More on controlling Web browsers

[Robert Sullivan]

Much of Dan Lester's recent question also applies to us.

>What we'd like to control is the use of email and chat that are
>provided via Web Pages rather than separate clients. We
>assume that we could buy or license a blocking product that
>would allow us to configure our own places to block, and then
>block such pages as we learn of them. But on principle we
>don't really want to do that.

His reasons for switching to NT are similar...

>Also, we're looking at switching to NT4 on these and a
>couple other machines, since we understand (correctly?) that
>it will allow us to remotely control another machine. The idea
>is to put NT4(client) on the public machines and on one at
>the reference desk. We'll post signs saying that anyone
>using chat or email via the web will have their session
>terminated immediately. May sound weird, but will it work?

I don't think it's weird because I came up with a similar idea.  Although our
board has not yet articulated a policy on the matter, those of us who are
setting up the system don't want to use filtering software and don't want to be
net police.  We would like to think that most of our patrons will be
responsible users, and the ones who aren't will be dealt with.

Being practical civil libertarians who are aware from local media coverage that
we're about one spark away from igniting a Staten Island situation, we define
"responsible" as not viewing pornography and not doing anything illegal, and no
chat (the resource issue).  Anything else is up to them.

I would like to echo Dan's request for suggestions, and extend the question a
bit.  We are patterning our policy after our video policy - parents who do not
wish their children to check out videos may have their cards coded to block
this.  We don't make a distinction about type; it applies to Barney videos as
well as anything else.  The text-based net access we have through our DRA
system would allow us to do something similar for net machines, but we can't do
it with graphical access.  The text system (after some modification by our
automation consortium) also will limit users to, say, an hour a day.  We'd like
to be able to do that on the new system so staff don't have to monitor use..

We would also like to have one more capability which we've never had to use on
the text system - disable access for users who don't follow our policy.

I have heard of some colleges which download a file of valid users every night
for determining computer lab access.  This would be relatively small to work
with - a few hundred thousand times about 20 characters - but the people who
run the system on an Alpha 2100 were skeptical about the amount of effort
involved on our end.  I've read about scripted front ends and have experience
with programming FoxPro, with not with anything like this.

Have I lost my mind to think about doing this?  Will I have lost it by the time
I'm through?  If it's already been done, how?

As an aside, I should note that few parents actually blocked their children's
cards, and many who did showed their deep moral commitment by reversing that
when they found they could no longer use them to avoid the fines on their own
cards and take out more videos for themselves. ;-)

Thanks for any advice.

Bob Sullivan                               scp_sulli at sals.edu
Schenectady County Public Library (NY)     http://www.scpl.org