Blocking Software

[Tom Ross <tross@AITKIN.K12.MN.US>]

Pat Crosbie was perplexed by her blocking software. It looked like it was blocking 
a cooking site.  The error she received was because the site is dysfuctional, down, 
not working broken and generally un accessable.  (I did check the site out) Her 
blocking software will default to one of several screens if the site is 
non-fuctional. The choice of the default screen could easily lead you to believe 
the site is being blocked, but it is not. That internet site is just down. I 
understand her frustration. The default screen is misleading, but it is a screen 
developed by techies who do not live in the same kind of human enviornment  
experienced by Library/Media people. They would not necessarly understand the need 
to have a screen that simply said "This site appears not to be working" and so they 
choose a generic default screen chosen by their software. Untill computers become 
as simple as microwaves ovens, we have to learn to adjust to "their world" and 
learn how to interpret the language of technical people.

Now, why do I speak with such confidence about her interpretation of the "Blocked 
Site," because I had to work through a simular problem. Of course true "Technical 
People" not just us Cyberians are even more "Geeky" than we and view our delima 
with some humor. They sometimes don't even answer us with the full truth, just the 
part they think we can comprehend. All of us involved with technology are like a 
layer of an onion. There is always a deeper layer than we and always a layer closer 
to the natural air of the real world. Or, if you will, there is a guy at the front 
of this elephent that when he describes the trunk to us doesn't understand our 
point of reference at the tail end of the elephant. Someone who couldn't understand 
why it doesn't make sense to us to have the elephant pick up the peanut with the 
long extrusion coming out of the body.

I suppose for now it is enough to say that the site is down and the blocking 
software is defaulting to a generic screen that would make it look like the site is 
blocked. This is not to justify any one version of blocking software, but to 
suggest there are only marginal simple solutions to complex answers wherein 
technology lies. So we complain that the tail cannot pick up the peanut and the guy 
at the front of the elephant is amazed that we cannot figure out how the trunk 
works. Or to quote Kurt Vonnegut (loosly) So it goes.

Tom Ross

Tom Ross
Director of Library/Media
Aitkin Public Schools
306 2nd St. NW
Aitkin, MN  56431
218-927-2115 ext. 207 on MT & Fri. Aft.
218-927-4838 ext. 124 on W,Th & Fri AM
Fax 218-927-4234 or
Fax Wave 209-882-5565

"Another day, another reason to be thankful."   :-)

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