Hustler Magazine Challenge, Week 2

[Nick Arnett]

At 09:05 AM 9/2/97 -0700, Filtering Facts wrote:

>But this isn't a case of opportunity cost, since the library isn't being
>offered the opportunity to purchase anything but "Hustler".

I'm not sure we're working from the same definition of opportunity costs.
Anything that consumes resources -- time, money, shelf space, etc. -- has
opportunity costs.   

>Also, your argument acknowledges that librarians consider pornography less
>appropriate than other things, nearly admiting that there is an
>appropriateness issue with "Hustler" in libraries.

There are two leaps of logic here, one explicit and one implicit.  You have
equated Hustler with pornography, which is not transitive (equally true in
both directions).  Even if Hustler is pornography, it does not logically
follow that a librarian's choice to invest resources elsewhere is based on a
desire to keep pornography off library shelves.  The implicit logical leap
is that if I were to "admit" there is an appropriateness issue with
"Hustler" in libraries, that would prove something about Internet access in
libraries.

I'll reiterate that I believe that it is inappropriate for libraries to act
as Internet access providers for their communities.  Equating that to an
endorsement of filtering would be another leap of logic.

Nick

Product Manager, Advanced Technology
Verity Inc. -- Connecting People with Information

Phone: 408-542-2164     Fax: 408-541-1600
Home office: 408-733-7613         narnett at verity.com
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