LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Hi folks,
Below are some of the responses to my initial posting about SurfWatch, the
software program which is designed to block users from accessing
sex-oriented pages on the Internet.
Ann Duvall from the Surfwatch Company called me yesterday afternoon, and we
had a long, friendly discussion about some of the issues I raised in my
initial posting. I believe she too is concerned that we do not censor
materials, and that her product is admittedly not fool-proof. She also
talked about a second generation of her product being able to block sites
which are school site chosen, or allow students to access only the hosts
which are school-site chosen.
Internent access rights for kids and adults will continue to be a "hot"
topic for some time I believe.
Thanks for all who commented.
Doug
*****************
Hi! Our school technician has Surf Watch on his computer. He's the only
person at this point with a full connection. I've seen a bit of the
program and I'm impressed but you do bring up valid issues although
personally, I would rather have some sites blocked than not have access at
all. And though I agree about the screening of photos, let's face it,
there are some that would rather promote guns and ammo than sex (oh my!!!).
To each his own, I'll pass your letter on and maybe he'll comment. Have a
good weekend!
Shirley
sleclerc@mail.palmyra.k12.pa.us
*****************
This will work for about 30 seconds, but at least you can give it a try.
Assuming you're getting a feed from a service provider and assigning
accounts or sharing an account, why don't you just edit the user's initial
.newsrc file to meet your building or classroom standards. This doesn't
solve the problem, but it gets it within the 80/20 rule...80 percent of
your users will not do anything,and will be happy with access to a few
hundred newsgroups, 20 percent of your users will figure out how to add
alt.sex.whippedcream&guns to their feed. Bottom line is that no matter what
you do the 20 percent of your users who are advanced will cause 80% of your
problems.
Have a nice weekend.
BTW: I agree with you about Surf Watch. Here at Antioch we have all the
alts but none of the sports...wonder how they'd treat that?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jim Mann, Mac Sensai "If Macs were that easy to
Technology Resources use. I'd be out of a job!"
Antioch College Yellow Springs OH
(513) 767-7331 x6764
http://college.antioch.edu/~jmann/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
******************
I loved your message on LM_NET, and I agree with everything you wrote. I
second all those motions and even the doubts! I always knew you people
from Mankato were on the ball!
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
Joan Rosen | 500 Rices Mill Road
Librarian | Wyncote, PA 19095, USA
Cheltenham High School | (215) 881-6380
jrosen@mciunix.mciu.k12.pa.us | Fax: (215) 881-6406
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>
********************
I emailed Surfwatcher to ask them about their product. When I asked
Surfwatcher WHAT they blocked, they said they couldn't tell me -- it's a
trade secret. That seems creepy to me. How do we know what they include
in their list of likes and dislikes?
=================================================
Karen G. Schneider, Blue Highways Internet Services
kgs@intac.com Cybrarian/Internet Trainer
Visit Karen's Kitchen at http://www.intac.com/~kgs/
=================================================
********************
I have heard about surfwatch and other programs that purport to protect
students from inappropriate sexual material on the net. Such products seem
to me ineffective and misguided for several reasons:
1. Sexually explicit and inappropriate content is proliferating on
the web. Even monthly updates cannot effectively screen such areas from a
persistent user.
2. Graphic sex is just a small part of the problem of allowing
students unrestricted access to the world wide web in an academic
situation. Much of the content on the world wide web is entertaining but
entirely frivolous. I am referring to web pages having to do with such
things as popular TV shows and videogames, as well as the notorious
"useless web pages". There is nothing "bad" or "dangerous" about these
resources, but... is this how we want our students to be spending their
instructional time in the classroom or library?
3. The point is not keeping kids away from the bad stuff but
rather helping them find the good stuff! It is entirely too easy for a
young or inexperienced user to spend a great deal of time online without
locating any resources of academic value.
My humble suggestion is a simple web browser that would allow you to
program in only those addresses(web, gopher, etc.) that fit a particular
academic situation or assignment. ALL other URLs would be blocked. For
example, a history teacher assigning research on the Civil War could spend
an hour locating appropriate resources and mark, perhaps 15 or 20
worthwhile resources having to do with the Civil War. The teacher could
then be assured that the students would indeed be doing history research
and not perusing the Sega homepage or the X-Files episode guide
This is not censorship, it is guiding students to appropriate resources.
Do we put every book or magazine that is published on the library shelf and
then rely on the students to select the appropriate ones? Of course not.
