Allow access to Google Documents via the church provided DSL to our building

So you have the BIG idea that the Church or community needs to develop. Discuss that idea here. Maybe you just want to make a suggestion on a new forum topic. Let us know.
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GRP-p40
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Allow access to Google Documents via the church provided DSL to our building

#1

Post by GRP-p40 »

As a bishop we keep some data on google docs to track the following: (we don't put any info from MLS up there...)

1. Callings consideration spreadsheet. As we are contemplating callings we use a spreadsheet to track open positions, who was recommended by the Auxiliaries, has the bishopric approved, has the call been extended, has the person been sustained, has the person been set apart, has it been updated in MLS, and has it been updated on the web site. (It would be nice if these synched up too... =) )
2. Spreadsheet for who gave prayers, spoke in sacrament when and on what topics. What future topics are we planning, and who hasn't spoken yet in the ward.
3. A spreadsheet for our meeting schedules for Bishopric, PEC, Ward Council, Welfare Committee, BYC, Home Teaching Correlation, etc...
4. A spreadsheet for our building schedule between the three wards in our building. Which wards have which times for sacrament, sunday school, PH & RS. What night is youth night, when are enrichment nights, who has the gym kitchen RS room, which ward has weekly cleaning, lockup, snow removal, etc...
5. Spreadsheets for the Young Women's personal progress

All of this would be great to get to from the church computer, but it is blocked. So we do it from home after the meetings... It would be great to have a mailto: link on the blocked page to request access or at least give instructions on how to request access.

I use google calendars to manage my appointment schedule and that works great as I can get to that from the ward computer.
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aebrown
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Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:48 pm
Location: Draper, Utah

#2

Post by aebrown »

GRP wrote:All of this would be great to get to from the church computer, but it is blocked. So we do it from home after the meetings...
This issue was discussed at length in the thread Google Docs now blocked?; review that thread to learn the underlying issues and possible courses of action. Basically, the stake president determines the filtering level. Two of the three available filtering levels currently block Google Docs.
GRP-p40
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Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:07 pm
Location: USA

#3

Post by GRP-p40 »

Who do we talk to to open up the "Extended Access" to include Google Docs?

I don't feel the need for "general access" to open everything up, just want to add one site...
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aebrown
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Posts: 15153
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2007 8:48 pm
Location: Draper, Utah

#4

Post by aebrown »

GRP wrote:Who do we talk to to open up the "Extended Access" to include Google Docs?

I don't feel the need for "general access" to open everything up, just want to add one site...
See the wiki article Internet Connection Filtering for details on how to contact Websense.
GRP-p40
New Member
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue Dec 01, 2009 4:07 pm
Location: USA

#5

Post by GRP-p40 »

Alan_Brown wrote:See the wiki article Internet Connection Filtering for details on how to contact Websense.
Websense has placed Google Docs in the category - Personal Network Storage and Backup. This category is blocked by the "Extended" filtering. They feel that it is properly categorized.

Who at the church makes the decision on what categories are included or not in the various filtering schemes?

Again, I don't need or want to open up to the general access just to get Google Docs...

For your information, here is my email traffic with Websense:

Thank you for writing to Websense.

The site you submitted has been reviewed. We have found that it is best classified accordingly:
http://docs.google.com/ - Personal Network Storage and Backup

For our category definitions, please refer to:
http://ww2.websense.com/global/en/Produ ... gories.php

Please note that it is your organization’s local administrator who determines what categories are to be restricted. If you would like to access this site, we recommend that you contact this person and request that either the category or specific URL be custom-permitted.

Thank you for your inquiry,
The Websense Database Services Staff
M.P.

Wednesday, December 02, 2009 4:08:58 PM


-------------------Original Email---------------------------------------
From:
Sent: 12/2/2009 6:42:50 AM
To: Websense DB Update
Subject: Google Documents


Websense Guru,

I would like to suggest that you remove docs.google.com and associated Google Document web sites from the following blocked category:

Bandwidth Categories (also known as Bandwidth PG)
- Personal Network Storage and Backup - Sites that store personal files on Internet servers for backup or exchange.

While I agree that Google documents fit the "exchange" part of the above definition, I don't believe that it is a serious concern for bandwidth. Google Docs doesn't store music, photos, videos, or other high bandwidth files. It stores web based word and excel documents.
Even with that you don't transfer these files back an forth with each use. You only transmit data to modify portions of the documents as you edit them right online.

Using Google Documents is very different from these bandwidth hogs in the same parent category:
1. streaming tv, (Hulu...)
2. streaming radio, (Pandora...)
3. peer-to-peer downloading, (many...)
4. VOIP, (Skype...)
5. movie trailers, (Apple...)
6. picture upload (Flickr...)
7. video upload sites (YouTube...)

Thanks for your consideration,
JamesAnderson
Senior Member
Posts: 773
Joined: Tue Jan 23, 2007 2:03 pm

#6

Post by JamesAnderson »

Blue Coat Web Filter and K9 Web Protection seem to have gotten this one right.

From their site review page:

Review Page: docs.google.com (check another site)

This page is currently categorized as Web Applications
Last Time Rated/Reviewed: > 7 days

This one is the old Cerberian that was used in FHCs, at the very least, at one time.
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