Bess Revisited

deleteduser  posted on: 12/11/12 08:38 AM

Just an Update on the content filter issue. Over the past year we have reviewed two new to market filters one being x-stop and the other border manager. In terms of performance and support neither came close to the product we currently use. As for cost, they were both similar to our current system, however would involve new upfront purchases, and increased maintenance costs. Niether new product was focused on education and had no plans to create a special feature that is. we also reviewed some of the other filters previously reviewed, and got the same results as many have not put much new effort into making them better, just selling them more. Bess is still by a long shot the best and most flexible solution. As for different levels of filtering, it is a sham. How can you segment the school population by what is appropriate for what age? Who says that what is apropriate for the Junior at Dundee is appropriate for the Junior at Victor? For that matter who decides that what is appropriate for My Junior at Dansville is appropriat for your Junior at Dansville? Let alone what is appropriate for someone in california most likely is not for someone in utah. Age has no bearing on information. Pornography is pornography at any age. The filter delivers based on the type of search that it is given regardless of who makes the request. If I look up Penthouse in the school library card catalog, I probably will not find the magazine, but if my search is for someting about the architecture of a penhouse and that is what I am looking for I probably can find information in a book on architecture. It is simply an manner of looking in a different way. I have yet to find a subject yet that I can not have 1000+ pages of relevant information on in minutes while using the Bess filter, and since they added a search engine that will look only at approved sites, I can do it even faster than before. I would also suggest that you look to others in addition to Librarians for information - Administrators, Teachers, Parents, Students, and indeed other less vocal librarians. I believe that you will find that the vast majority is having little difficulty with this. We are not sitting on our laurels, but constatntly looking to make sure we still have the best product for our student safety. We will continue to review new products as they are available. We are not tied to Bess, unless it continues to be the best product.