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HOW do I
begin to introduce a ``web content filtering'' software? I
guess I don't -- it's pretty self explanatory.
But then,
the boss won't accept that, so let me try anyway -- filtering
software scans the webpage you're trying to view, looks for
keywords that you've identified as being unsuitable, and
blocks your browser from downloading the page if any of these
words are there.
Phew,
that's that, I hope.
Most other
filtering software packages only block content that's on the
Web, but leave every other door wide open. BlockNOW!,
from local software house InternetNOW Sdn Bhd, offers a little
more.
Aside from
filtering web content, it also blocks out newsgroups and IRC
chat sessions that you might consider unsuitable or offensive.
You can also log events to check what sites were visited while
you were out. (Big Brother, anyone?)
There's
more than that. It also allows you to set Net access time --
my folks would've loved to have got their hands on this one
when I was hooked on IRC!
Installation
There were
no problems with installation and setup. I simply inserted the
CD into the drive and let autorun take over. The setup
interface was pretty easy to navigate.
At this
point, you can take a look at the ``readme'' file, just in
case there's something new that didn't make it to the manual
in time. I love to live dangerously (bwa-ha-ha), so I didn't
bother.
Installation didn't take long, and before I knew it,
the office Pentium III test machine was ready to go. I didn't
have to reboot either!
Just about
anything you might need to know about the software, and how to
use it, is in the online help file, which is in HTML format.
One great feature -- it comes with screencaps to help you
visualise what they're going on about, so you don't have to be
a rocket scientist to figure it out.
I had it
all configured for testing within 10 minutes.
Interface
The
BlockNOW! Manager is pretty intuitive as well, with
icons for just about everything. A bar at the top gives you a
description of any button when you place your mouse pointer
over it, which is really helpful.
The
Manager is where you get to set all the rules for how you want
the software to behave. First, you'll have to create a
``user'' and then configure the rules for that user.
The
plain-vanilla installation comes with a list of keywords to
look for in a site or URL (universal resource locator or the
site's web address). There's also a section for you to
customise the list with your own set of words (and of course,
it doesn't have to be just English words, as long you know
them).
This
filtering extends to IRC as well. According to the manual, a
user would get kicked off the chat session if he or she were
to use any words in the filter list.
As far as
newsgroups are concerned, the software won't allow you to join
groups with unsuitable titles.
I liked
the sub-rule feature. Instead of simply blocking out
everything with a word from the list, you get to set it to
deny access to a specific keyword except when found in the
same context with another word.
(So,
``breasts'' may be blocked, unless there's ``medical'' and/ or
``cancer'' in there as well.)
This
feature addresses the biggest complaint against web filtering
software -- that it's indiscriminate and sometimes blocks out
valid sites as well.
Once
you've set up BlockNOW!, all you have to do is fire up
your browser and you'll be greeted with a logon screen. Simply
input your user name and password and you're good to
go.
Advanced
features
BlockNOW! also allows you to manage policies for
other users. This means that you can set it to give access
(for a particular user) to the Internet only at specific
times.
The
software also allows you to have log files e-mailed to you.
That'll make your kids wonder if Mommy and Daddy Dears are
telepathic.
I also
found that it can't be bypassed by just cancelling the logon
screen. It doesn't even show up in the task manager, so giving
your computer the three-fingered-salute won't be of any
use.
Conclusion
There's
real potential for this local software. In my opinion, it
would probably appeal more to parents who want to control
their children's Net activity.
It's a
pretty good product as long as you take the time to make sure
it's up to date with information for it to filter. And of
course, keep that darn administrator password to
yourself!
(Don't
forget to change the default administrator password when you
start it up the first time.)
On the
flip side, you can't stop another popular point of entry --
e-mail. That's one up for porn mail. Maybe the makers should
implement that feature in future releases.
Currently,
BlockNOW! is being offered at a promotional price, and
also comes with a free issue of Jaring Internet Magazine (only
while stocks last for the latter). After that, it's back to
the regular retail price of RM120.
Finally, I
would suggest that InternetNOW set up an update section in its
website that allows registered BlockNOW! users to
automatically update their filter lists.
This is
especially important when it comes to non-English sites;
otherwise, you'd have to do it manually and you'd need to know
the language to do this.
Pros:
Easy to use; can be configured quite a bit; very useful.
Cons: Needs e-mail
filter and more non-English language support.
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