HCPSS-LightspeedWatcher by MaxxMakes

sites.google.com - BLOCKED

tigerapp — 2025-09-18 16:54:06 UTC

On September 18, ~11:00 AM to ~12:00 PM, sites.google.com was added to the block list due to it being an "Unapproved Site".

This means that games sites like ConstructionCreeper, G+, and Make Your Own Proxy are unreachable. You can't even EDIT your own Google Sites unless you have a personal computer that is NOT provided by the county/school system.

youtube.com - TESTBLOCK

tigerapp — 2025-12-15 17:32:11 UTC

On December 15th 2025 for a brief moment around 12:30, YouTube was blocked due to it being added to a "Custom Block List". The tab then closed itself. After a few more seconds, YouTube was retried and unblocked again.

Are they testing out blocking YouTube? Or are they adding more features for teachers?

sites.google.com - UNBLOCK

tigerapp — 2025-12-15 17:33:44 UTC

A few days after Google Sites was blocked, it was unblocked again. This was the same day most 9th graders as LRHS got their new Chromebooks, with the popular URL unblocked.

youtube.com/shorts - BLOCKED

tigerapp — 2025-12-15 19:05:22 UTC

On December 15th 2025, around 1:50 PM more tests were run and it was found that YouTube Shorts was blocked, for the reason "it is on a custom block list". This looks permanent.

All Lightspeed Block Screen Categories!

tigerapp — 2025-12-15 19:23:51 UTC

...is not available because it is categorized as:

Access Denied

Ads

AI - Detective

AI - Generative

Alcohol

Approved Games

Artificial Intelligence

Audio/Video

Automobile

Business

Business - Construction

Business - Finance

Business - Jobs

Business - Manufacturing

Business - Real Estate

Computers

Computers - Analytics

Computers - Consumer Electronics

Computers - File Hosting

Computers - Storage

Digital Insight - Not Approved Hosts

Change in the Maximum Number of Tabs Allowed on Student Chromebooks

tigerapp — 2026-01-22 13:39:59 UTC

Starting Tuesday, Jan. 27 (2026), a new feature on student chromebooks will allow teachers to limit the number of tabs students may open during their class sessions and sets the maximum number of browser tabs that can be opened to 50 both during and after school. Teachers may choose a lower number of allowed tabs during class to help students stay focused.

Source: January 22's Student Newsletter on Canvas

Optimized Block Screen HTML

tigerapp — 2026-01-22 13:49:58 UTC

See the raw code for the block screens using this file and a text editor! Debloated for download speed purposes.

snap.berekley.edu

tigerapp — 2026-01-29 22:26:39 UTC

On January 29, 2026, I tested this URL and it was blocked. Not sure when they blocked it but it was probably in January.

youraislopbores.me

tigerapp — 2026-04-01 11:13:26 UTC

On April 1rst, 2026, the website youraislopbores.me got blocked for "Artificial Intelligence". This is NOT a joke. However, what is a joke is how it's categorized. If the blockers really did look at the site, they'd categorize it as 'Games' or 'Security - Proxy' or whatever, not AI, because there is no actual AI content being generated, just humans MIMICKING AI! Howard County needs to do better than this, at the very least!

Howard County Related Links

tigerapp — 2026-04-01 11:40:26 UTC

Here are a few links that may take you to different parts of the HCPSS web:

hcpss.me

Remember: These links are all publicly accessible.

youtube.com/shorts: UPDATE

tigerapp — 2026-06-04 00:39:06 UTC

On this day, as observed, the block screen category for YouTube Shorts has been changed to "it is on a custom block list" to "of your organization's YouTube rules".

youtube.com/@channel/playlists: BLOCKED

tigerapp — 2026-06-05 11:42:52 UTC

Ok this is getting stupid. There is no way HCPSS seriously blocked PLAYLISTS. Block category is the same as current YouTube shorts.

TEST BLOCK: youtube.com/watch

tigerapp — 2026-06-18 20:47:16 UTC

Dang, Howard County got beef with YouTube! They just blocked watching... videos??? What's up with that?

No matter. There will always be proxies and unblockers. They cannot lock us out forever.

Just because it's the end of the school year does not mean that we will stop using these.

UPDATE: videos have returned.

youtube.com/watch physics update

tigerapp — 2026-06-18 21:04:17 UTC

It turns out only some videos are blocked (which just happens to be the majority). There is no correlation between date and block status. You can tell if a video is blocked or not by the thumbnail. The one on the left is blocked, but you can watch the one on the right.

HCPSS better be seeing this. They should know that we keep tabs constantly.