forum blocked by bango.net/O2

[slob]

Hello fellow Monsterers

I've just had a long chat with O2 customer support following the discovery that trying to browse to the forum from my smartphone this evening, redirected me to bango.net and asked for my credit card details for age verification (we will charge your card £1 and refund your bill £2.50... sounds like a scam to me)

Firstly, annoyed that they bill me (plenty) monthly and know exactly how old I am, since it's on my contract. This is just an annoying incovenience and may take 48 hours to unblock due to an error on their systems.

Secondly and far more importantly, what right do they have to block www.ukmonster.co.uk as 'unsuitable for under 18s', after all you could concievably be a member of the club at 17. Not to mention the fact you can't even say **** on here without it getting the blue pencil treatment. I was assured the URL is only being blocked due to the system error.

anyway... rant over, the long and the short of it is, if anyone finds the forum being blocked by O2 after this Saturday (5th March 2011) please let me know as soon as practicably possible, so I can take this further.

thanks

[utopia]

Phew, thats a relief.......I thought you'd said.... BANJO ..

[Nonnie]

Or fanjo. That's quite rude actually.

"Fanjo" - Noun. Got kicked in the fanjo, shove it up your fanjo, etc etc

[Paranoid Dave]

Interestingly about 7 years ago I was visiting a hospital and they had a 'web' room for patients. You couldn't log onto UKMOC then because of 'adult blocking restrictions' applied in a public computer room, and yet you could log on to the Buell site where they regularly rip the **** out of each other. Guessing it's built in the software somewhere?

[Saint aka ML]

Tmobile and Virgin blocks ducatisti and ukmonster.

Nothing new there any open forums may be blocked as they are open forums.

is it not some confusion with ukmoc.com as of recent thread ?

[slob]

I did wonder whether some google style link tracking had picked that up but apparenty not, now working on O2.

Luka, is that covered in their Ts&Cs? If so can you get it unblocked? Should we be shouting at someone over it?

Frankly, I need to browse whatever I want on my phone, I'm working stupid hours at the moment and have to grab free time whenever I can.

[Capo]

Maybe they thought is was the 'other' UKMOC recently discussed here

[Saint aka ML]

Originally Posted by slob

I did wonder whether some google style link tracking had picked that up but apparenty not, now working on O2.

Luka, is that covered in their Ts&Cs? If so can you get it unblocked? Should we be shouting at someone over it?

Frankly, I need to browse whatever I want on my phone, I'm working stupid hours at the moment and have to grab free time whenever I can.

It is part of the same law that does not allow them to sell a contract phone to under 18 unless parents agree.

In short, as stupid as it sounds, under 18 can buy pay as you go phone/sim as in theory only money he has is from parents not work. As such he might never get cash to top up and call but only to receive calls. That is how tmobile explained it in human terms.
Internet is blocked for the same reason as there are websites on internet for 18+, any open forum falls under that as anything can be posted. No matter if there is automatic swear filter as that can be bypassed oh *s*h*i**..... same with pictures.
In theory only 18+ should have credit cards as those are given to adults only (unlike debit cards). Truth is there is plenty way to rich parents that substitute time with kids for credit card..... I am jealous as would have liked a bit of that substitution was I was a kid but was not given.

OH BTW it is hit and miss as they do not test each site, they depend on outside filters like for example Norton adult filter or MS, MacAfee whatever they selected. I can tell you this o2 is quite relaxed with that as there are some sites that should not be allowed I could access which with tmobile where a nono, in fact tmobile is a natzi in comparison.

[gary tompkins]

Originally Posted by Saint aka ML

Tmobile and Virgin blocks ducatisti and ukmonster.

Nothing new there any open forums may be blocked as they are open forums.

Virgin don't block Ukmoc site - I can access it from my Virgin PAYG mobile just fine

[Saint aka ML]

Originally Posted by gary tompkins

Virgin don't block Ukmoc site - I can access it from my Virgin PAYG mobile just fine

My bad Vodafone.

Also I would say it also depends from a common sense of sales man. If he/she sells a phone to someone over 18 they could ask if it is for them if so unlock all of it.

[Pedro]

O2 don't block on my Iphone, including the clay shooting forums I use

Originally Posted by Pedro

O2 don't block on my Iphone, including the clay shooting forums I use

O2 block it on mine. They didn't used to, but they do now. It fooled me at first as it conected initially, then I realised I had gone in via wifi. Tiurned wifi off and sure enough it is blocked.

Mine got blocked yesterday, I called 202 from my mobile and asked them why and they said it was a problem with their computersystems and I didn't have to pay anything. They said they'd send a form out to me to complete and send back. then this morning I got a text saying the restrictions on my phone have been lifted?? Without even receiving any form in the post.

All a bit weird but don't pay them anything

as Saint aka ML mentioned most of these companies use external url filtering solutions which are hit and miss.

nonetheless the policies and whitelisting (e.g. non filtered lists) are handled onsite therefore if they have proper procedures in place they should be able to correct it.