TECH: finding smut on the net

["Karen G. Schneider" <kschneid@UMICH.EDU>]

Re James Mong's post--I think you are now getting a good education.  ;-)
Maybe we could do a program at ALA--"Porn on the net: the LM_NET
collection."  (o.k. o.k... maybe NOT!)

I would add that the original "net porn," and what is possibly most
popular, is on Usenet and is text-based.  Believe it or not, folks tell
elaborate and highly public sexual stories on the 'net, I think mostly
fantasies.  And tell them, and tell them, and tell them...  (Again, the
appeal eludes me... but then my idea of a turn-on is a sale table at a
bookstore!!)  If you set your newsreader to not access these groups, you'd
eliminate a lot of problems.

If you are going to use filtering software--and frankly, I know some of you
will, for various reasons--why not look at and assess the different types,
rather than turn your librarianship over to the Surfwatch company?  You
really don't want some company makign your collection decisions for you, do
you?  At least give it a thought.  I bet you don't like it when folks try
to tell you what BOOKS to buy...

And  I am still not convinced that stumbling across raunch every now and
then is going to harm a child.  (If so, why do people even buy tvs, blocks
or not?  I understand Julie Andrews bared her breasts on 60 Minutes not too
long ago. )

Karen