So I tried to access gmail today and got this:
:(
I tried to go to pintrerest:
:( 
Then I tried to visit buzzfeed.com–an online news site–and got this:
:( NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!
Because it’s adult.
Apparently, searching for buzzfeed screen shots = searching for porn.
Okay, people in power. I can understand blocking websites like stumble upon and pintrist. They don’t have much educational value. But gmail? Come on. I know that email has been blocked at HHS for a long time, but there was always some way to sneak around it.
I really don’t see how email is educational. The old argument against it, I imagine, would be that students could use email to cheat or send dirty things to each other. But that was in the olden times, before everyone had a smart phone or at least a smart friend who they could text with. Besides, not everyone takes part in nefarious email activity! I need my email to send papers and home work questions to my teachers and to communicate with musical committee heads.
But blocking buzzfeed is The Worse Offense of All. I absolutely love buzzfeed, not just because it has adorable pictures of baby pandas and funny pictures, but because it is a news site. They have the best 2012 election coverage anywhere on the Internet. They are my source for breaking news. But just because they also have cute and funny internet news, My Big Campus thinks it’s okay to block them.
I am outraged and will be whining about this for weeks.
Weeks, you guys!
As per questioning the technical staff, the official reason that Gmail is blocked is because Gmail can be used as a means to send inappropriate material past the filter (i.e. the stuff in your spam folder), because you can send yourself videos as attachments, etc. Essentially, it is impossible to monitor. That’s why the staff provides student email (Which is apparently now on a new, more reliable server that won’t crash every day).
That said, I’m just as pissed.
We’re sorry you’re frustrated. Hopefully this blog post will help you understand the filter. http://mbcurl.me/SY
I hope you know that there is something called email forwarding right?