Boston situation -Reply

[Dan Lester]

>>> Ari Herzog <ari at ici.net> 02/25/97 07:25am >>>
What do members of this group feel about the Boston Public
Library situation?

For those not in the know, Mayor Menino has issued a
statement for
CyberPatrol to be installed on all BPL libraries, which comes
as a result of some children viewing online pornography.

=========================================
The mayor has bought himself a mess.  If he thinks that CP
or any other similar product will block all the porn, he's
mistaken.  I'm sure we all know that.  However, whatever his
personal beliefs may be, he probably sees it as "politically
necessary" or "damage control".  When the public learns that
even WITH a blocking product on it that kids can still find
plenty of objectionable stuff (depending on one's definition, of
course), he may wish he'd never tried to "solve" the problem. 
Or he may be able to sell that at least they're trying, and like
with drugs or other criimes that "we're doing the best we can
with limited resources, but if you'd raise the taxes then....."

Other than that, of course I think it is stupid and
wrongheaded, and probably a violation of the constitution. 
But, I'm not sure it is a battle I'd choose to fight.....but I'd
have to know a lot more about the local situation before I'd
decide that.

dan


Dan Lester, Network Information Coordinator
Boise State University Library, Boise, Idaho, 83725 USA
voice: 208-385-1235   fax:  208-385-1394
dlester at bsu.idbsu.edu     OR    alileste at idbsu.idbsu.edu
Cyclops' Internet Toolbox:    http://cyclops.idbsu.edu
"How can one fool make another wise?"   Kansas, 1979.