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Essay on Internet Filtering in Libraries
The Internet's wide appeal and growing availability have led to many new and exciting developments such as online schooling for those who don't have time or physical access for traditional programs and new communication methods which take less time and are often less expensive the traditional methods. It is only reasonable that a development that causes such radical cultural changes should also bring with it some controversy.
The topic of this paper is the controversy surrounding Internet filtering, mostly of the World-Wide-Web. The Internet's greatest asset is the amount of information it contains. Not all of the information is correct and, in spite of the amount of information found on it, it is by no means all of the information in the world However, it is the largest depository of information conveniently available to the public that has ever been created. Other sources, such as library collections and archives, have always required that the questioner travel to the source or use an intermediary. Along with the scholarly information the Internet was created to host, it has acquired strong commercial and entertainment interests as well. The controversy comes when these interests are of an adult nature, which cannot be predicted or avoided easily.
Children are spending a lot of time on the Internet, sometimes more than their parents. Many parents are concerned about the fact that their children could reach an inappropriate site on the Web as easily as an appropriate one. While they can watch their children at home, they are worried about the Internet access the children have at public and school libraries.
The option that has gained the most favor to remedy this perceived problem is the use of filters. A filter is software installed on the computer (or the server that delivers web pages to it) that monitors the sites visited and blocks..............
