High School Student May Not Graduate Because he Built a Proxy Server

[zekrahminator]

While some schools do everything they can to facilitate children learning about computers, others draw a fine line between "edutainment" and "security risk". A high school student in Fairfax County, Virginia must visit one of the latter categories. He was pulled out of his Philosophy exam to be told that he may not graduate; he built a proxy server in his (parents') home. Dubbed "Afnani's Moo Proxy", it was used by himself and a couple technologically-adept students to bypass school firewalls. The administrator of the school networks would not have any of it. He tried to declare the server illegal, despite nothing in the usage contract saying using any proxy, let alone your own personal one, was illegal. When the student pointed out the flaw in the contract, the administrator simply changed his accusations to "repeat network abuse", which can keep the boy from walking at graduation.

The high school student has decided to comply, and has shut down all proxy servers he owns. His personal school computer account has been disabled, but he is (at this point) allowed to graduate.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

 

[Morgoth]

and after that he turns proxy server back on

 

[mcloughj]

This story makes absolutely no sense. I don't really believe that a school would even know what a proxy server was, let alone have made rules disallowing them.
I could be wrong though!

 

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

and after that he turns proxy server back on

indeed

 

[jocksteeluk]

it sounds to me like because the kid was getting the better of the professionals running the school network they decided to make an example of him and show him who is the boss, typical school teacher attitude.

 

[Cold Storm]

so, firefox, and proxy servers are bad to schools?? so the government doesn't know whats right?!??

 

[panchoman]

what a bunch of bullpiss by a bunch of liar crevices

thank god i dont go to fairfax county schools anymore... even if they were preety damn sweet schools..

 

[Darknova]

HAHAH. It's his own PERSONAL proxy. Why the f*** should he shut it down?

As far as I was aware, a school can NOT dictate what you do in your personal time, or with your personal effects, even on school grounds it is technically illegal for them to confiscate stuff (I had this argument with my headmaster once and won, so I'm assuming I'm right here).

So yes, they can tell him NOT to use the proxy, but actually shut it down?

Oh for the good old days where you could run rings around teachers...

 

[3991vhtes]

Some student [at my school] made a proxy

http://hrwp.zapto.org

The school got wind of it, and they just blocked it.

 

[Cold Storm]

All my proxy's I've made for anything got blocked at work! lol... they found out when my lady friend tried to go on myspace on a computer that holds hospital records..:shadedshu

when will girls learn? :shadedshu

 

[3991vhtes]

they wont.

 

[[I.R.A]_FBi]

they wont.

+1

 

[imperialreign]

Fairfax County is a little backwards sometimes . . . they haven't been urbanized enough yet


Seriously, though - they can't dictate what the student does with his personal computer on his personal time, that's why they changed their argument to "repeat network abuse" because he's using the proxy to bypass the schools installed protection mechanisms - although, that terminology is fairly vague and makes it sound worse than it really is.

 

[DanielF50]

As far as I was aware, a school can NOT dictate what you do in your personal time, or with your personal effects, even on school grounds it is technically illegal for them to confiscate stuff (I had this argument with my headmaster once and won, so I'm assuming I'm right here).

Yeah, same here, except I wouldnt even let the teacher have my phone, I asked him how hes legally allowed to take it off of me, even when I wasnt in a lesson, after a while of arguing he told me to go to the head teacher, I asked him the same thing, he has no proper answer, so I got away with it, and did until I left... (bare-in mind I live in England)

Still a School should not be able to tell a student that tere not allowed to have a proxy set up in there OWN home, I remeber the incedent with firefox, I use it on my college PC's now, and they dont say anything because the actual admins use it too, they wanted it on all PC's but the head tacher thinks IE is alot better (¬_¬)

Daniel

 

[imperialreign]

Yeah, same here, except I wouldnt even let the teacher have my phone, I asked him how hes legally allowed to take it off of me, even when I wasnt in a lesson, after a while of arguing he told me to go to the head teacher, I asked him the same thing, he has no proper answer, so I got away with it, and did until I left... (bare-in mind I live in England)

Still a School should not be able to tell a student that tere not allowed to have a proxy set up in there OWN home, I remeber the incedent with firefox, I use it on my college PC's now, and they dont say anything because the actual admins use it too, they wanted it on all PC's but the head tacher thinks IE is alot better (¬_¬)

Daniel

yeah, we're a bit different when it comes to confiscated items here in the US.

I can at least speak for our region in VA, if a teacher or administrator demanded you to hand over your electronics, you had to - refusal would be levied with suspension. This was at least at the HS level, though.

Colleges are much more lax - if you're disturbing class, they'll ask to to leave. If you have to take a phone call, most instructors don't mind that you step out for a minute, though.

 

[surfsk8snow.jah]

it sounds to me like because the kid was getting the better of the professionals running the school network they decided to make an example of him and show him who is the boss, typical school teacher attitude.

+1

People in an instructional position generally HATE it when their pupil surpasses them (unless they're old, like Mr. Miagi haha). Suck it up & admit, you got PWN3D.
The big kicker too is if you're an exceptional student (top 5-10% of your class), they are even more stumped, and you have even more of a case. So do well in your classes kiddies! haha

 

[JacKz5o]

Fairfax County is a little backwards sometimes . . . they haven't been urbanized enough yet


Seriously, though - they can't dictate what the student does with his personal computer on his personal time, that's why they changed their argument to "repeat network abuse" because he's using the proxy to bypass the schools installed protection mechanisms - although, that terminology is fairly vague and makes it sound worse than it really is.

He doesn't even use his proxy, its for his friends lol.

Heres the original article from the guy himself:

http://robertafnani.com/2008/01/31/fcps-its-illegal-to-make-websites/

 

[0V3CHKiN]

yeah, we're a bit different when it comes to confiscated items here in the US.

I can at least speak for our region in VA, if a teacher or administrator demanded you to hand over your electronics, you had to - refusal would be levied with suspension. This was at least at the HS level, though.

Colleges are much more lax - if you're disturbing class, they'll ask to to leave. If you have to take a phone call, most instructors don't mind that you step out for a minute, though.

Prince William County isn't much different either. Except me and my friends didn't get caught.

 

[Morgoth]

ok i tell you guys a secret i allmost got kicked off school for hacking 2 msn accounts 1 was from school lol and also using rude lengauge to some one at school on msn cmon its private stuff not school related :S
( the reason i hacked the msn account becus some one asked me to hack, crack her password so i did after fiew days he betrayed me :S )

 

[thoughtdisorder]

it sounds to me like because the kid was getting the better of the professionals running the school network they decided to make an example of him and show him who is the boss, typical school teacher attitude.

I agree, the school administrators probably have no idea what a proxy server even is!

Btw, jocksteel, your avatar is somewhat disturbing!

 

[TheChad]

the teachers may not know what a proxy is. But when you have a class full of students on myspace, when myspace is blocked? I'm sure wikipedia works fine from a school computer. School is for interaction and learning, Not poking each other on facebook.