The end of the road

[Dan Lester]

First, let me assure you this will be my absolutely final comment on this
issue.  Second, for those who didn't understand the details of trying our
proxy server, read on.  Third, this discussion has become to close to
religious warfare for me to continue it.  I'm not personally hardline on
ANY religious issues, whether PC/Mac, Windows/U**x, NS/MSIE, or any others
you care to cite.  There aren't any simple or absolutel answers.

My general reading of things now is:

1. Those in public libraries are more likely to permit email, at least
partly because there aren't usually other alternatives.
2. Those in academic libraries are more likely to want to block email and
such, partly because there usually are other alternatives.
3. There is always an argument for the 'research use' of any tool, whether
email, chat, or a porn site.  
4. There will never be an agreement on what porn is, what appropriate use is.
5. We all have bosses who tell us what to do.  I was told to, if possible
for a reasonable cost, block email, chat, and game playing.  When I found a
solution that works well for $240, I was told to implement it. So I did.
6. I've never said, or suggested, that any other libraries should, or
should not, block these things.  I have explained the reasons our
management said to do it.
7. To see our proxy server reports from a week of use, check out
http://lester.idbsu.edu/98october.htm
8. To try out our proxy server set your browser (in the appropriate options
area, depending on your browser and version) to proxy to 132.178.18.75 on
port 8080.  If you don't know how to do this, RTFH or RTFM, or ask someone
more techie than you.  When you set that proxy option, THEN try to go to
hotmail.com or chat.yahoo.com and you'll get a 403 Forbidden message.
9. If you're behind a firewall or proxy server yourself, you'll have to do
the extra steps to have cascading proxies.  That procedure is left as an
exercise for the student.

>First, I had no idea that my comments would elicit the volume of passionate 
>responses that have appeared on this list, especially with the comments on 
>"bozoz". Notwithstanding statements by Dan and Erin Noll, it is my opinion 
>that applying this term toward library patrons is demeaning and 
>unprofessional. 

Well, you're entitled to your opinion (and since you're using lycosmail,
are you really who you say you are, and are you really at Dublin Public, as
is suggested by your logon name?).  I'll be sure not to use such terms when
you're among the colleagues having coffee or a cold one at ALA.

>Getting back to the issue of e-mail in libraries, I do agree, even with Dan, 
>that it is a policy decision that must support the best interests of the 
>community. 

Thank you.  I don't make those policy decisions.  I have a boss.  He has a
boss, the Provost, then the President, then the Board and the Governor.  I
just work here, trying to suit up and show up and do my job.

>My question is, what do we mean when we say we are providing Internet 
>access? Is this a collection of databases, web pages, etc...? Or is the 

We don't claim to provide internet access.  We provide library services.
Those library services include access to most internet services.  Students
who want on-campus internet access go to a lab.  Those who want off-campus
internet access get an account with an ISP.  (We also do NOT, anywhere on
campus, provide student dialup access....those in the ISP business get to
do that)

>What an irony this is! Librarians, notorious defenders of freedom of speech, 
>vehement opponents of the CDA, now seek to consciously prohibit 
>taxpayers/students from exercising their freedom of speech to send an e-mail 
>to their congressperson. We should ask the ALA what their position is on 

Oh, bullshit.  They have freedom of speech.  They can send all the letters
they want.  They can send all the email they want.  Just not from some
libraries.  Anyone who disagrees with the policy decision can file a suit
under some lame guise of their choice, or their trial attorney's choice.  

>this issue (however, as John Berry has pointed out in recent editorials in 
>LJ, their priorities are somewhat suspect). I say we stop advertising to the 
>community that we provide "Internet" access and change that to "database" 

Well, I've never seen a library "advertise" that they do that.  But I
imagine that some, somewhere, do so.  That's their problem, not mine.

>terminals? You need more terminals, pal! Some libraries compromise, they 
>establish certain computers for e-mail access, others for OPAC or database 
>access. This may be better than the all or none solution proposed by Dan 
>Lester. I always thought the idea was to encourage, not discourage patrons 
>from using the library.

As soon as I see ten million bucks for another library expansion, I'll have
the room to put in more terminals.   Of course a few bucks for all of these
new computers, and a new support staff person, would be nice too.

 Yes, there is a 
>choice here, but I would much rather see patrons coming in to a library and 
>using e-mail in a library setting than not coming in at all. Has anyone done 
>any quantifyable research on the effects of filtering library e-mail on 
>library use and patron satisfaction? Might make a good article!

Well, I'll bet there are SOME activities that you don't want the patrons to
come in to do...and that you'd rather NOT have them come in than do those
things.   I'm thinking of art books with sticky pages for a start....and
yes, I've seen such in several public libraries.  Assuming you don't
support the use of the library for such activities, it is all about where
you draw the line....not whether one should be drawn.  That is why I think
it was a mistake to make kiddie porn illegal.  I don't think kiddie porn is
good, and I think the people who do those things to kids should be in jail,
castrated, and executed in severe cases (including ANY repeat offenders).  

>Time to get off my soapbox.

Cool.  Me too.  And I'll continue this with those who wish, but only OFF
LIST.  I guarantee you can not post rabid enough flame bait, and I'm sure
Roy doesn't want you to try.

>Brenda (Bozo) Tyler

Well, we love our patrons....even the bozos, the jerks, the idiots, the
clueless newbies, and on and on.....so don't take it hard.....

cheers

dan

--
Dan Lester, 3577 East Pecan, Boise, ID 83716-7115 USA 208-383-0165
dan at 84.com   http://www.84.com/  http://www.idaholibraries.org/
 http://library.idbsu.edu/   http://cyclops.idbsu.edu/ http://www.lili.org/  
Sent me a postcard of a library yet?  You'll get something nice in return.