Limiting browsers to sites

[Andrew J. Mutch]

Stacey,

I tried out Net Nanny for this purpose and it will allow you to create a
Go To list specifying the urls you want to allow.  Although we do not use
it a our library, other libraries in our cooperative use Net Nanny for
this purpose and seem to be satisfied with it.

I use another method outlined at this site:

http://northville.lib.mi.us/tech/lockin.htm

Essentially, it uses the proxy settings in Netscape to restrict the
browser to specific urls. Another method already mentioned is to point
your broswers to a proxy server which restricts urls.  Both methods are
subject to tampering if users know enough about the browser so if you have
these types of problems already, you might want to try these alternatives
in conjunction with a third-party security software like Ikiosk.

Andrew Mutch
Northville District Library
Northville, MI


On Sat, 20 Dec 1997 spober at manvax.cc.manhattan.edu wrote:

> We want to limit certain of our public computers to browsing our
> catalog and specific web-based periodical indexes.  
> 
> I know that some of the filter products (Net Nanny, for example)
> claim they will do this.  Has anyone evaluated the filters for THIS
> use.  We're not interested in using them for their more common claim
> to fame - blocking sites they consider objectionable.  But from what
> I could tell on the TIFAP page, they were not assessed for this 
> particular use.
> 
> Can anyone point me to reviews of filters that assess their ability to
> limit users in this way (not to a list of 'family-friendly' sites but
> to sites that WE choose.)  Or is there some other type of software that
> could do this for us?  (And which might be cheaper than the filters.)
> 
> I'm sure there are sites doing this.  Please share what you find worked
> well - or poorly.
> 
> TIA
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>  Stacy Pober			   Internet: spober at manvax.cc.manhattan.edu
>  Information Alchemist		   http://www.manhattan.edu/library/mclmenu.html
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