Filtering: beyond porn (was:Re: CDA

[Kurt W. Wagner]

We just had a series of Freshman orientations at William Paterson
University. In the context of an introduction to our library's
electronic/internet resources, the question from a concerned parent:
"Well, what are you going to do about my kid accessing pornography
online?"

Of course the answer is: "What makes you think we're in the business of
regulating your child's curiosity? It is the parent's role to bring a
child up in the way and with the principles they desire. By the time an
individual is of an age to attend a public university he/she should be at
the point where they can view what they like and have the ability and
opportunity to let their upbringing be their guide. Mom and dad will not
always be there."

If it's any consolation, we DO have some guidelines in our public computer
labs that allow the lab monitor on duty to tell someone who is obviously
viewing obscene material that in a _public_ lab this is not appropriate,
since others who do not wish to view such material may inadvertantly see
it....

.....................................................
Kurt W. Wagner   mailto:kurt at frontier.wilpaterson.edu
Reference/Library Webmaster              201.595.2285 
William Paterson University of New Jersey, USA             
   http://www.wilpaterson.edu/wpcpages/library/
   http://www.gti.net/kwagner
.....................................................