Why disable access to software features?

[Andrea Duda]

On Thu, 2 Nov 1995, Eric Lease Morgan wrote:

> Remind me why we, as librarians, would like to disable access to some of the
> software's features. I thought librarians were interested in free and equal
> access to information?

I know that when we've discussed the issue here there were some concerns 
with making Netscape available for public use.  

One concern was that students would tie up the limited number of Netscape 
computers by using them to telnet to their e-mail accounts.  The problem, 
of course, is that disabling telnet means they can't use telnet links on 
web pages either.

I believe that kiosk mode eliminates the ability to save bookmarks, mail 
documents, or print documents.  It was the limitation on mailing and 
printing that caused us to decide not to use the kiosk mode.  The whole 
point in making the web available to our patrons was to allow them to 
access the information available.  If they can't print it or save it, 
there's not much point in providing access to it.

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                                Andrea L. Duda             
                    Networked Information Access Coordinator
                               Davidson Library
                    University of California, Santa Barbara 
                        Internet: duda at library.ucsb.edu     
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