March 23, 2009, - 10:44 am
DebbieSchlussel.com Still Blocked @ Some Companies That Use Secure Computing “TrustedSource”
By Debbie Schlussel
Well, apparently, the problem of this site being blocked as “hate speech” and “hate/discrimination” hasn’t been fixed. Not completely. And not enough. Yet (I hope).
Thanks to all of the readers who’ve notified me if this site is still blocked at your workplace. Please keep them coming because, unfortunately, I’ve only heard from one reader who says the block has been reversed–at Bank of America. The rest of the employers that utilize Secure Computing’s TrustedSource–General Motors, Cisco Systems, etc.–are still blocking DebbieSchlussel.com as a “hate speech” site. The same goes for Pamela Geller’s Atlas Shrugs and another very prominent conservative news site, which has asked me not to broadcast its name.
I’ve just called my contacts at McAfee, which as I noted owns Secure Computing. The company’s Director of Web Security Research tells me that, while she redesignated my site and Pamela’s as “Politics/Opinion” in the main database, that there are other databases utilized by TrustedSource that may still have us listed as “hate speech” or “hate/discrimination.” She said that when she goes into work (she is on Pacific time, as the company is in California), she will manually look at each database and correct them. Until then, companies accessing those databases will still have this site blocked.
Much worse, even after the database is updated, whether or not my site is blocked relies upon the frequency with which a company updates its software to the TrustedSource database. Companies that haven’t updated their TrustedSource software from the product’s database won’t have an updated description of this site as “Politics/Opinion” and it will still be noted as “hate speech” or “hate/discrimination.” That’s the case, for example, as noted by a reader from Cisco Systems.
Just thought you might want to know that my company’s Cisco firewall that uses Secure Computing’s Smartfilter has now blocked your site for “Hate Speech”.
I’ve attached a screen cap.
***
It’s still blocked for me — as is the Atlas Shrugged blog.
I can still read your blog via RSS (now sans the pictures) using Google Reader, which is my tool of choice for reading just about everything on the web.
From SecureComputing’s PR person:
From: Zwahlen,Ally
Date: Mon, Mar 23, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Subject: RE: Smartfilter on Cisco firewall has blocked your site because of “hate speech”
To: Debbie Schlussel
Thanks for the screen shot.
We are looking into resolving this today and will communicate with you as soon as the whole team can assess the situation.
Ally Zwahlen
Director, Public Relations
McAfee, Inc.
ally_zwahlen@securecomputing.com
I will let you know what happens. Stay tuned.
Keep turning up the heat, Debbie – scumbag leftists want it to go away. They must NOT be allowed to establish a precedent. The rest of the conservative blogosphere is now in the firing line. I’m right beside ya! Keep us informed on what happens.
NormanF on March 23, 2009 at 1:46 pm