Replace NEtscape (Was: Why disabling....)

v9100055 at athena.rrz.Uni-Koeln.DE v9100055 at athena.rrz.Uni-Koeln.DE
Fri Nov 3 19:39:59 EST 1995


Hi all,

going through all the messages dealing with how to limit
user control over WWW-Browsers I can draw several conclusions:

1 - Currently, there is no better browser than Netscape, so
    everybody and his brother wants to use it
2 - Nevertheless, some of us (I include myself) feel uneasy about
    letting users/library patrons play around with the system
    settings and accessing "questionable" sites on the net.
3 - Netscape, however, offers no way of limiting (or let's call
    it DIRECTING) user's access. There are several workarounds, 
    some of which were posted here, but they require a fair amount
    of technical knowledge and sometimes even illegal action like
    modifying software etc.

Now, what do you expect from the new version of netscape ??
Even more features that have to be controlled, like mailserver
access for receiving mail and a whole bounty of other options that
are really useful for a single-user-PC - but not for a public
workstation in a library.

So we should stop revolving around Netscape. Instead we should
propose the development of client software suited for the
special needs of libraries and other institutions who are likely
to offer public internet access.

I think we all agree that it should be no problem to shell out
some bucks for really USEFUL software - so here we have a
market for software companies to serve. Where are they ???

Ulrich

-- 
Ulrich Babiak                       |                  Internet Librarian
ubabiak at joe.law.pace.edu            | http://joe.law.pace.edu/staff/ub/ub.html
v9100055 at athena.rrz.uni-koeln.de    | 
FB Bibliotheks- und Informationswesen, FH Koeln / Cologne School of LIS
        ---------------------------------------------------------
Deutschsprachige Internetter duzen mich - wenns auf Gegenseitigkeit beruht...



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