IETF / RFC / GNU filtering software / and Internet Accep

[Jerry Kuntz]

CMUNSON wrote:
> 
>      What a wonderful idea Brian! Can we call this ratings body the
>      Ministry of Internet Information? Can we set up the Internet thought
>      police? I suggest that this body be staffed by people from government
>      and corporations.

I think we'll be approaching a point in which filter products will
support individual configurations (patrons/parents can decide to apply
them or not). Simultaneously, librarians will be building more and more
content guides (similar to Librarian's Index to the Internet). In both
cases, libraries will need to decide to what degree they select on their
own; or to what degree they'll rely on other librarian-developed guides
(or URL lists); or to what degree they'll rely on commercial products
(from filter companies and classified directory/search engine vendors
[some of the search engine practices seem no less nefarious to me than
filter product practices].) It should not be surprising that those
decisions will be heavily dependent on the library's own resources in
terms of cost and expertise.

			Jerry Kuntz
			Ramapo Catskill Library System
			jkuntz at rcls.org