Dumb networks…

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Network Fail

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Network Fail

funky-star, cc-by-sa

Network Fail

Ok, I’m spoiled at MIT. We have a completely open network, anyone can connect for up to 14 days through self registering. And once you’re on the network, you can run any and all network protocols and services. This has been explained to me as, every time IS&T tried to lock down the network, the students promptly circumvented the protocols. So instead of protecting the pipes, they protect the servers (I’m guessing).

I’m at yet another university that has locked down their network so far that it gets in the way of doing simple things — like IM. For some reason the firewall and/or routers are not routing those ports. Great, thanks.

This is one of the reasons I like Google, they do everything in a web browser over port 80.

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AIM Express

Source: Brandon/AIM Express

AIM Express - AIM in a Web Browser

But, the point of this post is that AIM has made available AIM Express which does the same thing for AIM–yay! I can IM with people.

(I really wish I could have my friends that can break through these network blocks in my bag when I travel to other universities to show folks how silly all this unnecessary security is…)[/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]