Originally uploaded by funkybrownchick
Apologies if this post doesn’t appear correctly on the page. I can’t see it because I had to write and publish everything via Flickr. I’m at the library right now, and New York Public Library blocked access to my site. After a bit of digging, I’ve discovered the reason they’ve censored it is: “The Websense category ‘Sex’ is filtered.” Couple of thoughts.
(1) How the fuck did my site get labeled with the “sex category”??? I don’t mind www.funkybrownchick.com being called a sex site, mind you. I’d just like to know who / how / where / what entity is doing the labeling and what criteria they’re using.
(2) If the New York Public Library censors ALL sites slapped with a “sex” label, wouldn’t that include sex EDUCATION sites as well? In fact, I just tried to access Violet Blue’s EXCELLENT resource for teen sex education on www.tinynibbles.com. Guess what? Yep. That site’s blocked, too.
Book burning = bad. Banning sex ed websites = good. Okay. Got it.
Anyway, moving right along … Sorry I haven’t updated my blog in a couple days and I skipped posting a pic of yesterday’s juicy Manly Monday pick. I’m SUPER DUPER fucking serious about finishing my book in 2009, and I’ve been working on it like a mad woman ever since I returned to New York from my Illinois holiday trip. Fret not, I’m back to regular blogging now. (And, of course, I’m still working on my book.)
By the way, I know haven’t yet responded to comments some of you left on recent posts but, rest assured, I’ve read everything. For example, I noticed a dude named Steve wrote: “I have been masturbating profusely for over 25 years, and am able to complete the job with or without lube equally well.”
http://funkybrownchick.com/2006/12/11/penises-cut-vs-uncut/
Damn, I fucking love my readers … and the NYPL, even though they have 0% love for www.funkybrownchick.com. On that note … I came to the library to work on my book. Must get to it.
I feel stupid knowing know why you titled this blog entry — at first I thought “WTF?”
I know a few companies that block the funkybrownchick
Huh. Blocked by the library? I’m really surprised. Wait, now that I think about it, I guess I’m not all *that* surprised. Wait, I mean I’m not surprised they block sex sites, I am surprised they block *you*.
I’m dying to know what the criteria is, though. ‘Sex’ is a mighty big category consisting of lots of stuff that is not the hardcore pron they’re probably trying to block.
That’s effed up.
well…duhhh.. it’s the New York Library….. at times, you can bearly find Diane Arbus’s work in there….. guess what shelf your tome will rest on ….
but… it’s a cool place to work on stuff….. and people watch 2…..
lamesabassman…… have a hellacool New Year’s, love……
Actually, NYPL does not block your site. It doesn’t block any site. Anyone can get to any site at the library, except in the children;s room. What you were seeing was a filter screen warning you, the viewer, that the site you are trying to access may contain something related to sex. All you have to do is click on “OK, take me to that site” and you go right to it. (Or, you can click on “No, don’t wanna see that site.”) This was the most ethical way to meet federal requirements to provide filters (required of all organizations who receive federal funding) but to still allow you to get to any site you want to visit.
Also, if you read that screen, if you see any site that activates the filter screen that should not be activated, you can click on a link that will notify us. We will look at the site, and remove it from the filter. As you know these filters are automated, and look for sites that have heavy use of words like fuck, sex, etc., and/or images related to similar words. But automated=lots of mistakes, hence the means to get them out when you run across them.
But just to reiterate, none of these sites are blocked. The warning screen is just there to alert you of the potential, so that if you do not want to see something, you can click away.
if you ever have trouble with any of this, stop over at the desk and let us know…we’ll be glad to help you!
G
The library is a great place for sex. It just has to be quiet sex. There’s plenty of forgotten areas that people don’t go to……
but I digress from the point of the post. Talking to a sex ed professor, she was incensed by this practice. But it is commonplace.
Interesting to know that you read comments to old posts. I thought about commenting on some and then thought there was no point since the posts in question were a few years old. Now I know better.
If what Gary says is the case, it seems like a reasoned solution. Personally, I just liked the internet a whole lot better when it was more exclusive and you didn’t have to worry at all about kids getting in the way (however, it is nice to have so much more information online). Can’t they just get their own ‘net or something?
Found a link to this post over on Librarian and Information Science News (lisnews.org) and was just curious as to whether you were using a library desktop workstation or your own laptop connected via Wi-Fi when this happened. If the latter, I’d be curious as to how they’d manage to stop Gary’s purported clickthrough bypass from working in the children’s room on a wireless network.
By the way, Websense is a bitch. We’ve got it at work and of all the filters out there, it has to be the most mindless.
I consider it a kind of (slightly backhanded) compliment. My rachelkramerbussel.com site is blocked by law firms and other companies, and even The Frisky was blocked at the NYPL. I SO heart the NYPL for many reasons and get books there all the time, and am just grateful they have wireless. I get you though.
@ Matthew Milam: Okay, glad we’re both clear on that. :)
@ dragonslayer: I had several people on Twitter @ and DM me say the exact same thing. Also, I’ve had someone on a legal new site write about me, and I think they mentioned a filter / warning popped up when they tried to see my site. :(
@ missbhavens: I know!!! The stuff here is SUPER tame compared to other things floating around on the internet.
@ lamesabassman: I love Arbus’s work.
@ Gary: THANKS for your comment. Here’s a screenshot of the warning that popped up and the the language written thereon:
http://flickr.com/photos/funkybrownchick/3150151571/sizes/o/
I was being honest; it says access to my site was blocked, and I didn’t see links present that allowed me to get around the block. That said, it did mention I could send an email to filtering at blah blah blah (not typing the address, don’t want robots to pick it up and spam it) to request my site be unblocked. I planned to do exactly that when I returned from lunch; however, my site is no longer blocked now. On a different note, I soooo know what you mean about “automated=lots of mistakes.” I wrote an informative post & received comments about aesthetic and health differences between circumcised and uncircumcised penises, and my site’s spam-filter stuck a lot of the comments in moderation purgatory because they included the word penis.
