Blocked
Submitted by chrismooney on Tue, 05/27/2008 - 09:00.
Hello, I am trying to access Second Life but our web filter blocks it. It is Barracuda. One of the reasons IT has given me for this is that if we open the port for SL it would open us to online attacks. Any suggestions?
Not having seen TG I can't
Not having seen TG I can't say much about it. I would say the concern would be teens getting onto MG. Here is something I found about teen perceptions of TG.
http://www.massively.com/2007/11/13/teen-grid-a-sad-state-of-affairs/
and more here re teens on MG
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9937956-7.html
Do try and meet up with us Tue June 10th at 7:30, search or NEISTE.
We can point you to people who have ready answers to your questions.
Filters and SL
Tom Mayes (Baxter Smitt in SL)up in Canaan has some experience with filters. You might ask him about filtering SL.
Filtered content
Is it not true that our obligation is to filter STUDENT access?
In our system there is a staff override password that opens a site for an hour then it closes again. If I had anyone asking for SL access (oh, I'm the IT guy) I would not have a problem with it, knowing that it would only be used for thta session vs. staying open.
I agree with Ray in that I would certainly not open up SL completely for student access, although not installing the client is one way toward that. However I DO think there is legitimate academic potential. I am actually toying with taking my 8th grade students on a brief "tour" of some interactive exhibits, although I am held back by the possibility that they would want to go home and set themselves up.
some details I left out
*"Is it not true that our obligation is to filter STUDENT access?"
In my building, our AUP does not distinguish between student/faculty users. All are filtered to the same level.
Eric has a good point, using SL requires the client to be installed. Controlling the client, controls access to SL.
It is possible that (depending on the equipment, and I don' know the Barracuda) to open a port just to a specific client I think. (ie forward that port ONLY to IP x.x.x.x)
I agree
I am a network person (so IT as you say).
If you are talking about access to the main (adult) grid in SL, then I would agree with whomever runs your network.
Any port that does not need to be open (those without a business or educational purpose) should be kept closed.
Allowing the adult version of SL into your school would grant you access to many innocuous things, many educational settings, and all the 18+ content that the internet filtering is there to prevent.
Once SL is allowed in, there is no way to filter (to my knowledge or even monitor) what happens inside the SL client.
Your institution likely receives federal finds and is therefore mandated to filter the internet. SL 'can't' be filtered, so should be kept closed.
That said, all decisions can be appealed. My suggestion would be to ask the IT person to reconsider (while stating your educational need for the application) assuming the reconsideration is also denied, ask (gently) how one is to appeal the decision.
There is a NEISTE meeting in SL life tonight, if you can log in from another network, please join us.
The meeting starts at 7:30, search for places for NEISTE.
R.
Agreement and question
Oh, I'm not trying to give the impression that I disagree with the decision to block it. I'm still very new to SL and would like to see how to limit the students from going to adult islands or places. I know that the school has to comply with state laws as set by Erate so I'm not trying to surpass that. Would the other educators classify SL as machinma or would they classify it as educational gaming?