of gun rights issues and alternative points of view about gun legislation are not blocked. 

Designed to protect families from pornography and other offensive and dangerous content on the Internet. 

  is unique... 
It uses several simultaneous approaches to filtering:

• URL blocking lists
• Self labeling tags (RSACi, Safe for Kids, and Safe Surf); 
• DNS analysis
• Pattern matching

Deals first of all with pornography.
In addition a number of other classes of services are blocked. Marketing sites for alcohol, tobacco and drugs are blocked.  Sites providing bootlegged software, bookie services, on-line gambling and access to illegal drugs are blocked. 

Designed to avoid over-blocking. 

• Some filters are based on lists blindly generated by computer robots. 
• Worse still, some filters are based on a gaggle of  "artificial" intelligence rules. 
• One filter provider claims to use over a 100 minimum wage part time college students to identify the bad sites. 

TheList

Designed to provide dynamic control of every aspect of the filtering process.  We can add or override any item on the blocking list; adjust all filter parameters; and excluded filtering of sites by classification. This dynamic control allows us to change and update in response to the constantly changing Internet situations.

Q.  What is server-based filtering?

A. Server-based filtering occurs at the Internet Service Provider (ISP). With server-based solutions, a site is blocked before it gets to the user's computer. 

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.

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 as their content changes.

Q.Does the Filtered Access Service work with any browser?

A. Yes. The Filtered Access Service is usable by all the popular browsersincluding Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mosaic, Web Explorer, and others.