Filters – Part 2
How does a filter actually filter?
There are different approaches in implementing filtering technology.
One approach is to create a rating of all existing sites and filter out unwanted content based on that.
Another approach is to scan every page of a site and filter it based on the content found on the site The latter significantly slows down your Internet connection, but the filtering is always as up to date as possible.
What happens if a site is not rated?
When a site is not rated, then your filter has 2 options; either allow all, or block all unrated sites.
If you allow “not rated” sites you will allow sites which you don’t really want. However, if you block “not rated” sites, there may be sites which you do want, but will be blocked.
Therefore it is a toss up, yet we recommend blocking all “not rated” sites.
Will a specific filter meet my personal needs?
Different filters have different levels of customization. Some filters will block everything, except a few specific sites – which is perfect for people who only need the Internet for a handful of sites.
For those that need more than a predefined list of websites, they run the risk of allowing sites which they do not want to be viewed. Therefore choosing the correct filter levels is important in using the filter properly.
How customizable are the software based filters?
The software based filter which we recommend
is extremely customizable.
It is based on the keywords or categories
which are predefined by the user.
The administrator on the account has the ability to:
- Filter by category
- Filter by site
- Filter based on time
What does it mean to filter by category?
There is a administrative panel in which the administrators can determine which categories they would like to block. The list is broken down into two categories, (a) generally blocked categories and (b) other categories.
Some examples of the optional categories include:
- Shopping
- Social sites
- Streaming video
- Chat/ IM
- Software downloads
- as well as many others!
What does it mean to filter by site?
Sometimes you want to block or allow a specific site.
An example would be:
You want to block ALL streaming video. However, you want to allow your 8 year old son to watch a clip on You Tube.
You go to youtube.com and the site is blocked (since you blocked all streaming videos).
You have the option, as the administrator, to allow the site temporarily, for 15-45 minutes.
This ensures the filter always remains on, yet is completely customizable to your needs.
What does it mean to filter by time?
You are able to block the ENTIRE INTERNET for any specific time.
We have seen some block it from 10pm to 7am all weeknights -to ensure that their children are not on the computer at night.
We have also seen people put the filter on for 24/7 – so that the internet is always inaccessible, without the password. This was done since the parent wanted the computer to be accessible, but did not want his children to use the Internet all together!
