Re: TECH: accountability and the Internet

["Karen G. Schneider" <kgs@INTAC.COM>]

Just an in-progress report: the school I called is working with me on
trying to identify the source of the email.  They were startled to find out
how easy it is to spoof email!  Now, having said that, the message may not
have come from this school.  My hunch is it did--but only partly from the
technical information; the fact that they were so unfamiliar with the issue
of software security makes me think they are extremely vulnerable.
 
But keep in mind, I'm not blaming them, and I partly disagree with Stephen
AND Russell.  :-)  As I wrote Stephen earlier today, I do indeed ask that
coders of popular software give us, the consumers, either the versions we
need or the right to edit the code to meet our needs.  Also, we need
truth-in-packaging.  Netscape is overwhelming the browser market as the
glitzy tool of choice, but if you don't spend some time reading online and
studying the package, you won't realize how easy it is to abuse it.  That's
true of other software packages, of course.  It's also true of other media;
that's why I like Call-69, and trust me I've used it. Sometimes technical
solutions ARE supervisory solutions; that's why ALA's Intellectual Freedom
Committee has emphasized the importance of informing users of the tools
they're accessing.
 
As for Russell, I do agree that younger children need to be supervised at
all times on the 'net.   But I don't agree that we prevent older kids from
using these media outside of school; I suggest we understand what we're
purchasing, use appropriate safeguards, emphasize parental-consent forms,
engage all adults in dialog on these issues and accept that all good things
are subject to abuse--and have tools in place to catch miscreants in the
act and ensure that they are called on their misbehavior.  Kids are just
taking advantage of adults' unfamiliarity with technology.  It's also
incumbent on the school library community to continue  developing subject
guides that offer kid-oriented alternatives to the info-warehouses.
 
I think the 'net has a lot to offer people of all ages.  But it's not a
turnkey environment.  That's the real issue here.
 
 
=============================================================
Karen G. Schneider, Blue Highways Internet Services   kgs@intac.com
Cybrarian/Internet Trainer  "Have Powerbook, Will Travel!"
Need a NJ provider?  Free referrals.
Visit Karen's Kitchen at http://www.intac.com/~kgs/
=============================================================