Update on filter testing

[Paul Neff]

>Meanwhile, a fellow traveller on this issue had some interesting ideas
>involving forming a team (or committee, or working group... whatever term
>works best) to help libraries AVOID using filtering tools that have
>proprietary, nonviewable, noneditable stoplists.  One idea: have online
>communities--such as PUBLIB--create and maintain publicly-accessible
>"notlists" (lists of sites or keywords to filter) to be loaded in proxy
>servers or software tools such as Net Nanny.  Another idea: engage library
>consortia in this enterprise.

The criteria for inclusion of sites on any of these "notlists" would have to
be pretty clearly defined for this to fly, I would think.  I know I wouldn't
like to see my library hand over this very important collection development
issue to PUBLIB any more than I'd like it handed over to some cheesy
filtering-tool company without having a good idea how much of it we want to
use and how we want to use it.  I do see where this approach addresses the
practical issues related to Web filtration, although I'd hate to be the
consortium librarian assigned to fill a percentage of my workday surfing the
"Not" for potential offendors. 

Paul Neff
Manager, Technology Services :: Arlington Heights Memorial Library
pneff at nslsilus.org