GREENVILLE (SC) COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM
BLOCKED CATEGORIES
Adware
Sites that promote or offer software that collects information about users to display target advertisement based on user browsing patterns and/or install advertising toolbars without the user's knowledge and consent.
Chat
Sites offering chat rooms and chat services as well as chat sites accessed via a browser, chat logs, IRC client downloads, IRC channel listings or channel information.
Sample sites: www.chatweb.net, www.chattown.com, www.javachatrooms.net
Child Pornography
Sites that promote, discuss and portray children in sexual acts and activity.
Criminal Skills
Sites that promote crime or illegal activity such as credit card number generation, illegal surveillance and murder.
Sample sites: www.illegalworld.com, www.password-crackers.com, www.spy-cam-surveillance-equipment.com
Explicit Art
Art sites that display art works containing graphic nudity, nude photography, and disturbing images.
Sample sites: www.fineartnude.com, www.ravengallery.com, www.agalleryofnudes.com
Hacking
Sites discussing and/or promoting unlawful or questionable tools or information revealing the ability to gain access to software or hardware/communications equipment and/or passwords. Sites that discuss password generation, compiled binaries, hacking tools, software piracy (game cracking).
Sample sites: www.happyhacker.org, www.phreak.com
Illegal Drugs
Sites that promote the sale/use of illegal drugs and narcotics, paraphernalia for express use with illegal narcotics, questionably legal "supplements" with a narcotic effect or sites that glorify the effect of illegal narcotics. Sites that offer techniques and products for testing clean for drugs as well as information on other forms of narcotics.
Sample sites: www.hightimes.com, www.homegrownfantasy.com, www.erowid.org
Instant Messaging (IM)
Sites that offer and enable Instant Messaging, central servers for IM applications, Client-based applications for IM (prevents the use of IM clients).
Sample sites: www.aim.com, www.icq.com, www.chat.msn.com
Intranet/Internal Servers
User-defined category is provided for customer site additions. E.G. User Intranet site, Internal database, Web page, Web based application, CRM, accounting packages, ERP systems, document repository, Internal file share,
FTP sites, etc.
Malicious Code/Virus
Sites that promote, demonstrate and/or carry malicious executable, virus or worm code that intentionally causes harm by modifying or destroying computer systems often without the user's knowledge.
Obscene/Tasteless
Sites that contain explicit graphical or text depictions of such things as mutilation, murder, bodily functions, horror, death, rude behavior, executions, violence, and obscenities etc.
Sample sites: www.celebritymorgue.com, www.rotten.com, www.gruesome.com
Peer-to-Peer (P2P) File Sharing
Sites that offer peer-to-peer file sharing software and transfers.
Sample sites: www.kazaa.com, www.bearshare.com, www.limewire.com
Phishing
Deceptive information pharming sites that are used to acquire personal information for fraud or theft. Typically found in hoax e-mail, these sites falsely represent themselves as legitimate Web sites to trick recipients into divulging user account information, credit card numbers, usernames, passwords, social security numbers, etc. Pharming, or crimeware misdirects users to fraudulent sites or proxy servers, typically through DNS hijacking or poisoning.
Pornography/Adult Content
Sites that contain images and/or content containing sexual acts, activity, nudity, toys, stories/writings, bestiality, fetishes, videos, etc.
Sample site: www.playboy.com
Spyware
Sites that promote, offer or secretively install software to monitor user behavior, track personal information, record keystrokes, and/or change user computer configuration without the user's knowledge and consent for malicious or advertising purposes. Includes sites with software that can connect to "phone home" for transferring user information.
Sample sites: www.win-spy.com, www.gator.com
VoIP
Sites that provide information and/or products to facilitate telephone calls using the Internet. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) refers to a category of hardware and software that uses the Internet as a transmission medium for telephone calls by sending voice data in packets using IP rather than by traditional circuit transmissions of the PSTN.
Sample sites: http://www.skype.com, http://www.lingo.com, http://www.vonage.com
Web-based Proxies/Anonymizers
Sites that offer free anonymous proxy services.
Sample sites: www.anonymizer.com, www.idmask.com, www.amegaproxy.com
The following 14 categories, in addition to the above categories, are blocked on the computers in the Children's Area of the Main Library per approval of the Greenville County Library Board of Trustees on 8/28/2006. (Note: The children's computers in the branches do not have Internet access.)
Alcohol
Sites promoting the use of alcohol, drink recipes, bartender guides, home brewing methodology, drinking.
Dating/Personals
Sites related to personal ads, dating sites, dating services, dating tips, relationships, introductions, "how-to-find-a-mate" sites, introductions for purposes of finding friends or other relationships, etc.
Dubious/Unsavory
Sites of a questionable legal or ethical nature. Sites which promote or distribute products, information, or devices whose use may be deemed unethical or, in some cases, illegal.
Gambling
Sites which encourage gambling such as betting sites, bookmaker odds, lottery, bingo, horse/dog track, online sport betting, online casinos, etc.
Hate & Discrimination
Sites that contain material related to the discrimination of any group of people based on race, religion, gender, nationality, etc. Sites which concentrate on violence or the destruction of human life, including a single person or an entire race/religion/gender/etc. Sites focused on the superiority of one race/religion/gender/etc., while degrading others with use of propaganda or violent action.
Lifestyle
Sites that contain material relative to an individual's personal life choices. This includes sexual preference, cultural identity, or organization/club affiliations.
Online Auction
Sites that offer access to online auctions where visitors can bid on various items. Since online auctions are rarely monitored, they may expose users to materials that would otherwise be filtered under categories such as Adult Content, Illegal/Questionable, etc. (Does not include classified advertisements, which is categorized under shopping or news)
Online Communities
Sites that promote online social networking. The content of such sites is mostly comprised of personal pages linked together in a social network that can be based on any criteria, such as schools, universities, business, or friendship.
Sample sites: http://www.myspace.com, http://www.facebook.com
R-rated
Services pertaining to anything that involves 18 and over material such as lingerie and swimsuits, revealing pictures. Sites that are adult in nature without being explicitly pornographic.
School Cheating
Sites that offer materials that enable students to plagiarize or cheat in their academic endeavors, including pre-written papers, answer keys, cheating methods or complete summaries intended to help students circumvent research.
Streaming Media
Sites that offer "Internet TV" programming, streaming video and other streaming media.
Terrorist/Militant/Extremist
Sites that contain information regarding militias, anti-government/anti-establishment groups, terrorism, bomb-making/usage, anarchy, etc.
Tobacco
Sites that sell, promote or glamorize the use of tobacco related products, including cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco.
Web Logs/Personal Pages
Web sites from personal or non-commercial sources which feature commentary and articles written in a log or journal format (Blogs).
Plus these specific sites: www.mtv.com, www.muvids.com, www.vhf.com, www.rapnews.com
