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TurricaN
Grasshopper
Registered: 03/17/05
Posts: 823
Loc: Amersfoort, Netherlands
Last seen: 8 months, 10 days
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Schools blocking access to Erowid
#5397855 - 03/14/06 05:26 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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I happened to mention the site Erowid at another forum that I visited and someone remarked that the website was blocked on the computers in their school. Now, I know that schools are not exactly keen on drugs discussion, but does this strike anyone else as going a little too far?
I mean, Erowid isn't exactly promoting drugs and their information seems to be pretty accurate and non-biased to me. Does anyone else see it as a little backwards that kids should not be allowed to educate themselves about drugs?
Just curious to hear some views on this.
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Konnrade
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Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
Loc: LA Suburbs
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5397863 - 03/14/06 05:31 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Well schools as a rule just try to keep any discussion of drugs from happening. Their stance on the matter is presented during their drug education curriculum, and they try to prevent other stances from permeating the students' minds.
As an academic institution, they are compelled to do as the parents desire and keep the children away from drugs... so they do things like what you've mentioned.
It's fucked up, but I don't blame them for it.
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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Herbus
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Registered: 10/19/04
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5397865 - 03/14/06 05:32 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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I used to kick it in English on erowid.org all class...
Everyonce in a while teacher would kick me off, but the class was filled with kids with no academic ambition, let alone academic confidence, which creates an atmosphere teachers don't like... a bunch of stupid teenage kids talking about stupid shit.
So if you're articulated in speech, make strong points and give witty-ass responses to their requisitions after a while they take a subconscious liking to you and allow a larger degree of leverage when dealing with issues like getting on the computer...
It also helps if you're writing a "report" on cough medicine (ab)use.
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Silversoul
Rhizome


Registered: 01/01/05
Posts: 23,576
Loc: The Barricades
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5398013 - 03/14/06 07:25 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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If your position is anti-drug, and a website provides neutral, unbiased drug information, then it will appear to you as pro-drug.
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blink
eye of horus



Registered: 03/31/02
Posts: 11,349
Loc: Geographic Location (Stat...
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid *DELETED* [Re: Silversoul]
#5398039 - 03/14/06 07:37 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Post deleted by blinkidiotReason for deletion: Im sorry
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Konnrade
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Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: blink]
#5398053 - 03/14/06 07:41 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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I remember back in high school we used this content nazi program that was always blocking sites that the instructors needed to access for legitimate educational purposes.
Content blocking services are usually nothing but problematic. They're also just ghey.
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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Dfekt
Your mother wouldn't approve...


Registered: 02/27/05
Posts: 586
Loc: UK
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Konnrade]
#5398091 - 03/14/06 07:55 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Well to be honest, it's just the sort of attitude i'd expect from fascist school governors really ("somebody please save the children" etc), but if you think that's bad - where i live, the local council has blocked Erowid from all computers at the library!!
-------------------- "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit." ~Oscar Wilde
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blink
eye of horus



Registered: 03/31/02
Posts: 11,349
Loc: Geographic Location (Stat...
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid *DELETED* [Re: Dfekt]
#5398094 - 03/14/06 07:57 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Post deleted by blinkidiotReason for deletion: Im sorry
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OJK
Stranger

Registered: 06/08/03
Posts: 10,629
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5398099 - 03/14/06 07:59 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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My college had content filters that are fucking retarded. I couldn't research a poem I was writing an essay on because it contained the word "naked". I couldn't view images of Michealangelo's David. I wrote them a letter about it, they didn't do anything.
Luckily, using corel caches, google caches, web-based proxies, open proxies, Jap, Tor, portable firefox and TorPark, it was possible to view anything I damn well wanted to
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Adden

Registered: 06/04/03
Posts: 39,201
Loc:
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5398106 - 03/14/06 08:04 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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My campus blocks erowid as well.
I bet the library has MUCH better resources than erowid does
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Dfekt
Your mother wouldn't approve...


Registered: 02/27/05
Posts: 586
Loc: UK
Last seen: 7 months, 9 days
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: blink]
#5398119 - 03/14/06 08:09 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
blinkidiot said: You have shitty librarians. You're legally allowed to look at porn on library computers. Call your local ACLU.
Really? Hmm... maybe in America but you wont be able to sell that shit to the uptight old fucks running your stereotypical English library!
I already complained to the administrator via email... funnily enough still waiting for a reply...
-------------------- "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit." ~Oscar Wilde
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Konnrade
↑↑↓↓<--><-->BA



Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
Loc: LA Suburbs
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Dfekt]
#5398170 - 03/14/06 08:41 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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It IS a respectable source of information on Neurochemistry, Ethnopharmacology, Ethnobotany, Health effects of drug use/abuse... etc.
Presented with that fact it would be easy to enlighten someone about how bad it makes them personally look if they block access to that.
It's like banning the merck index because it contains drugs... it's just not reasonable. Admittedly the Merck index is an accredited document that is considered THE official resource in some respects... but the two resources are still somewhat comparable.
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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adrug

