"Portals" may be problems

[Jerry Kuntz]

I know the issue of web-based email and chat has been hashed out on Web4lib
before, but I haven't seen anyone mention web-shopping or web-based online
games becoming problems on public access Internet workstations yet.
Yahoo, for instance, supports some classic board and card games:
http://games.yahoo.com/
I realize the arguments for the information value of email and chat (and
haven't been totally swayed by them). But what about shopping and games? And
if they're on Yahoo, how would you discourage them?
And, yes, I've heard the arguments about using time limits and letting the
patron do whatever they want. But when workstations are limited, and
students are under time-pressure to get their research done and all the time
slots are taken, it's hard to jusify letting someone sit there and play
blackjack for a half-hour. More and more I'm believing that libraries need
to spell out appropriate online behavior policies.

                                        Jerry Kuntz
                                        Ramapo Catskill Library System
                                        jkuntz at rcls.org