Back from Maine!

[thewayne]

Had a great time, had fresh lobster twice, fresh salmon once, hung out on beaches and tidal pools, clambered across rocks, bought some books and refrigerator magnets. Didn't check email once! (Russet's sister doesn't have a computer, much less an internet connection, and no one in range of her condo had one, either!)

We ended up going to the library to go online to find a hotel in Manchester to make our return flight(s) easier. We got instructions on how to access their system -- they use a proxy server that you have to plug in the IP address and port into your browser config! -- and you wouldn't believe the amount of filtering that they do!

Can't access web mail!
Can't access blogs or wikis!
Can't go into an HTTPS session!
Can't access SpareBrainsGames.Com because it has Games in the url!
Russet couldn't access the observatory! (possibly because of a slow connection on the observatory's side)

I could access my web mail through sparebrainsgames.com, so their filtering is more of a brute-force approach, i.e. probably url filtering without really looking at the content. If I lived their, I could easily route my email through web mail and get past it.

It would have been fun to bop around their filtering and see what naughty stuff we could have access, and it would have been additionally interesting to see if they were blocking the town sites of Scunthorpe or Middlesex, but we didn't really have time to play their silly little games.


The travel itself was kind of tiring. El Paso -> Houston -> Cincinatti -> Machester. With 2ish hour layovers in Houston and Cincinatti. Surprisingly, all of the flights were on time, both ways! And we flew on Brazilian commuter jets except on the Houston <-> El Paso leg. It was interesting, I'd never seen a jet with one seat against the port side, an aisle, then two seats. It sat around 50.


Anyway, excellent trip. We had lots of fun, Russet's mother is doing pretty well, and we're home. I'll be posting some beach pictures somewhere at some point if anyone is vaguely interested.


We now return you to your regularly scheduled blather. :P

Comments

[vaudy.livejournal.com]

I guess that library doesn't want kids playing online games on their computers. A little unusual nowadays, with so many libraries embracing gaming, but not all libraries are on that boat yet. As you may imagine, I hear a lot about filtering, despite the fact that I have no desire to work in a public library. I don't think I've ever heard of filtering web mail before. That seems particularly draconian. What if someone who doesn't have a computer at home, or has a computer but can't afford internet access, needs to use web mail because they're looking for a job, either because they need to email resumes or because potential employers might contact them via email?

The thing I really hate about filtering, as you've just experienced, is that it often does block valid sites. A lot of filters block health-related sites, political sites, LGBT support sites, social justice sites, Shakespeare's plays, religious sites, and homepages for various politicians or political candidates. One study I glanced at found that one filtering software product blocked a marijuana fact sheet put out by the NIH. Good job, guys. By deciding to block drug-related keywords, you've managed to block a site that might convince kids not to do drugs.

The two big problems are that most filters have to operate mindlessly on keywords and that many of them are biased according to the views of whoever designed them. Mostly, filters tend to be skewed conservatively, but one product was found to block the NRA and pro-gun sites while allowing sites related to gun control.

I certainly don't want to find out that someone's been using public library computers to prey on kids or want to turn a corner in my local library and get an eyeful of porn from someone else's computer terminal, but most filters still overfilter so much important information that it goes beyond protection to flat out censorship, some of it quite blatant.

/soapbox

[shou-lao.livejournal.com]

It sounds like you had agreat time in Maine. :)

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

We did. One of the most amazing thing was standing on a beach and feeling the sand beneath your feet shift as the tide came in and out.

Very cool.

[askshana.livejournal.com]

Ohhh... Maine!

We've never been there. Hopefully you had good weather...

And I for one would love to see pics!!!!!!