Thread item being blocked. - UK Vintage Radio Repair and Restoration Discussion Forum

SteveCG · 15th Jun 2013, 10:38 am

Dear moderators,

I thought you might like to know I find that I cannot access the thread on the end of Windows XP in the Recent items section. My service supplier blocks it for reasons of 'links within it being suspect'

Paul Stenning · 15th Jun 2013, 7:58 pm

There are only links to the Windows XP service packs on the Microsoft website and to an article on Toms Hardware website. Nothing problematic. Maybe you need to have a word with your ISP?

SteveCG · 17th Jun 2013, 10:08 am

Paul,

...via a different service provider I can see and read that thread. I can only assume that an anti-virus checker on the other service provider had found something fishy in a link. It happened more than once, but only on that particular thread. Otherwise no problems in all my previous accesses to the Forum.

Paul Stenning · 17th Jun 2013, 10:13 am

Some company networks can have very strict and seemingly illogical filtering on them too.

lesmw0sec · 17th Jun 2013, 3:16 pm

Agreed. I use Demon and tried to look up my own pages whilst in a library, only to find it blocked. It would seem that the word "demon" was the cause!

Les.

paulsherwin · 17th Jun 2013, 4:52 pm

Possibly yet another example of the infamous Scunthorpe problem.

HamishBoxer · 18th Jun 2013, 11:16 am

Thank You for telling me that Paul. I used to work in "Sunny Scunny" as we called it in my Granada days.

Station X · 18th Jun 2013, 11:22 am

I think this is what caused the problem:-

Quote:

5. Only one person at a time could use the car unless you bought "CarNT," but then you would have to buy more seats.

It's on one of the pages linked to.

Nickthedentist · 18th Jun 2013, 1:01 pm

That's bizarre! A dyslexic profanity filter?!

N.

paulsherwin · 18th Jun 2013, 1:28 pm

Some filters do phonetic analysis and can result in really bizarre false positives.

SteveCG · 18th Jun 2013, 2:34 pm

Oh dear,

I just tried looking at the "Philips micro system oddity" thread in the Modern Equipment page, to be greeted by a 'blocked access' message...

paulsherwin · 18th Jun 2013, 2:45 pm

Contact your ISP and tell them to turn the filtering off. ISPs are currently under a lot of pressure from grandstanding politicians who want to turn the internet into an online version of CBeebies.

SteveCG · 18th Jun 2013, 2:58 pm

Paul,

Yes, I'll try that. I just mentioned the occurences because I did not want phishing/scams to infect the forum site. If this is just a 'potentially' rude word being detected then what can one say? - I despair at PCness.

You can close the thread if you wish.

paulsherwin · 18th Jun 2013, 3:22 pm

It's almost certainly a false positive of some sort. You may well find your ISP is using highly restrictive filtering by default because of the current hysteria over child porn, and this will inevitably result in lots of false positives. All you can do is contact them and complain.

If your ISP allows you to manage your account online, you may find an option to change the amount of filtering there.

I'll close the thread as you suggest.

15th Jun 2013, 10:38 am	#1
SteveCG Nonode Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 2,495	Thread item being blocked. Dear moderators, I thought you might like to know I find that I cannot access the thread on the end of Windows XP in the Recent items section. My service supplier blocks it for reasons of 'links within it being suspect'

15th Jun 2013, 7:58 pm	#2
Paul Stenning Administrator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Cardiff Posts: 9,072	Re: Thread item being blocked. There are only links to the Windows XP service packs on the Microsoft website and to an article on Toms Hardware website. Nothing problematic. Maybe you need to have a word with your ISP? __________________ Paul Stenning Forum Admin/Owner and BVWS Webmaster

17th Jun 2013, 10:08 am	#3
SteveCG Nonode Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 2,495	Re: Thread item being blocked. Paul, ...via a different service provider I can see and read that thread. I can only assume that an anti-virus checker on the other service provider had found something fishy in a link. It happened more than once, but only on that particular thread. Otherwise no problems in all my previous accesses to the Forum.

17th Jun 2013, 10:13 am	#4
Paul Stenning Administrator Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Cardiff Posts: 9,072	Re: Thread item being blocked. Some company networks can have very strict and seemingly illogical filtering on them too. __________________ Paul Stenning Forum Admin/Owner and BVWS Webmaster

17th Jun 2013, 3:16 pm	#5
lesmw0sec Octode Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Carmel, Llannerchymedd, Anglesey, UK. Posts: 1,509	Re: Thread item being blocked. Agreed. I use Demon and tried to look up my own pages whilst in a library, only to find it blocked. It would seem that the word "demon" was the cause! Les.

17th Jun 2013, 4:52 pm	#6
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,957	Re: Thread item being blocked. Possibly yet another example of the infamous Scunthorpe problem.

18th Jun 2013, 11:16 am	#7
HamishBoxer Dekatron Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: W.Butterwick, near Doncaster UK. Posts: 8,935	Re: Thread item being blocked. Thank You for telling me that Paul. I used to work in "Sunny Scunny" as we called it in my Granada days. __________________ G8JET BVWS Archivist and Member V.M.A.R.S

18th Jun 2013, 1:01 pm	#9
Nickthedentist Dekatron Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Oxford, UK. Posts: 17,853	Re: Thread item being blocked. That's bizarre! A dyslexic profanity filter?! N.

18th Jun 2013, 1:28 pm	#10
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,957	Re: Thread item being blocked. Some filters do phonetic analysis and can result in really bizarre false positives.

18th Jun 2013, 2:34 pm	#11
SteveCG Nonode Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 2,495	Re: Thread item being blocked. Oh dear, I just tried looking at the "Philips micro system oddity" thread in the Modern Equipment page, to be greeted by a 'blocked access' message...

18th Jun 2013, 2:45 pm	#12
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,957	Re: Thread item being blocked. Contact your ISP and tell them to turn the filtering off. ISPs are currently under a lot of pressure from grandstanding politicians who want to turn the internet into an online version of CBeebies.

18th Jun 2013, 2:58 pm	#13
SteveCG Nonode Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Herefordshire, UK. Posts: 2,495	Re: Thread item being blocked. Paul, Yes, I'll try that. I just mentioned the occurences because I did not want phishing/scams to infect the forum site. If this is just a 'potentially' rude word being detected then what can one say? - I despair at PCness. You can close the thread if you wish.

18th Jun 2013, 3:22 pm	#14
paulsherwin Moderator Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 27,957	Re: Thread item being blocked. It's almost certainly a false positive of some sort. You may well find your ISP is using highly restrictive filtering by default because of the current hysteria over child porn, and this will inevitably result in lots of false positives. All you can do is contact them and complain. If your ISP allows you to manage your account online, you may find an option to change the amount of filtering there. I'll close the thread as you suggest.