I am well aware of the legal backdrop for filtering,
and of the Julie Amero case, but thanks for pointing
it out, because it provides some nice support for the
argument I am about to make.
Also, the difference between business and education is
a red herring. Different contexts require different
approaches.
As the Amero case graphically illustrates, filtering
doesn't work. Yet, at the district level, and at the
school level, via a series of unfunded or partially
funded mandates, resources are funneled into
supporting an ineffective response to inappropriate
content and behavior. It's also worth noting that all
of these inappropriate behaviors existed before the
internet.
WRT CIPA: regardless of what one thinks of the merits
of the law, it was passed in December, 2000. How much
hardware is currently running in your school that is
as old as CIPA? How much software? How many training
manuals? How much academic curriculum?
For more on CIPA:
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/woissues/civilliberties/cipaweb/cipa.cfm
Given the scarcity of resources within education, it
seems a wasteful extravagance to put more scarce
resources into technology that doesn't work. With all
the rhetoric being blown about concerning
"accountability" it seems hypocritical at best to
expect less of the infrastructure that can empower
more effective work from teachers and students.
In short, why waste time and money on something that
doesn't work, when we could put those same resources
into something else that could work?
And, simply saying "We have to because the law says
so" is an abnegation of responsibility. We can follow
the existing law at the same time as we question it,
and work to improve upon it.
Cheers,
Bill
--- Jason Hyams <jhyams@st-agnes.org> wrote:
> Bill,
>
> Until laws are changed to allow minors access to any
> type of content I
> do not see schools eliminating content filters.
>
> The two reasons I find schools using filters are
> CIPA compliance and
> liability. Two reasons a company uses filters
> productivity and
> liability.
>
> Until laws are changed that remove a legal liability
> such as sexual
> harassment (in a company) or "endangering students
> by exposing them to
> pornographic material" (in a school) filters are
> required to show best
> effort.
>
>
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2007/01/substitute_teacher_fa
> ces_jail.html
>
>
> Jason Hyams
> Director of Technology
> St. Agnes Academy
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