[Movind discussion to linux-india-help which is a list where this kind of
stuff may be discussed. Also quoting your mail in full because people in
LIH need a background.]
sankar magadevan proclaimed:
> I am non previeliged user in my college system.As a student we used to share
> same user account.The problem is people used to chat in that account in a
> indecent way.This indecency made our people from connecting to
> morechat.talkcity.com as well as chat.talkcity.com.Now they used to connect to
> some other server like irc.dal.net.I generally hate pupils chat from free
> internet connection like in colleges and workplaces.The problem here is we
> other users ,in urgent need of internet may not able to avail the system.Even
> Though the chat script is removed from the system ,this fools used to download
> binaries from some site used to chat.There is no point in removing the scripts
> they have downloaded,because they have more number of copies of the software
> in different places.
> The best option should be to filter the tcp connection requiring destination
> host port as 6667 or 7000.I know ipchains will help in this regard.I need your
> help in devising any novel way to make this fools away from chatting.
The problem with trying to control what your users do on the net is that
the users will always find ways of circumventing controls. Once the cat is
out of the bag, it is very difficult to put it back in.
Take what is happening with Napster as an example. Napster is out in the
open. Many people have written open source software for the Napster
protocol. The Recording Industry (RIAA) which has tons and tons of money
to loose if music in the form of mp3s were widely and easily available have
woken up late and are trying their best to stop Napster. In the opinion of
learned people the RIAA's action is not going to be of much use in the long
run. Even if Napster the company is shut down, Napster the idea will
prevail. In the opinion of many people the Recording Industry should give
up this idea of sueing Napster and concentrate on simpler, cheaper and
easier ways of selling digital music to keep up with the trend. This
reminds me of the old days when there was a debate whether people should be
charged money to get access to content. Most users of the net got used to
free (as in "zero cost" and not "freedom of speech") content and refused to
pay for any content.
I've digressed. Back to track.
You can never completely stop your users from using chat. If you block
IRC, they will use some online java based chat. If you block that, they
will use ICQ / AIM / Yahoo Pager to talk to friends.
Thaths
--
"If it doesn't have Siamese twins in a jar, it's not a fair."
-- Homer J. Simpson
Sudhakar C13n http://people.netscape.com/thaths/ Lead Indentured Slave
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