If the software I am describing is available, I haven't located it yet. It
would seem to be a simple product to design. I would like to hear from
anyone who has heard about such a software product; also I'm interested in
any feedback on my ideas.
Henry Gordon (hgordon@telis.org)
Librarian-Media Teacher
Samuel Jackman Middle School
Elk Grove Unified School District
Sacramento, California
*********************
Henry, I'm totally with you. I view it as selection, just as I view
selecting books for my library. The objection I could see being raised
is that we "select" because of budget limitations, and the WEB is free.
Not so, I'd say. When I get donations to the library I use the same
selection process I do with books I pay for--and only catalog the quality
gifts. The rest go into our used book sale.
People may say I'm a censor. I prefer to think of myself who helps the
end user find the best quality information available.
Let me know if you find such a product. I am VERY interested. Of
course, then we have to follow through and be just as well informed about
new WEB sites as well as new books. Sounds challenging, but fun.
Anne Knickerbocker Cedar Brook Elementary
Librarian 2121 Ojeman
SBISD Houston, Texas 77080
aknicker@tenet.edu (713) 365-5020
**********************
Try Vizion from Sirsi Corporation. I've not seen it in action only in
demo, but it appears to do what you suggest. It's been advertised in SJL
and other magazines at $49.95 or around $100.00 for network I think. It
has sites programmed in with the capability to program in others. I plan
to try it this summer but do not think my Internet access point will
support it since I do not have direct site connection. Sirsi Corp. is
located in Huntsville, Ala.
Sandy Barron Tomball High School
sbarron@tenet.edu 30330 Quinn Road
713-357-3219 Tomball, Texas 77375
FAX 713-357-3252 "making the difference with information science"
************************
> On Fri, 26 May 1995, Henry Gordon wrote:
> > I have heard about surfwatch and other programs that purport to protect
> > students from inappropriate sexual material on the net. Such products seem
> > to me ineffective and misguided for several reasons:
[SNIP]
> > 3. The point is not keeping kids away from the bad stuff but
> > rather helping them find the good stuff!
Exactly right!
However, I'd like to add another item that should be very seriously
considered before people start trying to explicitly censor the net.
This week, Prodigy lost a $200 million lawsuit in New York because
they chose the censorship route.
"'Prodigy's conscious choice, to gain the benefits of editorial
control has opened it up to a greater liability than CompuServe
and other computer networks that make no such choices,' wrote
Justice Stuart L. Ain"*
That is to say, if you choose to censor for your children, you just
might be exposing your school to some serious liability problems.
*Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 27, p. 5A.
<a href="http://Web66.coled.umn.edu/WebMaster.html">Stephen E. Collins</a>
University of Minnesota Fax: 625-6817 sec@boombox.micro.umn.edu
*************************
Just a quick word of concern about the responsibility of programming a
web browser to include rather than exclude sites. Besides the amount of
time that would be required to do the job justice, wouldn't we be taking
away one of the most important features, the students' chance to learn
searching and browsing strategies?
Pat Bartoshesky Saint Edmond's Academy (Gr.4-8, boys only)
<pbarto@brahms.udel.edu> 2120 Veale Rd. Wilmington DE 19810-4199
302-475-5370 FAX: 302-475-2256
***************************
We've been approached by someone locally for a similar product...I am
deeply concerned about the implications of such software. The one we saw
blocks words...e.g. "sex" which leaves out "sexual harrassment" and "sex
role"....
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Debbie Abilock "It is important that students bring a certain
The Nueva School ragamuffin barefoot irreverence to their studies;
6565 Skyline Blvd. they are not here to worship what is known,
Hillsborough, CA 94010 but to question it." (Jacob Bronowski)
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
****************************
That's all folks. Thanks again.
Doug
Doug Johnson, District Media Supervisor | Month-End Report
I.S.D. 77, Mankato Public Schools | All targets met;
Box 8713, Mankato MN 56002-8713 | All systems working;
Voice: 507-387-7698 | All customers satisfied;
Fax: 507-387-2496 | All staff eager and enthusiastic;
E-mail: palsdaj@vax1.mankato.msus.edu | All pigs fed and ready to fly.
or: djohns1@west.isd77.k12.mn.us V. Arwginski
http://www.isd77.k12.mn.us/staffdir/staff2/Johnson_Doug.html
LM_NET
Archive Home