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Date:      Mon, 28 Dec 1998 22:33:13 -0800 (PST)
From:      "Joseph M. Scott" <jmscott@ainet.com>
To:        Scott Lambert <lambert@techbsd.csw.net>
Cc:        freebsd-isp@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject:   Re: BESS internet filtering
Message-ID:  <Pine.GSU.4.05.9812282225430.25325-100000@www.ainet.com>
In-Reply-To: <19981228173301.A9432@techbsd.csw.net>

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	__$0.02__

On Mon, 28 Dec 1998, Scott Lambert wrote:

> On Sat, Dec 26, 1998 at 01:21:22PM -0600, Phillip Salzman wrote:
> > 
> > This may be a little bit off topic, but does anyone 
> > know much about the BESS filtering system?  It is a program
> > that filters "unwanted" content from ISPs dialup users.

	I work for a small ISP, we've had the occasional similar request,
usually more from businesses/schools than from dialup customers.

> 
> The service comes as a black box which they configure and then ship to you.
> I'm not sure what platform it uses for the OS but they are responsible for the
> maintainance of the system for the term of your monthly contract.

	This sounds like it would be the best type of arrangement,
assuming that the contract isn't and arm and a leg :-)

> 
> The main problem I can see with the system from the ISP's point of view is
> getting people to configure their web browser's properly to use the system.
> With the Radius setup they allegedly can't see anything without having the 
> proxies set correctly.  That makes things more secure than NetNanny type 
> programs but it may be more hassle for my Tech Support department.  Of course,
> my Support department can deal with the hassle for the value added pricing to 
> the customer. 

	This is the part that I've thought about from time to time.  For
the longest time we've been using Livingston PM2e's, we've been moving to
PM3's for awhile ( but still have some 2e's :-).  I thought I recall
reading a way to support transparent proxing.  I'll have to go back and
look at things, but I would think that this should be possible.  Then
proxy setting or no, they go through that filter for all port 80 requests
( for example ).  Hummmmm.

> I can't think of any legal problems, but I'm not a lawyer.  Your customer 
> is specifically asking for their content to be filtered.  The "un-desirable" 
> sites on the net are already filtered by client based filtering software 
> as it is, so this is nothing new to them.

	I wouldn't think that there is too much of a legal issue, since as
you pointed out, these people requested the filtering.  

	END __$0.02__

	I would sure like to come up with some good filtering offers, but
what happens if they miss something?  Will the customer get mad because it
wasn't blocked?

* Joseph M. Scott
* jmscott@ainet.com
* American InfoMetrics
* Modesto, CA


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