@ dkzone: I’ve never had sex in a library, but I have had sex in a department store. Does that count? :)
@ Aenn: Oh yeah, I almost *always* read comments on old posts. In fact, I considered taking the dates off my blog posts so that people wouldn’t be discouraged from commenting on something that I’ve written a while ago. It’s still relevant, so I like to hear what people have to say.
@ jayleon: Whoa, didn’t know I’d ended up on lisnews.org. For the record, I was using my personal laptop at the library on 40th and 5th on Manhattan. I tapped into their wi-fi. As I mention above, I took a screenshot of the warning that appeared on my site and Gary’s ( … because I’ve been online long enough — since 1995 — to know nothing “really” appears unless you document it with a screenshot because anything can be changed.)
My site was banned:
http://flickr.com/photos/funkybrownchick/3150151571/sizes/o/
Violet’s site was banned:
http://flickr.com/photos/funkybrownchick/3150151527/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Hey, Rach! You sneaked a comment in there while I was typing out responses to the others. :) And, yes, I should totally mention that, too. I LOVE LOVE LOVE New York Public Library. Tons. In fact, I love and support libraries in general. One of my favorite quotes ever is inscribed at Chicago’s Harold Washington Library:
“The very existence of libraries affords the best evidence that we may yet have hope for the future of man.”
PS: Pssst! Credit paid — the quote above is from T.S. Eliot
Yea, I submitted the request to unblock it. Why make you do all the work. So looks like it is unblocked now. (Although don’t you think there’s a certain thrill of knowing your blog is so hot that it set off the sensors?)
And yea, we know you love us….we love you too. Complaints are good though…that’s how things get better.
Awesome!! :) Gary, seriously, THANK YOU for everything; much appreciated.
Greetings and Salutations from a library worker. Work in a public library, in city of about 500,000. When we first got Internet terminals we had no filtering system in place. After a few years of dudes looking at porn and kids walking by glancing over at it…the filtering system was put into place. I cannot access your blog from my pc in my office. The workers pcs are on a different server than the public. The pcs used at the reference desk have no filtering system. Right now that’s where I am posting this comment from…and glancing over my shoulder to make sure no supervisor comes by.
In the end having worked in a library with and without Net filtering I can say I prefer a library system with filtering.
We basically had the homeless and the crazy in here ALL DAY looking and sharing porn. Now they are only here for two hours tops.
Love your blog…keep the great work up and have a blessed ’09.
Oh yeah…since I cannot read your blog too often here at work I use my cell to keep up with it. AND before I forget there is plenty of sex at the library. The 1st floor men’s restroom here is very popular. Some private Catholic school girls got in on in the 1st floor women’s restroom a while back AND when the 700s which is art, photography books was on the 1st floor…the dudes would jerk off in the aisle. And there is a reason why SPORTS ILLUSTRATED’s swimsuit issue is always kept behind the desk and requires an I.D. Or else it would end up in the men’s restroom in some stall.
Wow. Gary was really on it. His explanation was super well reasoned. I still don’t think there should be any censorship at the library except, of course, for children.
Your site is also blocked at my office, so it isn’t just the library.
@ Chele Belle: Your comment was great; thank you! :) It’s interesting to hear a librarian’s perspective on the issue. By the way, for the record, I’ve never had sex in a library. Hmm, hadn’t considered it …
@ Kim: Yeah, I really like Gary’s proposed structure for filtering. It sounds fair.
@ Anthony B: I don’t know why my site is blocked; I’ve checked in with Websense to request more information.
NOTE: If anyone can’t access my site directly while at work (or elsewhere), here’s are a few options:
(1) Scroll up to the column on the right and sign up for email updates in the box marked “Enter your email address.” You’ll receive my blog posts directly via email.
(2) Subscribe to my RSS feed.
(3) Browse anonymously.
If you need more info on any of these options, email me or leave a comment.
The reason it is tagged with sex is because the title of your pages. It reads: | Twanna A. Hines @ FUNKYBROWNCHICK.com | sex. dating. relationships.
The sex part is in the title of the pages. On all of your pages.
Well, looks like the blocking thing has been cleared up-now on to getting that book finished :)
Have a great new year !
Si…… Dept. stores do count….. da tings one can do in a dressing room….
lamesabassman…… the ” Mile High ” club can’t hold a candle to a well placed
dressing room…….
First time at your blog. Not sure what to think. Why so many F-bombs? Not really necessary… do adults really talk like that?
[...] incident on my high-traffic blog — Funky Brown Chick, the same one that NYPL banned — I typed, “Book burning = bad. Banning sex ed websites = good. Okay. Got [...]
Sorry about the website address. I’m new to this, just started today!
It is unfortunate that those in “authority” tend to want to cater to the lowest common denominator in our society rather than the highest. One of the problems with that is people accept that as a guide to their behaviour, or act delibrately against it, or ignore it and do nothing (the majority). It has always amazed me to find out that most people don’t want their kids to know anything about something that is a possible threat to them. Somebody once said “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” Whoever said that knew what he was talking about. It will lead to the resolution of problems by the agreement to disagree method and puts both parties in a much better position if things do get out of hand.
The other thing is that each of us has a certain responsibility to our species to reproduce. Why should we not allow our kids to understand that procreation is fun? Shouldn’t we rather be teaching them how to do it better? Isn’t sex the foundation on which all relationships of any consequence are built?
Anyway, Twanna, I am a committed fan, keep it coming!