Shetlink blocked by SIC filters

[peeriebryan]

It has become apparent that Shetlink has been blocked by the SIC’s Internet filters. The decision appears to have been made at an ICT Board Meeting on Thursday 3rd December with the ban coming into force soon after.

 

We haven’t been able to confirm the extent of or reason for the ban, but TeeAyBee’s recent post in another thread explains the process:

 

The software in use is called Smartfilter ( http://www.mcafee.com/us/enterprise/products/email_and_web_security/web/smartfilter.html). This is a subscription service that uses a downloaded database of sites prepared by the supplier to provide sites to allow/disallow coupled with a local list of categories and sites provided by the customer. The system is configured to allow/disallow access based on IP address range, time of day, category of site, username, usergroup, location, shoe size, or a combination thereof. Except the shoe size.

 

For Shetlink to have been 'blocked', two possible conditions apply. #1 - Shetlink has somehow found itself categorised as being 'bad' and so has been blacklisted by the supplier and this has been updated on the SIC system, or #2 the SIC ICT Unit manually added a block to disallow access to Shetlink. For #2 to have occurred a problem should have been documented in the call tracking system and support personnel assigned to block the site, or an instruction may have been generated by the ICT Unit Manager or from further up the food chain. In either event the decision is supposed to be documented either in the form of meeting minutes or logged as part of a 'fault' so it ought to be relatively easy to find out what the issue is/was.

 

The fact that access has already been restored for at least one non-SIC organisation that uses the council network would imply that this is fixed, but it would still be good to know what happened. Smartfilter has been very reliable and is used for bother the main council network and the schools networks to protect users from inappropriate content with very few failures. In fact the product is supposed to fail safe, i.e. disallow all sites rather than accidentally allow access to anything whatever the risk.

[JohanofNess]

I don't know how well the SIC monitors internet usage but it may be because there was excessive time spent outwith breaks on Shetlink by members of staff, that is of course a guess and assuming that SIC IT is monitoring what websites individual users are visiting and when.

 

I had to put on filters to block Facebook at our work outside lunch hour because we found some folks had it active 3-4 hours a day, then the offenders switched to twitter until we had to block that as well.

[Frankie]

^^

Here is an article about it.

 

http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/2009/December/news/SIC%20blocks%20Shetlink.htm

[Para Handy]

Dave Clark? SIC blocks Shetlink ect

 

Well how suspicious is that one then? Running scared? I think, afraid some council employee will spill the beans on him maybe. What next burning down the Shetland Times workplace. A bit difficult to stop a news paper. What next to protect his, what did he call it ? O! yes his REPUTATION.

 

Rats desertion a sinking ship for one that might float comes to mind for some reason.

 

O! yes he seems to have had enough time on his hands to look at Shetlink.

So not wasting his time then? [***Mod edit - Comments removed***]

[Spinner72]

^^

 

Seriously, it makes perfect sense, and it is really a little strange that Shetlink was deemed different to any of the other online forums already blocked by the filter.

 

After all there is the dedicated (award winning) url=www.communities.idea.gov.uk] CPLG forum network[/url] is, or should be, avaliable for work related discussion, and surely consultation via Shetlink could be opened up if deemed useful.

 

What I do find strange in the report is the anonymity issue, as despite having a singular IP address and therefore limited traceability from Shetlink staff's point of view, the SIC's IT dept should be able to monitor more closely?

 

Frankly, the strangest thing of all is that this has managed to become the main headline on the Shetland News Website! Does it really matter that much?[/url]

[Para Handy]

(** MOD EDIT - think before you post!

1. You agree, through your use of the Shetlink website, that you will not submit (or hyperlink to) any material or use language which is defamatory, abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, inciting of violence, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening, invasive of a person's privacy, or in violation of ANY UK law. Personal attacks, inflammatory language, harassment, impersonation, trolling and sockpuppeting (multiple user accounts) will not be tolerated.

**)

[tlady]

So, as I'm not an employee of the SIC , Mr Clark said I can say what I like about him!

 

Does that release me from the T&Cs ?

 

After all he has given his permission

[Fifi]

Frankly, the strangest thing of all is that this has managed to become the main headline on the Shetland News Website! Does it really matter that much?[/url]

Storm in an SIC cup?

[Acillat]

I think this is a shame Mr. Clark has decided to block this site. Could you not block it for set times? I believe it is a valuable tool for a lot of SIC employees. You wonder if this is because one of the most popular topics at the moment is in fact himself?

[Fjool]

Frankly, the strangest thing of all is that this has managed to become the main headline on the Shetland News Website! Does it really matter that much?

This is just because 'newest story at the top' applies. We're not talking about traditional press here.

 

And, to be honest, I think it is really quite important. This is the Communication Age after all, and these decisions affect people in myriad tiny ways.

[mainlander]

By a strange twist of fate, I find that I am now able to access Shetlink from my place of work when I previously wasn't!

 

Of course, my attempt to do so was purely in the name of research, not to be repeated during working hours...

[MuckleJoannie]

Peerie Brian was on the lunchtime Shetland Radio News saying that access now was only blocked between 10am and 12 noon and 2pm and 4pm.

[Ally]

When I briefly worked at Scottish & Newcastle I found their internet usage policy quite refreshing; they treated it much like phone use. There were no bans on any sites (except pornographic material) and staff were permitted to use the internet freely.

 

I think the basic rule was that if you retained your productivity then 'no harm done'.

 

The negative impact that restricting internet access can have on the employees regard for his/her employer is surley as tricky to quantify as work-time lost to facebook or shetlink.

 

Besides, it soon becomes apparent when you're not doing your job, regardless of what 'distractions' your employer chooses to prohibit.

[MuckleJoannie]

^^^

That can work in a commercial environment where productivity equals profit. In local government the money rolls in regardless of how efficient you are at your work. The reaction from the public is "why are they wasting our council tax looking at Shetlink all day?"

[TeeAyBee]

^^^

 

Perhaps staff should be trusted to actually do their jobs rather than play on the internet. That restrictions are implemented is a statement of mistrust, that policy is written and published is an expectation of misbehaviour. The general public are quite right of course but are ignorant of the fact that while some internet sites are disapproved of and blocked, there are 'n' million other sites that are not. Blocking Shetlink is like looking for one particular drop of water in a fast flowing river - pretty pointless.