A couple weeks ago, I wrote a
diary about Websense, the Internet filtering software, and its effect on my workplace. To recap, I'm a state employee. Specifically, I'm a correctional librarian, and as such, restriction of certain forms of information is the law of the land. Most of the time, this is for the better (preventing inmates from having access to dangerous materials, gang literature, The Anarchist's Cookbook, etc). With staff access to information being severely curtailed, however, this restriction is
definitely a change for the worse.
I'd like to let you all know what I discovered about my employer's Websense policy.
Clicky.
We've all heard about workplace bias against liberals. Many of us have heard of workplace bias in webfiltering, too.
I'm not sure, however, if we've heard definitively about a government employer instituting a webfiltering policy with a distinct conservative bias.
Take a look behind the curtain, then, and read the e-mail I sent to my superior in charge of information technology (sorry the formatting is bad):
I've been thinking, and finally had the chance to test my theory. It took less than 15 minutes. If you would, take a look at a selection of 10 websites, and which ones are available through Websense and which are blocked.
BuzzFlash yes
DailyKos no
MyDD no
RawStory yes
Atrios at Eschaton no
TPM-Muckraker yes
Talking Points Memo no
Wonkette no
Huffington Post yes
MediaMatters yes
Remember that "Yes" means it's available, while "No" means it is blocked. And now, another 10 websites:
Powerline yes
RedState no
Little Green Footballs yes
Michelle Malkin yes
Drudge Report yes
Newsbusters yes
Newsmax yes
Instapundit yes
Wizbang! yes
Pajamas Media yes
If you aren't familiar with the sites in question, the first 10 are all liberal/progressive, while the second 10 are all fervently right-wing. Most feature a message board, and while I haven't tested the allowed sites for an ability to successfully post through Websense, I suspect that the fact that the site is accessible means that the message boards are accessible as well.
I know you're not a fan of Websense in general, so I'm not complaining to you as a responsible party, but rather as a superior. These sites are all equally high-profile given their audiece. This smacks of a non-technological bias, and those in charge of web filtering are very close to playing a dangerous game of partisanship. My understanding of Websense is that it does not "learn" new websites to block; they must be entered by a technician. If said technician (either at DOC or Websense HQ) knows about Wonkette, then they should reasonably be expected to know Michelle Malkin.
I realize that there are other issues in play with regards to accessing these websites, but I'm not talking about use of their services, but simply whether or not they're even accessible. Care to share your opinion?
Those "other issues" include a state workplace rule prohibiting any political activity on state computers (some of you may have heard of the low-grade scandal regarding this issue in Wisconsin). I think that rule is meant to prevent work on a political candidate's behalf, but regardless, I don't want to cross any of those lines.
It's also worth pointing out that I forgot Democratic Underground and BradBlog. DU is available to visit, but not to post, while BradBlog is totally blocked.
I'm partially hoping that my supervisor has nothing intelligent to offer on this issue, because I'm kind of dying to shake the place up a bit. I just can't believe that the state would let something this overt go through.