web issues: blocking email, chat, and porn

[Jim Hurd]

	Bloomington IN has a non-profit internet access company.  I don't
think either of the other two ISP's (one is owned by the local newspaper) 
have objected. It is free to use only from the library, and places that
have telnet access, such as IU.  It is a separate entity from the Public
Library but is housed in the Library building. Southern Florida has a
freenet that allows even free dial-in and I didn't hear of any of the
ISP's complaining.  One ISP exec, who had a radio show in Miami said 
that personally he liked having competition from other ISP's, freenets,
and national online services. In his opinion, the competition kept them on
their toes, and motivated the workforce to be produce better and more
efficient services.  It could have just been PR, but I think the guy was
being sincere. Before the great shake-outs occur many of the ISP's will be
run by old hackers, who are in the game for more than the bottom line. 
	



On Sat, 31 May 1997, Burt, David wrote:

:Dan Lester wrote:
:
:>On the debate on email,
:>the only point that I didn't notice was that no one mentioned
:>the potential conflict/problem of a public, tax supported
:>agency competing with local for-profit business.  I'm sure that
:>if any library in Idaho provided free email accounts, etc, that a
:>number of ISPs would be all over them, in court if necessary.
:
:That is *exactly* what happened when the Salem (OR) Public Library set
:itself up as an ISP.  The local ISPs screamed bloody murder that this
:was unfair competition, and tried very hard to get the Salem City
:Council to make them stop.  That was about 9 months ago, and I
:understand they are still in business.
:
:
:  ***********************************************************
:          David Burt, Information Technology Librarian 
:          The Lake Oswego Public Library 
:          706 Fourth Street, Lake Oswego, OR 97034
:          URL:          http://www.ci.oswego.or.us/library/library.htm
:          Phone:     (503) 675-2537 
:          Fax:           (503) 635-4171 
:          E-mail:      dburt at ci.oswego.or.us
:                 
: