ICRA No Longer Exists

[paulp575]

Just checked a web page using HTML Validator Pro v10.0003 and received the following error message:

An old ICRA PICS label was found but a new RDF label was not. To update and add an RDF label, please visit http://www.icra.org/.
---

I would like to suggest this error message be deleted in the next update because ICRA no longer exists. It it now called "Family Online Safety Institute" (http://www.fosi.org).

They no longer offer free site ratings! Their least expensive membership costs $ 5,000!

I am unable to find any other free rating service except SafeSurf. It was their (SafeSurf) rating that generated the HTML Validator error message (they still use the PICS system).

Thanks,

[Lou]

interesting report. However, http://www.icra.org/webmasters/

looks like it always has. Although I did not go all the way through the process of developing a new tag, it looked the same.
To quote the webmasters page:
How much does it cost?

It's free!

[paulp575]

However, http://www.icra.org/webmasters/

Wow! It does still exist. I couldn't find it by typing in http://www.icra.org. I ended up at the Family Online Safety Institute site. Looked at all the links from the home page and didn't find it.

Thanks for updating it!

I'll have to bookmark that URL!

Maybe HTML Validator can update that error message so it points to the URL your found???

Thanks,

[Albert Wiersch]

Maybe HTML Validator can update that error message so it points to the URL your found???

Hello,

I've changed the links in the messages from http://www.icra.org/ to http://www.icra.org/webmasters/.

[Lou]

I agree, their website could be a little more techie friendly.

[Albert Wiersch]

I've changed the links in the messages from http://www.icra.org/ to http://www.icra.org/webmasters/.

Looks like that link is now a 404. Maybe it will come back or maybe I should just drop the ICRA checking?

Looks like it may be a temporary problem as http://www.icra.org/ doesn't have the expected response either.

[paulp575]

Wow!!! Both gone!!!

I'd wait a bit as maybe there's a server problem.

Or more likely - since it looks like their home page has disappeared - they may be moving to a new/different server?

[MikeGale]

I had a quick look.

The fact that the homepage is now labelled as test page, suggests to me that the site is gone for good.

Tracking back that Kingston testing, gives mistral.net then KCom, which took them over. Both ISP's.

The live page about ICRA seems to be at http://www.fosi.org/icra which we looked at last time ICRA seemed in jeopardy. As before no technical content, that I could see. Also FOSI seems to be trying to hide the ICRA connection. No links noticed on their normal run of pages!

This time my guess is that they have vanished into the great silence. I wouldn't be surprised if they depended on government sponsorships. Maybe the money just dried up!!

They could have shared their automated material for running elsewhere. If they did maybe it will resurface.

[Albert Wiersch]

I think I should just remove the ICRA checking and message in the next update. Any objections?

[paulp575]

I've changed the links in the messages from http://www.icra.org/ to http://www.icra.org/webmasters/.

Looks like that link is now a 404. Maybe it will come back or maybe I should just drop the ICRA checking?

Who uses the (now apparently defunct) ICRA? Is that a necessary thing any more?

What about checking for SafeSurf? They still use PICS. Their home page is at http://www.safesurf.com

[MikeGale]

I'd really like to see an analysis of what impact these tags have.

If a significant part of some, any, audience relies on them in some way, then it's important even if the original organisation has dwindled away. My suspicion is that it'll make little difference, but I don't have any data to back that up.

For SafeSurf similar thinking.

For the developer (i.e. user of CSE) the issue is does the tool help me with present sites and any I might work on in future? The right message might be along the lines "This page uses ICRA labels. The ICRA organisation may have been disbanded sometime before October 2010. It may be that some users depend on the labels but many web sites may experience no impact by removing them. You should consider removing or commenting out these labels."

That way a developer is warned to remove what may be dead wood, in existing sites. If he takes on a web site with the labels in a few years time, he'll be made well aware that they're there.

[MikeGale]

I haven't run a decent analysis.

There are links talking about it, which suggest ICRA labels have some traction.

1. Usage levels may not be trivial, see Alexa data (while it exists) http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/icra.org
2. Goverment initiatives seem to be in place in various countries if you look around.
3. Some protection systems use it http://linsec.ca/bin/view/Main/DansGuardian

It might be possible to tease some usable conclusions from this material.

[Albert Wiersch]

Interesting... this now shows at http://www.icra.org/

Thank you for inquiring about ICRA.

Upon the recent decision of FOSI's Board of Directors, the ICRA labeling engine has been discontinued. While all current labels will continue to work with Internet content filters, the ICRA label generator, ICRA tools and Webmaster support will no longer be available.

...

I will remove ICRA checking from CSE HTML Validator in the next update unless a validator flag (flag 125) is unchecked... so it won't be completely removed.

[MikeGale]

Hi Albert,

Thanks for doing that research.

I considering the general idea addressed by ICRA and thinking about ways to get some more wide ranging benefits from the concept.