Registered: 02/04/03
Posts: 15,800
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5398214 - 03/14/06 09:05 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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They are probably using some filter that blocks out anything to do with drugs. Note how my name is "adrug"? I had a website with my name in the URL and my old job wouldn't let me view it because of the word "drug" in the URL. EVEN THOUGH it was a personal website and had absolutely nothing to do with drugs.
Honestly though, any self-respecting computer user would be able to figure out how to get around that filter.
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Thin White Duke
Stranger


Registered: 10/20/04
Posts: 51,530
Loc:
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5398230 - 03/14/06 09:09 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
TurricaN said: I happened to mention the site Erowid at another forum that I visited and someone remarked that the website was blocked on the computers in their school. Now, I know that schools are not exactly keen on drugs discussion, but does this strike anyone else as going a little too far?
I mean, Erowid isn't exactly promoting drugs and their information seems to be pretty accurate and non-biased to me. Does anyone else see it as a little backwards that kids should not be allowed to educate themselves about drugs?
Just curious to hear some views on this.
www.spysurfing.com
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Konnrade
↑↑↓↓<--><-->BA



Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
Loc: LA Suburbs
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Quote:
Jeremy Boob said:
Quote:
TurricaN said: I happened to mention the site Erowid at another forum that I visited and someone remarked that the website was blocked on the computers in their school. Now, I know that schools are not exactly keen on drugs discussion, but does this strike anyone else as going a little too far?
I mean, Erowid isn't exactly promoting drugs and their information seems to be pretty accurate and non-biased to me. Does anyone else see it as a little backwards that kids should not be allowed to educate themselves about drugs?
Just curious to hear some views on this.
www.spysurfing.com
My school blocked a large number of those proxies as well. They paid lazy fuckers to sit around finding new URLs to block.
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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Boom
just a tester

Registered: 06/16/04
Posts: 11,252
Loc: Cypress Creek
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5398274 - 03/14/06 09:24 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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I can see where they're coming from. While the information is solid and attempts to reduce possible harm, it is basically a how-to site about almost every illegal substance there is.
While I disagree with filtering information, if they are going to filter things, I can see why they'd block that site.
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Dfekt
Your mother wouldn't approve...


Registered: 02/27/05
Posts: 586
Loc: UK
Last seen: 7 months, 9 days
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Quote:
Jeremy Boob said:
www.spysurfing.com
i've been looking for something like that for ages! I used to just bounce through Babelfish (Altavista translator) when i wanted to look at blocked websites but that doesn't seem to work any more...
-------------------- "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit." ~Oscar Wilde
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Konnrade
↑↑↓↓<--><-->BA



Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
Loc: LA Suburbs
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Boom]
#5398348 - 03/14/06 09:48 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
Booooom said: ... it is basically a how-to site about almost every illegal substance there is...
Technically not true. It only covers the ones that are drugs. Other illegal substances are avoided alltogether, like explosives and such.
Unlike sites such as totse, where there are great ideas about how to get yourself killed involving LITERALLY every illegal substance there is.
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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Boom
just a tester

Registered: 06/16/04
Posts: 11,252
Loc: Cypress Creek
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Konnrade]
#5398354 - 03/14/06 09:49 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Yeah I meant drugs when I said substances
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Jfisher
fungusaficionado


Registered: 05/24/05
Posts: 1,093
Loc: Sealand
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Boom]
#5398613 - 03/14/06 10:56 AM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Yeah, my school used to do the same thing. I eventually just set up my own proxy and never worried about it again.
-------------------- Any information written above is purely fictional. Any images do not belong to the owner of this account.
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blink
eye of horus



Registered: 03/31/02
Posts: 11,349
Loc: Geographic Location (Stat...
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid *DELETED* [Re: Boom]
#5399503 - 03/14/06 02:58 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Post deleted by blinkidiotReason for deletion: Im sorry
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Konnrade
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Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
Loc: LA Suburbs
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: blink]
#5399559 - 03/14/06 03:14 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Quote:
blinkidiot said: They also have a really beautiful art vault, as well as resources for spirituality, meditation, lucid dreaming and others as well as character vaults on people involved in the drug war, both good and bad.
It's a lot more than just "a drug site"
Very good point.
It's also a very large cultural library in and of itself.
I'm realizing that I take erowid for granted... it really is an impressively awesome website.
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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kaniz
That one, overthere.


