NationStates Jolt Archive


Net Censorship and Democracy's Fall per FOX News

B0zzy
25-12-2005, 17:18
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179674,00.html

"The irony remains: Freedom-loving America is so critical of everyone else who denies people free speech, but that's just what we're doing: censoring, spying, blacklisting. Shame!"

I agree. My employer filters so much web content as to make it virtually useless as a work tool. Here is yet another example of people trying to impose themselves through rules and regulations rather than just letting people assume responsibility for themselves. - It is not limited to excessive government afterall. Any organization can overstep its bounds. With government it is just more egregious and fearsome.
Eutrusca
25-12-2005, 17:27
My employer filters so much web content as to make it virtually useless as a work tool. Here is yet another example of people trying to impose themselves through rules and regulations rather than just letting people assume responsibility for themselves. - It is not limited to excessive government afterall. Any organization can overstep its bounds. With government it is just more egregious and fearsome.
Um ... you're always free to find another employer. :)

You're actually endorsing something from Fox News? OMG! :eek:
Jeruselem
25-12-2005, 17:27
Good thing I'm a SysAdmin at work. I do get away with more!
B0zzy
25-12-2005, 17:29
Good thing I'm a SysAdmin at work. I do get away with more!


It's one thing if I were looking up 'jiggly.com' or whatever. It is completely different when I cannot access site pertaining to my business simply because it is on geosites...

Friggin commies want to control everything..
Bolol
25-12-2005, 17:30
This puzzles me.

First of all, what right does a school of any kind have to say what their students can or cannot do off campus on their own time?

Second...How would a clearly "liberal" editorial end up on FOX?
Teh_pantless_hero
25-12-2005, 17:34
Um ... you're always free to find another employer.
In what corner of Oz?
Jeruselem
25-12-2005, 17:37
It's one thing if I were looking up 'jiggly.com' or whatever. It is completely different when I cannot access site pertaining to my business simply because it is on geosites...

Friggin commies want to control everything..

I just do "research" - lots of it. In fact, it's my job.
The Nazz
25-12-2005, 17:46
Um ... you're always free to find another employer. :)

You're actually endorsing something from Fox News? OMG! :eek:
Actually, the article is from PCMag--it's just hosted on the Fox News site--but hey! nothing like not contributing to the discussion.

B0zzy, I agree. I'm fortunate to work in academia, so I don't have to sweat the limited search engines and the like, although just in case I leave my more prurient viewing for my home network instead of the university one. But I do have to admit that I've toned down the public writing I do elsewhere on the web, just in case it's ever used against me in a future tenure hearing (should I get on that track anytime soon). That's self-censorship, but I do it because I've seen situations where online personal journals have been used against candidates in line for hiring or promotion.
Jacobzcoool
25-12-2005, 18:00
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179674,00.html

"The irony remains: Freedom-loving America is so critical of everyone else who denies people free speech, but that's just what we're doing: censoring, spying, blacklisting. Shame!"

I agree. My employer filters so much web content as to make it virtually useless as a work tool. Here is yet another example of people trying to impose themselves through rules and regulations rather than just letting people assume responsibility for themselves. - It is not limited to excessive government afterall. Any organization can overstep its bounds. With government it is just more egregious and fearsome.

America sucks.

Why not just bypass the filtering apps? It is easy if you know how (firefox on an external HDD/flash drive!!) or use something like thevirtualbrowser.com
The Soviet Americas
25-12-2005, 18:10
Friggin commies want to control everything..
The Cold War is fifty years thataway. --->
Myrmidonisia
25-12-2005, 18:16
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,179674,00.html

"The irony remains: Freedom-loving America is so critical of everyone else who denies people free speech, but that's just what we're doing: censoring, spying, blacklisting. Shame!"

I agree. My employer filters so much web content as to make it virtually useless as a work tool. Here is yet another example of people trying to impose themselves through rules and regulations rather than just letting people assume responsibility for themselves. - It is not limited to excessive government afterall. Any organization can overstep its bounds. With government it is just more egregious and fearsome.
First, there is nothing inherently wrong with an employer that filters web content. There's enough crap on the web and abuse of internet access, that I see heavy filtering as a default mode for any employer.

Second, any employer that hinders his employee's use of the internet to conduct the employer's business is an idiot. Can you not go to your manager and say "DigiKey.com is blocked, I can't look up parts," and expect them to get you access? Sure, it might be awkward having access granted on a site-by-site basis, but that's the way they seem to want to play. 'It all pays the same' is a phrase I keep in mind when things like this happen.
Sel Appa
25-12-2005, 18:27
America: The land of hypocrites.
Vetalia
25-12-2005, 18:30
Companies have the right to filter content on their employees' computers as a means of improving productivity and reducing the risk of damaging viruses, spyware, etc. However, they're just stupid if they filter it to a point where the employees can't work...that actually decreases productivity rather than improves it so they're actually worse off.
Dobbsworld
25-12-2005, 18:37
Second...How would a clearly "liberal" editorial end up on FOX?
There's nothing 'clear' anymore. Nothing at all even remotely clear anymore.
UpwardThrust
25-12-2005, 18:42
America sucks.

Why not just bypass the filtering apps? It is easy if you know how (firefox on an external HDD/flash drive!!) or use something like thevirtualbrowser.com
Pffft you got to be kidding me any semi competent Network Tech with a reasonable budget can that sort of bs

You are used to dealing with highschool filtering me thinks

In the real world 4 k for a packet filtering firewall with subscription services is nothing
UpwardThrust
25-12-2005, 18:47
Companies have the right to filter content on their employees' computers as a means of improving productivity and reducing the risk of damaging viruses, spyware, etc. However, they're just stupid if they filter it to a point where the employees can't work...that actually decreases productivity rather than improves it so they're actually worse off.
Agreed
Its their time, their money, their bandwidth and more then likly their work station. They have every right to make sure that only work related browsing is geting done

That being said just like Vetalia said it is in their best intrest to make sure the network is USABLE

Personaly I would refuse to do any work at home that can NOT be acomplished from work (Dont get me wrong I dont mind doing a bit of work from home, but I am not going to use my home resources to make up for something my employer LACKED in providing me with