[secretresistance]

Read about it here

Quote:

Backers of the proposal argue that it's necessary to protect children. Hastert said on Wednesday that it "would put filters in schools and libraries so that kids can be protected... We've all heard stories of children on some of these social Web sites meeting up with dangerous predators. This legislation adds another layer of protection." To curb teenage access to interactive Web sites, Republicans chose to target libraries and schools by expanding a federal law called the Children's Internet Protection Act.

Quote:

DOPA would add an additional requirement. It says that libraries, elementary and secondary schools must prohibit "access to a commercial social-networking Web site or chat room through which minors" may access sexual material or be "subject to" sexual advances. Those may be made available to an adult or a minor with adult supervision "for educational purposes."

I guess what I have to wonder the most is why the proponents of this law believe that it will be an effective way to curb sexual crimes against minors. Maybe I'm just not seeing the benefits, but so far it's a little extremist in my opinion.

Thoughts?

 

[SirPentor]

I have trouble with this one. I can understand schools, but public libraries are a different story. Education is the key. Parental involvement is the key. Federal law is probably not the right way to solve this problem.

 

[chersolly]

Thumbs down.

2/3rds of the libraries in this country will be affected by the DOPA. It's not just MySpace that will be banned.... interactive news sites, slashdot.org, amazon, news blogs, etc. will be banned from public libraries and from all patrons (young and old).

 

[Pynki]

I can understand school use. My child's school has every child from K-12 sign or their parents sign an internet rules card. It states not explicit materials. Certain sites are blocked. That sort of thing. And for the school, I understand. Now the local PUBLIC library? No. No way. Where are the libraries that are about freedom to access information? I don't get why ANY PUBLIC library or librarian would back this?

 

[Danelle78]

My thoughts...Well that's a good way to make Myspace a forbidden fruit.

 

[lotusdebi]

Schools can create their own rules about it, and libraries are for EVERYONE! Not just children.

:

Yet another issue where Danelle's sig is appropriate: Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both. ~Benjamin Franklin

 

[secretresistance]

I'm in agreement with all of you. If the backers of this law are so concerned I would think that a better approach would be to limit this sort of ban to the school setting only. It seems as if that would draw more support than what they've initially laid out. One would hope, at least. Even then, however, I do think taking the policing of school-accesible internet to a federal level is inappropriate.

 

[chersolly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pynki I don't get why ANY PUBLIC library or librarian would back this?

Because libaries cannot afford to lose any more funding. They're squeezing rocks as it is.

 

[Pynki]

Quote:

I do think taking the policing of school-accesible internet to a federal level is inappropriate.

I absolutely agree with you here. My children's school makes their own rules and they enforce them. Why? Because the school board made up of members that are known to the public as well as the superintendent and the 2 principals decided that the rules were neccessary. Not some guy who doesn't know my kids or their school in Washington.

 

[secretresistance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pynki I absolutely agree with you here. My children's school makes their own rules and they enforce them. Why? Because the school board made up of members that are known to the public as well as the superintendent and the 2 principals decided that the rules were neccessary. Not some guy who doesn't know my kids or their school in Washington.

Maybe it's a false sense of security, but I sure do feel better when the people making decisions affecting my freedom are closer to home like that.

 

[Danelle78]

OK-I know when I was in HS, computers were for school related research ONLY. Everything non-research related or news related was blocked. And if there was something blocked you needed access to, you had to go discuss that with the librarian.

And are they going to block cell phone access to the web, too, while in school? Seems kindof pointless to me to block the computer and not the phones.

Have they even thought this through?

 

[Sharlla]

Well even though myspace " nudity" many people there still have iit. It should be flagged for porn, plus some of the stuff people put in their profiles even shocks me. IMO any public place where children can be present should not allow porn.

 

[Kajira]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lotusdebi Schools can create their own rules about it, and libraries are for EVERYONE! Not just children. :

Yup all schools have their own rules anyway, dh works for the school system where we live and after some of the students got around ALL the basic and not so basic blocks and were able to download porn at school, get to myspace which was banned etc, they really stepped up and now the students can't access myspace, any of the download websites and plenty more.
They aren't very happy campers about it either

Federal law will be over kill

: do they think kids are using the library for these types of things anyway, if I see children in the library they aren't on the pc's really there are just too many rules, they are using their friend's pc, laptops etc
heck they can use their cell phone and get on the net, what are they going to do, limit what cell phones can do?

 

[Danelle78]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sharlla Well even though myspace " nudity" many people there still have iit. It should be flagged for porn, plus some of the stuff people put in their profiles even shocks me. IMO any public place where children can be present should not allow porn.

Depends on your definition of porn. I do not equate nude photography with porn in general.

 

[Spock]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pynki I can understand school use. My child's school has every child from K-12 sign or their parents sign an internet rules card. It states not explicit materials. Certain sites are blocked. That sort of thing. And for the school, I understand. Now the local PUBLIC library? No. No way. Where are the libraries that are about freedom to access information? I don't get why ANY PUBLIC library or librarian would back this?

Librarians aren't backing this. Here is the American Library Association's position on it. The ALA has been very active in fighting this type of legislation.

 

[kama'aina mama]

Congress is hopelessly clueless when it comes to the internet. It is a vast, terrifying frontier to them so they are adopting an isolationist stance.

 

[Danelle78]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kama'aina mama Congress is hopelessly clueless when it comes to the internet. It is a vast, terrifying frontier to them so they are adopting an isolationist stance.

You see it's a series of tubes...

 

[aniT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danelle78 And are they going to block cell phone access to the web, too, while in school? Seems kindof pointless to me to block the computer and not the phones.

There is no need to do that. My daughter's school had banned cell phones period. It kind of pisses me off, I think they should be allowed to be kept in their lockers so they can check messages and have them to use to and from school.

:

I am not 100% sure this is really about protecting children and not more to do with the morality police trying to impose their will.

 

[secretresistance]

Quote:

Originally Posted by librarydragon Librarians aren't backing this. Here is the American Library Association's position on it. The ALA has been very active in fighting this type of legislation.

That link was definitely worth reading. What an intelligent position to assume.

 

[aniT]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Danelle78 Depends on your definition of porn. I do not equate nude photography with porn in general.

I think blocking software is stupid in general.

I was trying to buy a nursing bra. I called a store in the town DH works in (45mins away) and they told me they carried them. When I got there they didn't.

: So we went to DH's work to find a list of other local stores I could try while we were out. The blocking software would not let him load bravado's website. In the end I had to call my mom and have her get me a list.

This is why I don't even have filters loaded on my kids computers. They block more ligitimate sites than they do bad ones... ones my kids are not likely to visit anyway.