[WEB4LIB] Advice for librarians instituting public access to the 'net

[miked at tsaw03.wplwloo.lib.ia.us]

Sue--

The recipe for a secure public Internet station is:

1	Secure the BIOS with a password
2	Don't allow floppy boots
3	Use Win9x
4	Fortres 101 v4
5	Navigator 4.08 Standalone
6	IKiosk with the wsauto file for Navigator

Makes for very boring, yet stable machines.  Pretty cheap, too.

Of course, a sophisticated network administrator can do great things with
WinNT and policies, but this is cheap and can be managed by almost anyone
while they study for the MCSE.

--mike

On Sat, 4 Sep 1999, Sue Kamm wrote:

> In addition to security software, securing hard drives from downloads,
> installing privacy screens, and equipping yourself with LOTS of patience,
> librarians planning public access Internet workstations should consider
> locking up the CPUs.  Especially when lots of children use the computers,
> there is a tendency for users to try and "fix" problems by turning
> machines off and on.  
> 
> Train your public to report problems with computers to designated staff
> rather than trying to "fix" problems themselves.  
> 
> (I write this having spent the afternoon at a branch library, with 98
> percent of my time taking signups, trying to get some machines back on
> line, and getting payment for printouts.  For this I got a master's
> degree?)
> 
> Your friendly CyberGoddess and ALA Councilor,
> Sue Kamm
> email:  suekamm at class.org
> "I really love baseball.  The guys and the game.  And I love the 
> challenge of describing things.  The only thing I hate--and I know you 
> have to be realistic and pay the bills in this life--is the loneliness of 
> the road."
> --Vin Scully
>