What is status of Sparklebox

[SimpleSi]

Just had a TA come to me and say they had a problem printing s Sparklebox resource.

 

I said AFAIK it was still blocked but it turns out it isn't! (in Lancs (well at least in the school I'm currently in))

 

Now I don't have a problem if it is in the hands of someone else and no money is going to the original owner but I do have a problem with helping resolve issues if the situatioin hasn't changed.

 

Anyone got any info/links to info?

 

regards

 

Simon

Edited September 6, 2010 by SimpleSi

[alextreadwell]

Still blocked on yhgfl (yorkshire and humberside)

[6Foot2]

Blocked on HGfL: Herts Grid for Learning: Illegal or Unethical.

[localzuk]

Still blocked down in SWGfL, and I'm still enforcing the general policy of disallowing Sparklebox toolbar etc... being installed on laptops or their resources being used in our rooms (We don't really want 'Sparklebox' plastered on our walls when there is potentially a dodgy link there).

[Dos_Box]

As far as I'm aware, it's still in the hands of the orgional owner. I tried to contact SparkleBox earlier this year and none of the communications I sent (email, post, phone) were answered or replied too. From what I ascertained, he'd transferred ownership to a family member until his release, so chances are he's still making money from it.

It's a bit like banning someone from driving and letting them get a job as a taxi driver IMHO.

Edited September 7, 2010 by ZeroHour

[Little-Miss]

Ah thats a shame, owning Sparklebox would of been perfect!

 

BGFL still blocked.

[SimpleSi]

Not blocked in Cheshire.

 

Was it ever blocked in the past?

 

regards

 

Simon

[LeMarchand]

Blocked in it's own category in Southampton.

 

That still doesn't stop teachers from downloading at home and printing at school, unfortunately.

[joe90bass]

In Bridgend it's blocked on the global blacklist, no complaints about that!

[soveryapt]

Yeah, I meant to post about that as I noticed that there were a number of prints being made from SparkleBox when I was looking at usage, which I found quite strange.

 

I've e-mailed Lancs about it, but had no response as yet. I might try again me thinks.

[GrumbleDook]

Still block at EMBC. No intention of taking the block off until the future of it is clear and published.

[FN-GM]

My old school blocked it. As a school we wouldn't want to be associated. Edited September 6, 2010 by FN-GM

[pooley]

Blocked here, but Teachers just download the resources at home and print them in school.

[fafster]

Blocked in Neath-Port Talbot. It's a damn shame that he still has ownership as it's such a great resource.

[glennda]

Not Blocked in West sussex, Dont think it ever was

 

Toby

[linuxgirlie]

Oh, never heard about this before. Just checked and it is banned here at county level. Says its a county wide banned site.

[Arcath]

It got unblocked here in Lancashire when we swapped to that dreaded netsweeper. It was great when it was blocked high capacity cartridges lasted more than a week, i didnt find the print queue jammed up with 1GB jobs (HOW DID THEY EVEN MAKE A JOB THAT BIG!!!!). Only downside was the number of "Can you bypass the filter and let us get back on sparkle box?" requests

[soveryapt]

that dreaded netsweeper.

 

Good description there! It seems to be playing up today as sites are checking themselves but not resolving .. fun .. anyone else having issues?

 

I didnt find the print queue jammed up with 1GB jobs (HOW DID THEY EVEN MAKE A JOB THAT BIG!!!!). Only downside was the number of "Can you bypass the filter and let us get back on sparkle box?" requests

 

And tell me about it! Oh the complaints when it got blocked, and the number of staff - when told why it was blocked - just said "but it's a brilliant resource, why can't we use it?" .. GAH!

[buzzard]

AFAIK a letter went out to heads giving them the power to allow to block at individual school level, yes I'm also having issues with "that" filter sticking on checking web site screen