How some filters work

[Burt, David]

KAREN SCHNEIDER wrote:

>that many first-generation
>filters block primarily by keyword, and newer filters block
>primarily by combination or by hostnames alone (in addition to
>blocking or unblocking by protocol, time/place/manner, etc.,
>depending on the product).   This is not to say that one is better
>than the other; I think it's a bit of a red herring to focus on
>keyword vs. hostname.  If you can't access what you need, and
>stuff you don't want gets through, then the product is not
>performing as advertised, regardless of how it functions.

I don't think keyword blocking and site selected blocking are at all
comparable.  Keyword blocking is crude and ineffective, and considering
the current abilitiy of computers to understand human language,
unworkable.

Site selected blocking is much more effective, and is definitely
workable, since the sites can be reviewed and easily added or deleted,
at least in theory.

I really think librarians should just drop all focus on keyword
blocking, since it is absolutely irrelevant to libraries.  It's time to
put the bogey man to bed.

  ***********************************************************
          David Burt, Information Technology Librarian 
          The Lake Oswego Public Library 
          706 Fourth Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
          URL:          http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/library.htm
          Phone:     (503) 675-2537 
          Fax:           (503) 635-4171 
          E-mail:      dburt at ci.oswego.or.us