[13138] in Public-Access_Computer_Systems_Forum
Re: Filters and Proxy Server
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Bill Kneedler)
Mon Mar 13 20:02:45 2000
Date: Fri, 10 Mar 2000 10:01:28 -0700
From: Bill Kneedler <bkneedle@LIB.CI.PHOENIX.AZ.US>
In-reply-to: <v04210100b4ed7e285b10@[192.168.64.10]>
To: PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU
Reply-to: Public-Access Computer Systems Forum <PACS-L@LISTSERV.UH.EDU>
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<Pine.LNX.4.21.0003100918530.19469-100000@postal.lib.ci.phoenix.az.us>
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We have been pleased with using a server version of X-STOP by Data
Corporation. The beauty of this approach is that you point the browsers of
all the PCs to be filtered to the server, and from then on, all you have
to do is update the server. X-STOP also has a good model for determining
what's to be filtered, and what not.
The server-based approach has three huge advantages. 1) You only have to
support one machine. No staff time to upgrading release levels on
hundreds of PCs. 2) You don't have a piece of software running on each PC
that causes conflicts with other software, and, in the case of at least
one product we tested, becomes so embedded in the operating system that
you have to format the hard drive and reinstall Windows to get rid of it.
3) You don't clutter up your network with daily or weekly updates to
hundreds of machines. A single set of updates may not seem like much, but
the more attention a library devotes to reducing the network traffic, the
lower will be the network costs, and the higher the performance. Every
little bit helps.
Vendor updates to the server-version of X-STOP are automatic. The server
runs NT Server 4.0.
None of the filtering products I'm aware of is perfect. The whole concept
of filtering and determining what should be filtered is an inherently
imperfect process, and the filtering criteria are very much in the eye of
the beholder. Since X-STOP does have a model that works well for us, as a
matter of policy, Phoenix has decided not to expend significant amounts of
staff resources to attempting to fine-tune it.
At present, Phoenix filters only children's PCs.
On Thu, 9 Mar 2000, Steven Thomas wrote:
> Due to a board decision, we are needing to install filters on our
> public access Internet computers. We are currently trying to use Net
> Nanny, but have been told that it may not work correctly with MS
> Proxy server that we are using for a firewall.
>
> Does anyone have any suggestions about making this work, or what has
> worked at your site if you go through a proxy?
>
> Cordially,
>
> Steven Thomas
> CKLS Automation Services
> --
> Steve Thomas | Automation Services | Us hungry,...
> The Orcish Librarian | Central Kansas Library System| need food,...
> www.ckls.org/~sthomas/| 1409 Williams | Lots of books...
> stevet@midusa,net Hme | Great Bend, KS 67530-4090 |
> sthomas@ckls.org Wrk | | Hmmm...
>
// Bill Kneedler E-mail: \\
|| Library Info. Systems Manager bkneedle@lib.ci.phoenix.az.us ||
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