Re: Book and Site Banning and Burning

[Lynda Gibson <LyndaG125@AOL.COM>]

Hi All,

Did a little searching on the government site, http://thomas.loc.gov/ ,
and found the bills pertaining to schools and libraries and USF/filter.
Here are the bill numbers and a brief summary of them.  You can search
for them by the numbers from the web site to get the full text.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
S.1545:
A bill to require schools and libraries receiving universal service
assistance to install
systems or implement policies for blocking or filtering Internet access
to matter inappropriate for minors, to require a study of available
Internet blocking or filtering software, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Santorum, Rick .

H.R.368:
A bill to require the installation of a system for filtering or blocking
matter on the Internet on computers in schools and libraries with
Internet access, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Franks, Bob

H.R.543:
A bill to require the installation and use by schools and libraries of a
technology for
filtering or blocking material on the Internet on computers with
Internet access to be eligible to receive or retain universal service
assistance. Sponsor: Rep Franks, Bob

H.R.896:
A bill to require the installation and use by schools and libraries of a
technology for
filtering or blocking material on the Internet on computers with
Internet access to be eligible to receive or retain universal service
assistance. Sponsor: Rep Franks, Bob

S.97:
A bill to require the installation and use by schools and libraries of a
technology for filtering
or blocking material on the Internet on computers with Internet access
to be eligible to receive or
retain universal service assistance. Sponsor: Sen McCain, John .- LATEST
ACTION: 08/05/99 Reported to Senate from Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation, amended, S. Rept. 106-141
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

You can do a search on http://thomas.loc.gov by the bill numbers and
find the whole bill text.  The senate report (S. Rept. 106-141) makes
for an interesting read - has a section on the Purpose of the Bill. Near
the end of this section, it discussed the hazard of key word searching
on search engines stating, "Because search engines possess no artificial
intelligence, they will retrieve any site that includes the key words."
I find that this statement could be used as a support for why many
filtering softwares don't work.

{{Because filtering softwares possess no
artificial intelligence, they will block any site that includes the key
words.}}

Now, don't get me wrong...it's not that I'm *totally* against filtering
software (only 95% against it!), but I'm against being forced to use one by
legislation that
would take away much needed funds for schools.  Rather than tying these
two issues together, a discussion should be started on what we, as
educators, can do to make students their own filters.  S. 1545 has the
phrase "to install systems or implement policies for blocking or
filtering Internet access to matter inappropriate for minors..." again,
I don't think schools should be forced to install filters to receive
USF, but this bill does have an interesting chunk...the "implement
policies for blocking or filtering Internet access..." If we take that
in its broadest sense, many of us do have or are implementing
policies...our Acceptable Use Policies, our school web pages that have
acceptable Internet sites on them for students to use, our
education/professional developement endeavors for both ourselves and
teachers in our districts. teaching our students how to critically evaluate
the worth of a web site, etc..  Rather than taking away essential money,
government should be looking at earmarking it for alternate uses like
providing more professional developement and making policies that
required school computer labs and libraries to be staffed by qualified
personnel...and a sufficient number of qualified personnel.  It is the
student's mind that is the best software to use for filtering and it is
the qualified people who teach them who are the best programmers for
that software.

I think this is something we, as the Information Providers/Educators, need to
address both locally and nationally.

Lynda Gibson
Library Media Specialist
Flushing Junior High Library
Flushing, Michigan
lgibson@mail.flushing.k12.mi.us
OR lygibson@aol.com
www.flushing.k12.mi.us

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