[DDN] Do Internet Filters Undermine the Teaching of21st CenturyCitizenship?

[Don Cameron]

Hi Dave,

Thanks and yes... In the example that commenced this thread the 'filter' was
in fact described as a firewall, and explained as follows: "I understand why
they did it -- because of bandwidth". Hence observation on the rationale
often behind such deployments designed to provide equitable access to a
finite resource. It's not always about censorship (however I do completely
agree with your comments on censorship).

Cheers, Don


 

-----Original Message-----
From: digitaldivide-bounces at digitaldivide.net
[mailto:digitaldivide-bounces at digitaldivide.net] On Behalf Of Dave
Chakrabarti
Sent: Friday, 27 July 2007 8:01 AM
To: The Digital Divide Network discussion group
Subject: Re: [DDN] Do Internet Filters Undermine the Teaching of21st
CenturyCitizenship?

Don,

You make a great point; if filters are implemented to share bandwidth more
equitably (it might be more important for 100 people to have email than for
3 to have video), they are certainly an effective tool, especially in
broadband backwaters such as the United States.

However, I think people are generally annoyed by content-based filtering.
Filters aren't very *good* at this yet; filters that cannot identify risque
YouTube videos will err on the side of caution and block YouTube. Similarly,
filters (and adults) that can't easily guarantee digital safety for teens on
MySpace find it easier to just block MySpace. It's always easier to censor
than to educate; filters are a reflection of this. Whether this is effective
or not is another matter.

Sadly, content-based filtering may become required to "have access at all"
in some environments; in the US, for example, there is still a strong
movement to mandate that schools and other educational institutions block
access to any website that is "interactive" in the name of online safety.

This could block access to MySpace not because of the bandwidth loss, but
because they've failed to teach children how to use online social networking
safely and effectively. A filter is a poor substitute for education.

For employment settings, I think filtering would be a viable option if there
were filters that were *good* at filtering. For example, could a nonprofit
employee do research on breast cancer or on child trafficking without
tripping a filter? Google sometimes has trouble with this, even with all the
R&D put into their algorithm; I doubt small commercial attempts to create
better algorithms will succeed.

   Dave.

------------------------
Dave Chakrabarti
Director of Programs
Grassroots.org


On Jul 26, 2007, at 10:59 AM, Don Cameron wrote:

>> In my case, Internet filters are undermining my abilities to access 
>> information I need to do my job most effectively...
>
> Yet it may be this filter is enabling your ability to access 
> information if by it's existence you have access at all. Comments 
> deriding Internet filters sometimes fail to consider why filters are 
> installed. If for censorship, then I agree; the use of censorship 
> filters may well restrict and undermine legitimate attempts to access 
> information. However if a filter is installed for bandwidth 
> management; to allow the highest number of users the most benefit from 
> a physically finite resource then the filter becomes an enabler to the 
> greatest number (albeit some high-bandwidth technologies like 
> streaming video may be restricted). Many Internet 'filters' are in 
> fact caching proxy servers designed to provide connectivity to more 
> people than is otherwise possible on a given level of bandwidth. These 
> filters are designed to share a limited resource in an equitable 
> manner.
>
> DC
>
>
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