NJ Rep. Calls for Computer Filters

zeroth writes, "According to an article in the New York Times (yes, free registration), "Representative Bob Franks called today for passage of state and federal legislation that would require schools and public libraries to equip computers to filter out sexually explicit material on the Internet, or lose some of their aid." As a resident, I call upon other NJ residents to share their views with Franks and their local representatives. Contact information can be found at The New Jersey Infobank." This is actually sort of funny; local resident Beth Spader, quoted as saying "My son's mind was molested by cyberpornography at the library", was quoted a year ago in another New Jersey censorship attempt saying, guess what, "my son's mind was molested by cyberpornography in the Library." Obviously there have been no new "cyberpornography molestations" in the past year, and the same old boogie-man keeps being trotted out.

ignorance about censorware

[Weezul]

First, I find it prtetty funny that they are taling about kids being molested.. like censorware would do anything about it. Actually, many censorware programs monitor your browsing and feed information back to the company about you. Actaully, they very act of blocking sites predictably allows web pages to identify (via JavaScript tricks) censorware. This information could be used in the following nasty ways (1) advertisers, toy makers, or sites like the WWF presenting childrens products to children and adults diffrently and (2) child molestors collecting lists of email addresses which are likely to be children (because they were using filtering software which is normally only used with kids). Anyway, censorware makes any problem related to physical child protection or protection of childrens information worse.. and these are much more serious problems then a little porn.

Second, a significant portion of the streangth of the censorware argument is based on the ignorant view that porn somehow leaps out at you. This view is created by two situations (1) JavaScript windows like you are talking about and (2) peple playing jokes on other people by leaving porn on the desktop. Clearly, censorware dose absolutly nothing to fix these two problems.

(1) can be solved by improvments in browsers which block JavaScript abuse. I suspect we will see the open source browsers get this soon.

(2) can be fixed by putting the machines on a simple refresh cycle and placing the computers in the open where such pranks are likely to be caught.

CYBERPORNOGRAPHY?

[jeremyf]

Excuse me, but I think I'll take my business to MSNBC [msnbc.com] where they don't use fake words like 'cyberpornography'...