Registered: 07/23/04
Posts: 4,166
Loc: Ontario
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Konnrade]
#5399620 - 03/14/06 03:29 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Yes, erowid is far more than 'just a drug site'. However, I can fully understand why a school would want to block access to that resource.
IMO - school network, school computers, they have every right to control and limit what you can and can not do with their resources.
Annoying? Yes - but also understandable.
From a teacher/administrative perspective, especially from one that will most likely have an anti-drug point of view, seeing students surf to sites which give details on drug use, and 'expierence reports' of other peoples drug use, along with information on how to do them, what the effects are, how much to use, etc.
It's a shame that they over-look the fact that the site is fairly unbaised and gives information on their dangers and harm-reduction also. It is also a shame that you get blocked off from their art galleries and non-drug resources.
But, at the end of the day - I can understand their position. Just go home and surf erowid on your own time instead of school time IMO.
Now, if your in a university, living in a dorm, and using the net from your own bedroom (but still their networks) - this does become a pain in the ass, and starting to over-step some boundries IMO, and that I would complain about.
Edited by kaniz (03/14/06 03:32 PM)
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG

Registered: 01/07/04
Posts: 7,752
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: kaniz]
#5399667 - 03/14/06 03:45 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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In my experience in high school, most people probably wouldn't use erowid responsibly. But there's also a great loss of information for papers and such.
Still, as far as the kids go... they'd probably be looking for ways to get high as easily as possible. I can see why a school would block that in our current system. If you're avoiding proper drug education, this is more of an effect rather than cause.
I've said it before, but a lot of idiots just use erowid to SEE that some thing they can easily get has a *section* on the site. If it does, *great* we've struck gold! Rather than reading it, it is more of a list. The smarter ones might look at dosage advice. "Aw man cool. I've heard of this datura stuff before. We can get that easy! NUTMEG OMFGFOMFOMDOMSOMF!!!z"
-------------------- You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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Konnrade
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Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: kaniz]
#5399674 - 03/14/06 03:47 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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You know, actually... public schools in the US are considered an appendage of the government, so they could quite easily be found to be violating 1st ammendment rights for denying access to a resource such as that to students.
But that's in the US. Elsewhere, things work differently.
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG

Registered: 01/07/04
Posts: 7,752
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Konnrade]
#5399748 - 03/14/06 04:11 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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I suppose students should also have the right not to be randomly searched at any time? Even their carts parked on property...
-------------------- You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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Konnrade
↑↑↓↓<--><-->BA



Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Koala Koolio]
#5399763 - 03/14/06 04:14 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Some rights have been harder to defend than others.
But the 1st ammendment tends to be regularly upheld for students.
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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trendal
J♠


Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 20,815
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5399782 - 03/14/06 04:18 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Same thing I tell everyone in this case:
just google "nph-proxy" (with the quotes) and you will be given thousands upon thousands of web-proxies to use.
Works like a charm for most content blocking programs that I have seen.
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Once, men turned their thinking over to machines in the hope that this would set them free. But that only permitted other men with machines to enslave them.
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Vvellum
Stranger

Registered: 05/24/04
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: TurricaN]
#5399803 - 03/14/06 04:24 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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yeah, big deal. just bypass this blocking with proxies.
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blink
eye of horus



Registered: 03/31/02
Posts: 11,349
Loc: Geographic Location (Stat...
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid *DELETED* [Re: Vvellum]
#5399972 - 03/14/06 04:55 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Post deleted by blinkidiotReason for deletion: Im sorry
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Koala Koolio
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Registered: 01/07/04
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: blink]
#5400012 - 03/14/06 05:02 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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Some also block you out of google searches for anything saying proxy, just as they would for a porn search.
Your best bet would be to create your own somehow, on a private webpage (though not a free one, buy your own domain). One guy did this, though he did allow public access. He eventually stopped for bandwidth reasons, then the site got blocked I believe.
One thing that seems to work for some filters is the web translating thing, like altavista. Just translate from spanish to english, or whatever. Some words will be lost in the process...
-------------------- You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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Konnrade
↑↑↓↓<--><-->BA



Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Koala Koolio]
#5401328 - 03/14/06 10:13 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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One of the real big-guns in content-nazi software has recently evolved to be immune to the translator workaround
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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Koala Koolio
TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG

Registered: 01/07/04
Posts: 7,752
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Konnrade]
#5401402 - 03/14/06 10:28 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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N2H2?
-------------------- You're not like the others. You like the same things I do. Wax paper, boiled football leather... dog breath. We're not hitch-hiking anymore, we're riding!
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Konnrade
↑↑↓↓<--><-->BA



Registered: 09/13/05
Posts: 13,833
Loc: LA Suburbs
Last seen: 8 months, 26 days
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Re: Schools blocking access to Erowid [Re: Koala Koolio]
#5401428 - 03/14/06 10:34 PM (17 years, 10 months ago) |
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SmartFilter
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I find your lack of faith disturbing
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