General : Web safe - worth using?

[Matth]

http://store.virginmedia.com/discove.../web-safe.html

The two options for this:
Child Safe - the "family friendly" filter

Virus Safe - filters for virus / malware / phishing

Obviously, any filter is reactive rather than proactive, and if the scope is no more than whole site blocking, there is the problem of part bad, part ok sites.

[Martin_D]

Do you need to use Virgin Media DNS servers to get it to work. if so I will pass.

[johnholmes]

If you are an existing customer who signs up for Web Safe does it kick off another 12 month contract? It says "Upgrade your Collection".

[Martin_D]

Originally Posted by johnholmes

If you are an existing customer who signs up for Web Safe does it kick off another 12 month contract? It says "Upgrade your Collection".

https://my.virginmedia.com/my-apps/websafe/overview

[johnholmes]

Originally Posted by Martin Dee 11

https://my.virginmedia.com/my-apps/websafe/overview

That just asks me to sign in, which I can do when I am at home, but don't have my passwords spreadsheet on me - at work.

[Graham M]

Passwords spreadsheet, sounds safe

[Kushan]

Originally Posted by johnholmes

That just asks me to sign in, which I can do when I am at home, but don't have my passwords spreadsheet on me - at work.

You need something like Lastpass.


Anyhoo, I would just not bother with this web safe malarky and use OpenDNS instead, which is much more flexible.

[Matth]

I use OpenDNS, just wondering if websafe operates at DNS level, or at IP level (like the ever growing list of blocked sites)

[johnholmes]

Originally Posted by Matth

I use OpenDNS, just wondering if websafe operates at DNS level, or at IP level (like the ever growing list of blocked sites)

Web Safe operates on DNS.

[webcrawler2050]

I've had a quick scout at this and can't help think - has it been made to keep government happy or is it truly going to help people - more importantly, is it going to help parents too - I found, some parents aren't switched on enough about the tech world - thus why kids get into trouble. Maybe we should be thinking about helping teach the parents rather than just having an "off" button?

[Skie]

It's mainly to stop the great firewall of Cameron being imposed on them. Better to have their own half-arsed products than some Daily Mail led filter.

[Sirius]

I have turned it off until i know more about what information IF any is being kept to grow the system. I am not saying that information is being kept but i need to see the full product information before i turn it on.

[Neptune_Twilight]

Is it supposed to work straight away as I've put both filters on & a quick search still shows what I would consider Pr00n?

Edit: When I go back to the WebSafe page the virus one is on & WebSafe needs switching on, I can't see a save button?

---------- Post added at 20:22 ---------- Previous post was at 18:53 ----------

Well the honeymoon didn't last long, the first time I want to download a legitimate paid for program I've used for years (Update to Reg Organiser by Chemtable) (http://www.chemtable.com/organizer.htm) I'm blocked I therefore conclude the system is useless, much as I expected actually - Webroot recently rolled out a web filter on searches & has caused more problems than it's solved with users endlessly having to submit FP's - What I did find on VM's filter page are six unwanted trackers that strangly were not filtered by VM ?

[Neptune_Twilight]

Don't bother with the Virus Safe it's got far to many FP's, the Child Safe option seems to work fine & I've not been blocked during routine use, having a 13 year old & associated friends calling in it is a extra layer of protection for those who want it.

[Milambar]

In theory, schemes like this are a good idea. In practice, not so much.

Unless the list of sites being blocked, along with the reason is public information, I personally wouldn't touch it with a bargepole. Its too easy to implement censorship by the backdoor this way.

Theoretical example:
Add the domain of a small fledgling rival to the list. Their site disappears off the web and they have deniability, as nobody can prove its on the blacklist, since the blacklist is not public information. If all the major schemes do likewise, potential rival dies at inception due to almost nobody being aware of their existence.

The blacklists of such schemes need to be subject to public scrutiny to avoid the companies runningg them, being able to abuse them, and for all their good intentions now, they can't honestly say what will happen in the future. Best not give them that opening chance in the first place.

I will be opting out of the governments firewall when VM implements it. Not because I like or want porn, but because I don't trust what other content might be added to it.