Media setting - Did you know HAF is into the occult?

[Amicale]

  So, I downloaded and installed  K9 Web protection's service, because my daughter's starting to enjoy spending time on the computer. Even though I monitor her and sit right with her, I don't want any accidents happening. Anyhow, when I installed it, there was the option for high, medium, low and custom levels of security. I chose the custom setting and blocked what I wanted to, but I guess it didn't save right although I thought it had.

I then tried a few more 'adult' words/searches to make sure I was good to go... and so far, so good.

Next, I went to go log into HAF as usual, and I got told that this site had been blocked because it was listed as "alternative spirituality/occult"!   

I went "Whaaaaaat?" and checked K9's settings again... and saw the damned thing had somehow saved the 'high' level of security, rather than my custom level. I re-saved as I wanted to, and all was good again.

But man, I got a laugh. Occult? Alternative spirituality? More like an excellent alternative TO spirituality! 

[Tank]

I have sent the following to K9.

Good morning.

It has come to my attention that the site I am an administrator for http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php is listed as "alternative spirituality/occult".

Please would you explain the rationale behind this classification.

Regards
Chris

[Asmodean]

The Church of Asmoism. Was that mentioned? 

[Amicale]

I have sent the following to K9.

Good morning.

It has come to my attention that the site I am an administrator for http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php is listed as "alternative spirituality/occult".

Please would you explain the rationale behind this classification.

Regards
Chris

Very good call to email them. I believe they claim to have over 3 million people using their service, although how many of those are active, I don't know -- I had an old registration key for them I was able to re-activate although I hadn't logged in for a couple years I'm guessing, and I would have been counted as "an active user" as well. Still, I don't like the idea of a service blocking any particular religion or non-religion's website, and I like the idea even less of them considering an atheist website 'alternative spirituality/occult'.

It musta been Asmoism that did it. Some fundie coulda taken it seriously, I suppose... or maybe it's because a few of our members in the past have considered themselves Satanists/Laveyan sympathizers, I dunno. It shouldn't matter. 

[Tank]

Their response and my reply

Thank you for your prompt reply.

Our forum has nothing to do with the occult or alternative spiritualities. It is an Atheist forum where such things have nothing to do with our philosophy or world view. I would appreciate it if the classification of  Alternative Spirituality/Occult be removed from our site please.

Regards

Chris

On 23 April 2012 12:23, <filtering@bluecoat.com> wrote:

    Submitted URL:        http://www.happyatheistforum.com/
    Suggested category:        Newsgroups/Forums
    Your comments:        Good morning. It has come to my attention that the site I am an administrator for http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php is listed as "alternative spirituality/occult". Please would you explain the rationale behind this classification. Regards Chris Jarvis aka Tank administrator at Happy Atheist Forum
    Reviewed:        23 April 2012 11:23:21 GMT
            
    Thanks for submitting http://www.happyatheistforum.com/ to the Blue Coat WebFilter team for review. We appreciate the opportunity to provide the results of our analysis with you.

    Based on your recommendation and after careful evaluation of the Web content submitted, a Web Content Analyst has recategorized this URL as Alternative Spirituality/Occult and Newsgroups/Forums.

    Blue Coat does not select which category or categories are blocked or allowed. This decision is controlled by policy defined by our customers. If you feel that a certain category or site should be either blocked or allowed, click here to find out more about how to change your Internet access policy.

    This rating change could take a few days to be reflected in your K9 application. For further explanation or to see this change immediately, click here.

    If you have any other questions that should be directed to the Blue Coat WebFilter team, feel free to reply to this message.

    Thank you,

    Blue Coat WebFilter
    filtering@bluecoat.com

[Ali]

Oooooh!  I meant to mention this about K9!  I don't remember why, but I was trying to get to HAF from one of the "open access" computers that we have in our breakroom area.  I think I wanted to post a picture from my photobucket account (photobucket is blocked on my desk computer.)  The computers in the breakroom are specifically advertised as being "open access" - for example, you can get to Facebook from them, whereas Facebook is blocked on our desk computers.  Anyway, the one and only time I ever tried to use them, I tried to open HAF, and got the same message - apparently our "open access" computers are protected by K-9 and therefore I can't get to HAF from there because it is "occult/alternative spirituality". 

The "alternative spirituality" was the one that enraged me, because while I wouldn't call atheism in anyway "occult" I suppose you could call it "alternative spirituality" in a very loose way.  More like "alternative FROM spirituality", but atheism describes my belief system when it comes to spiritual matters well enough.

Then, just to get myself truly worked into a lather, I searched for Christian forums and of course accessed them just fine.  So apparently adults on an "open access" computer need to be protected from going to "alternative spirituality" forums, but don't need to be protected from going to Christian forums.   

The weird part is that I can get to HAF from my work desk computer just fine, and that is the one that is supposed to be more restricted.   

[cgmccall]

Our occult gods, Sie-enz and Raeson must have scarred away the good Christians.

[Asmodean]

It musta been Asmoism that did it. Some fundie coulda taken it seriously, I suppose... or maybe it's because a few of our members in the past have considered themselves Satanists/Laveyan sympathizers, I dunno. It shouldn't matter. 

Yes. Fundie took Asmoism for real, had crisis of faith and nourished His Grayness with the resulting fear and uncertainty... That's probably why. His Grayness should have known better than letting the used fundie just... Go.  

[DeterminedJuliet]

Go get 'em, Tank!!

[The Magic Pudding]

Go get 'em, Tank!!

Good morning. It has come to my attention that the site I am an administrator for http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php is listed as "alternative spirituality/occult". Please would you explain the rationale behind this classification. Regards Chris Jarvis aka Tank administrator at Happy Atheist Forum

Based on your recommendation and after careful evaluation of the Web content submitted, a Web Content Analyst has recategorized this URL as Alternative Spirituality/Occult and Newsgroups/Forums.

So does that mean we're reclassified/confirmed as what the computer originally decided.
I

[Crow]

Hmmm well the main monotheistic religions are occult in their nature and we do have a lot of rubbish about them on this site so I can see why it gets flagged.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Good morning. It has come to my attention that the site I am an administrator for http://www.happyatheistforum.com/forum/index.php is listed as "alternative spirituality/occult". Please would you explain the rationale behind this classification. Regards Chris Jarvis aka Tank administrator at Happy Atheist Forum

Based on your recommendation and after careful evaluation of the Web content submitted, a Web Content Analyst has recategorized this URL as Alternative Spirituality/Occult and Newsgroups/Forums.

So does that mean we're reclassified/confirmed as what the computer originally decided.

Haha, yeah. "Oh, we're sorry. You're an occult AND newsgroup website!"
*facepalm* Yeah. That wasn't really the complaint.

[Tank]

I had intended newsgroup/forum to replace alternative spirituality/occult.

[ThinkAnarchy]

I'm sure our continued mention of the occult is not helping the argument. I'm sure their thorough investigation consisted of a few bots scanning the site for key words.

I'm also curious what they use to determine "alternate spirituality." Is Buddhism an alternative that is blocked? Alternative to what kind of spirituality exactly?

[Tank]

I'm sure our continued mention of the occult is not helping the argument. I'm sure their thorough investigation consisted of a few bots scanning the site for key words.

I'm also curious what they use to determine "alternate spirituality." Is Buddhism an alternative that is blocked? Alternative to what kind of spirituality exactly?

If they respond to my reply that will be exactly what I will ask. But I think it's bloody obvious it'll be alternative to Christianity!