8e6 Database Classification Process

With the belief that only people can make the high quality decisions needed to have accurate classifications, 8e6 Technologies has developed a process where Internet Analysts look for ways to find content of the target classification.

Classifying
Using the guidelines provided Content Verifiers use proprietary applications to retrieve information on the content to be classified. These applications provide the Content Verifier with a pre-classified list. The Content Verifiers then review the web site, ensure that it matches the pre-classification category and assign it to the correct library. There are circumstances where the Content Verifier will assign a web site to additional or alternative classifications.

Our Internet Analysts scour the web looking for search engines, website listings, communities that list sites and other methods of finding content. The analysts develop these methods to form search criteria (rules) for finding content that matches the intended library definition.

8e6 uses the methods developed by the analysts to provide tools that scan the Internet using the lists and rules provide by the analysts. The Mudcrawler is built in such a fashion that the analysts can update the rule and lists without change to the applications.

• The Mudcrawler searches the Internet 24/7 and creates a queue of sites to be reviewed.
• Content Verifiers review the sites from the queues assigning the site to one or more libraries. Some sites are rejected from classification as 'General Internet'. These are saved for future re-review.
• Library production staff performs a quality control review of the verifier's classifications. Making occasional corrections. The library production staff will also make manual additions or deletions from requests received by 8e6 Technologies.

Publishing
With the classified libraries residing in the database, we perform production processes to convert the database format to the unique format used by each product for daily download.

• Export the data including any values unique to the product formats.
• Process the data forming library files for each product.
• Perform quality assurance by installing the newly produced library for each product.
• Publish the libraries to the distribution servers.

Notification for correction
8e6 provides a facility to allow customers to inform 8e6 of any "incorrect" or miscategorized sites by sending the URL and customer's suggestion to a dedicated email address, which is received directly by 8e6 content analysts. The content analysts then review the email and re-examine the URL for accuracy of classification. Upon completion of the review, the URL will be saved in to the appropriate category and removed from the original category. Our customers will then receive the change and the new categorization automatically during the next daily download.