Custom Web content filtering - categories not working
I have my Web content filtering set to custom. The category 'News/Media' and 'Business Services' is not checked.
However, from CNN Money, a link to http://economy.money.cnn.com/2014/02/13/chocolate-making-jobs-on-the-decline/?iid=HP_River gives me:
This domain is blocked. That website category isn't allowed because it contains unsafe content.
This site was categorized in: News/Media, Business Services
I am getting this in various areas and websites. This category has not been updated/changed at all on my settings. It just started doing this today.
I've had this same issues with other categories as well.
Ideas?
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"This site was categorized in: News/Media, Business Services"
This is informational only. It is not the reason why it is blocked for you! So don't worry about it.
If you want to see the reason, go here: https://dashboard.opendns.com/stats/all/blockeddomains
Regarding the link you posted: http://domain.opendns.com/economy.money.cnn.com
As you can see, this inherits categories Blogs and Software/Technology. And there is aliasing to subdomains of wordpress.com which you may have blocked by category or individually.
"categories not working" - still to be proved.....
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"This category has not been updated/changed at all on my settings. It just started doing this today."
The categories are updated the whole day (and night). Many domains may be added, and few removed.
Another reason for the symptoms you face is that your IP address information may not be current for your network.
https://dashboard.opendns.com/settings/
Therefore you may use someone else's settings... -
Ok, thanks! I thought that was 'exactly' why it was blocked. That message is not very helpful and is misleading.
Yes, I see now that there are other inheritances going on with this website. Looks like I'm going to have to become a paid member so that I can continue to add to the 'Allow' section.
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"Looks like I'm going to have to become a paid member so that I can continue to add to the 'Allow' section."
This would be one option, but the 50 entries you have there will still soon be filled up.
Another option would be to not initially block what you don't want to have blocked, i.e. selecting less or other categories to see how this goes. From the above (Blogs, Software/Technology) I see that your settings may be far too restrictive, especially if your kids are students. They will need access to such sites for school purposes. Blocking them hinders their learning.
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Sure, but, it is the website inheritance that is the bigger issue. A parental control system/software isn't easy to setup or monitor. Twenty years ago the worst was kids buying/trading magazines and hiding them. Today, everything is literally in their face and with them 24/7.
While this product works, it still leaves something to be desired.
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While this product works, it still leaves something to be desired.
I think you're being harsh; what it does it does very well (and we're not even talking about protection from phishing, etc.). I speak as a parent of two, who has used OpenDNS along with other no-cost protection (Google SafeSearch) along with parental oversight with great success.
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"Sure, but, it is the website inheritance that is the bigger issue."
But that's the websites' issue, not OpenDNS'. And it is that a site block cannot be circumvented by just using another domain name.
And in case you didn't find out yet how to specifically unblock the CNN money / economy site, if you're smart, simply add cnn.com and wordpress.com to your "never block" list, and it should most likely become accessible (after you have flushed your caches, of course). Alternatively, unchecking the categories Blogs and Software/Technology should help too.
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