CORNERSTONE PROXY INFORMATION
COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF COMPUTERS THAT ARE DENIED ACCESS TO SQUID PROXY (Updated Nightly and with each change)
ACCESS COMPUTER LIST (Username and Password Required)
COMPREHENSIVE LIST OF SITES THAT ARE ALLOWED ACCESS TO GSMITH.ORG (Updated Nightly and with each change)
ALL .EDU SITES ARE ALLOWED (Note: All EDU sites must pass very stringent US Requirements)
ALL .GOV SITES ARE ALLOWED (Note: All GOV sites must pass very stringent US Requirements)
ACCESS LIST OF .COM SITES THAT ARE ALLOWED
ACCESS LIST OF .NET SITES THAT ARE ALLOWED
ACCESS LIST OF .ORG SITES THAT ARE ALLOWED (Note: All ORG sites no longer must pass very stringent US Requirements)
HOW DO I REQUEST A SITE TO BE ADDED TO THE SAFE LIST?
Simply research the site you want added and our Information Technology Department will add it. (Note: It is the faculty's responsibility for content. The Information Technology only looks for Spy Ware and Malware.) Once you have a list or a site, just click the Help Desk Link; complete a Help Desk Request, be sure to select "Add Internet Sites" under categories, and it will be added ASAP. (Also if you have a category preference, please include that.) An easy way to do this is to fill out the request in the Faculty Break Room; go to the site, copy the URL, and paste it into the request form. Our goal is to have it added by the next school day.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)
Why not just add ORG sites such as we do for the EDU and GOV sites? Several years ago Internet sites had to go through a stringent application process to receive an ORG site. This is no longer the case; many ORG sites have pornography sites.
I notice when I go to an approved site, the proxy server blocks some content. Why is this happening? Often times some web sites link live content or feeds directly from non-approved sites. Proxy will never allow this to happen; strict IP Addresses and Domain Name resolution is performed before allowing content to be displayed. If content is vital from another site, let us know, and we will investigate that site for Malware; if it is clean, we will add it.
Does the proxy server slow down the Internet? No, it has the opposite effect. Once a site is visited, the proxy server caches the pages. If you visit the site again, it displays what is in cache first; then checks the site for changes and updates.
Why doesn't our school use an application like WebSense? Many schools in the Valley use this. WebSense is expensive, and the schools I visit have many problems with application-based filtering software. Most students understand they can easily bypass their school's filtering software by just going to Anonymous Proxy Servers that cater to young students, and advertise to them. Why doesn't those schools just block Anonymous Proxy Servers? They try; however, the Anonymous Proxy Server sites change their IP Addresses and Domain Names Frequently. The IT departments end up chasing their tails.
Why not just create a Black List and be done with it? Black Lists generally prohibit sites by content; including meta tags, and key words. Just in the case of the filtering software, you begin to chase your tail and never get anywhere. Additionally, many science sites may end up getting blocked because the filters believe that they are bad sites. Cornerstone only uses what is termed an approved "White List"; this only allows the sites you choose. Is this more work? Yes, it can be. Many public institutions have pseudo-filtering software that is used just to cover their policies. This school cares about the potential bad sites that could pop up; therefore, we will only have a "White List".
Why don't all student machines have Internet Proxy access? Administration has decided that all student computers have a total block to the Internet and even proxy. There are dedicated "Proxy Internet Access" computers available in selected classroom that faculty monitor for student use. Administration understands that if all student computers had Internet access, many students would waste time surfing even safe sites. Additionally, some faculty are concerned that students who are writing essays may copy and paste work from sites. They may do research from the dedicated Internet computers in selected classrooms.
What if I observe a student using the Internet on a student computer that is supposed to be blocked? We have a up-to-date list of all student computers that have been blocked. If a computer was missed, please report this ASAP to the IT department. We maintain a current list of all blocked computers here. (Username and Password Required) Why do we need to password protect this? This information does not require high-level security; however, we don't want students viewing what computers are blocked, and which computers are not. What if a computer is blocked and it shouldn't be? This is easily fixed, just notify the IT department. I also noticed that there are a few computers on this list that has "not named (security) server room not blocked", why is this? Humm... good question!
Why is the allowed sites in such weird format, and not very attractive? What you are actually seeing is part of the allowed sites scripts. We pull this information every time a change is made. This streamlines the process to serve you better and faster.
How did you decide to categorize the various web sites? This was a tough one. I just gave the best shot. Some sites have more than one characteristics such as; both reference and news. Any new sites you select, you get to pick the category.
Trivial Question. How long did it take to set this up? Oh, about eight hours on a Saturday. There is about 1,000 lines of code and hours of testing; however, you are the final beta tester! Do you really think that anyone reads all of this? No sure; however, I believe in letting everyone know what is going on. How do you know if someone reads this? I don't, but you could e-mail me and let me know if this information is beneficial to you and your students, and especially if you are a concerned parent!.