[WEB4LIB] Internet Use

[Bryan Williams]

Have you tried posting a policy of encouraging public humiliation.  If
someone sitting next to an offender were to stand up, and rather loudly
proclaim what the person sitting next to them were doing, the shame may
force them to quit.  Baring this, cut their logon privileges off or restrict
them to machines that are connected to a server that filters.


-----Original Message-----
From: O'Connor, Bonnie <oconnor at briscoent.uthscsa.edu>
To: Multiple recipients of list <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 1998 4:33 PM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Internet Use


>I am writing from a Health Sciences Center Library where we do not need to
>censor our customers use of the Internet (except for playing games). We
>currently have enough resources to meet demand. The Library Computer Center
>is the only place on our campus where students have access to email, word
>processing, the Internet and everything that is electronic in our library
or
>available by consortium agreements.  There are no other computer labs.
>
>When we first brought the Lab up we had a good many students view
>pornography; however, that seemed to go away - until this year.  It has
>again become an issue.  We received a written suggestion last night and I
>quote:  "I am offended by the male users that are viewing and printing
>pornographic material.  Please do something to stop this.  I do not want my
>money being used for their sick idea of pleasure."  Our students pay a
>computer use fee.  We have no policy that specifically addresses
>pornography.  We've had our staff complain they are uncomfortable by some
of
>the sites that are being viewed and printed.  We've also had students come
>up and ask us to do something about this.
>
>Our current response is something like this:
>Please ask the offending user to be considerate of the people around them
>and to remember that this is a public area.  You do not have accuse them of
>viewing pornography, just ask them to remember that they are in a public
>area.
>
>You do not have to tell the user to stop, you do not have to tell them to
>leave the Lab.  Please try to be as nice about it as possible.  Usually
>these people think that no one has noticed them, so even by you just saying
>one or two sentences to them, you'll probably embarrass them and that will
>be all you need to do.
>
>I would be intersted in hearing how others handle this type of situation.
>Bonnie O'Connor
>Internet Services Coordinator
>UTHSCSA
>oconnor at uthscsa.edu
>