Internet Content Filtering

Many parents and educators are concerned about inappropriate material on the Internet (hate, violence, illegal activity, pornography). This concern is well founded since, as we all know, inappropriate material is abundant on the Internet. The problem is so big, in fact, that some grants and other technology support programs are now available only to those Internet Service Providers (ISP) and schools which are filtered.

Filtering is a technology that sifts through websites on the Internet looking for inappropriate material. Some filtering is “passive,” which means that a program is resident on the user’s computer and is programmed to block sites with certain words in the text. These programs do NOT filter for pictures, oblique text, or other material that, when viewed, is clearly objectionable. In addition, filtering may be needed to address Internet sites which are not necessarily “bad” or “evil,” but instead are time wasters when used in the school setting. Sports and music sites are some examples of websites that may distract students from their given task (much like comic books in the school library!)

We provide filtering for all of our account holders because our mission is educational technology. The Acceptable Use Standards (AUS) document which outlines this issue is signed by each account holder as part of their application for service. We understand that some users prefer not to have filtered service, and we encourage them to consider another ISP. When it comes to kids, safer is better.

If you have any questions on the filtering service, please contact Shastalink TAC. The filtering service operating on the Shastalink Network involves reviewing websites for inappropriate material by actual people. If a site is deemed inappropriate by the reviewers, it is added to a master blacklist, and the most current version of this list is uploaded to the filtering servers each night. This “active” filtering system, though costly, does the best job of identifying objectionable material.

Recognize however that content filtering is not foolproof. New sites are added at an alarming rate each day on the Internet, and many are inappropriate or carry links to other sites which are inappropriate. Additionally, objectional material may still be delivered via email or through file sharing applications like Kazaa. Therefore, it is still important for parents and teachers to watch over kids using the Internet. With filtering, though, most of the watching will be fun!

Denied Access FAQ's

You may have been linked to this page because you had a concern about being denied access from viewing a particular web page. We have assembled a list of frequently asked questions to help you understand what is going on.

Why was I denied access to this page?
Shastalink has implemented web filtering tools. The site you tried to access was in one of the categories the administrators at Shastalink chose to restrict access to.

I need this page! How do I get it unblocked?
The Shastalink system administrator is the only one that can change the filtering settings. Our products have the ability to block and unblock whole categories of sites or specific websites.

Who is "8e6 Technologies" and why are they denying me access?
8e6 Technologies is a company that provides Internet filtering and reporting solutions to business, schools and ISP's. However, they only supply the tools to filter and monitor Internet access; Shastalink is actually the one who make the decision whether a particular site or category of websites are to be restricted. More about 8e6 Technologies.