Can you override your internet filter? A close examination of the Supreme Court decision has implications for school librarians nationwide.

Can you override your internet filter? A close examination of the Supreme Court decision has implications for school librarians nationwide. The recent Supreme Court decision in the American LibraryAssociation American Library Association,founded 1876, organization whose purpose is to increase the usefulness of books through the improvement and extension of library services. case challenging the Children's Internet Protection Act The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) is one of a number of bills that the United States Congress has proposed in an attempt to limit children's exposure to pornography and other controversial material online. has significant implications related to how filtering software isimplemented in schools.While at first glance, many found the Supreme Court decision torequire schools to use filters for any student Web access, thisisn't necessarily the case.The case started when the ALA at others challenged theconstitutionality of the library-related provisions of CIP (1) (Common Isochronous Packet) The packet format used in time-based (real time) FireWire transmission. See FireWire, IEC 61883 and mLAN.(2) (Common Industrial P Theseprovisions called for libraries use filters to screen Web sites beforechildren were able to view any Web pages. The District Court ruled inMay 2002 that CIPA CIPA Children's Internet Protection Act of 1999 (US)CIPA Camera & Imaging Products AssociationCIPA Chartered Institute of Patent AgentsCIPA Canadian Information Productivity AwardsCIPA Colorado Independent Publishers Association was unconstitutional unconstitutionaladj. referring to a statute, governmental conduct, court decision or private contract (such as a covenant which purports to limit transfer of real property only to Caucasians) which violate one or more provisions of the U. S. Constitution. . The Supreme Court reversed thisdecision its June ruling.The Supreme Court decision says schools are using filteringsoftware that is blocking access to material that students have aconstitutional right access, and if there is not a process that providesready access to such material, then such use clearly presentsconstitutional concerns. Here is what the lead decision stated: Due to the software's limitations, "(m)any erroneously blocked [Web] pages contain content that is completely innocuous for both adults and minors, and that no rational person could conclude matches the filtering company's category definitions ... Assuming that such erroneous blocking presents constitutional difficulties, any such concerns are dispelled by the ease with which patrons may have the filtering software disabled, When a patron encounters a blocked site, he need only ask a librarian to unblock it or (at least in the case of adults) disable the filter.There are two questions that must be considered: Is filteringsoftware blocking access to material that students have a constitutionalright access? Has the school implemented process by which students mayreadily gain access to such material?In prior cases, the Supreme Court has established that while schoolofficials have great latitude latitude,angular distance of any point on the surface of the earth north or south of the equator. The equator is latitude 0°, and the North Pole and South Pole are latitudes 90°N and 90°S, respectively. in determining what kinds of materialstudents may access, they may not engage in viewpointdiscrimination--that is, limit access based on a disapproval of theideas. If it is not permissible for school officials to engage inviewpoint discrimination, then it is impermissible im��per��mis��si��ble?adj.Not permitted; not permissible: impermissible behavior.im to use filteringsoftware that is blocking access to material based on viewpointdiscrimination.Since most filtering companies protect information about theirblocking criteria, keywords and lists of blocked site as proprietaryinformation, it is simply not possible for school officials to dearlyascertain whether or not the filtering product is blocking access basedon viewpoint discrimination. However, there are many studies that raiseconcerns that companies are blocking access in this manner.Schools that set their filters to block many categories are morelikely to be blocking access to material students have a constitutionalrightto access, as compared to schools that are only blocking access tothe pornography category. Unfortunately, many schools are usingfiltering technology as a tool for Internet use management, rather thanplacing reliance on policies, education, supervision and discipline.The second question requires an analysis of the process thatschools have established to allow students to access sites that havebeen inappropriately blocked. In many schools, the override An arrangement whereby commissions are made by sales managers based upon the sales made by their subordinate sales representatives. A term found in an agreement between a real estate agent and a property owner whereby the agent keeps the right to receive a commission for the sale of process isoverly burdensome and the time delay interferes with the effective useof such material for educational purposes. Ideally, all district librarymedia specialists, computer lab personnel and teachers who makesignificant use of the Internet should have the authority to overridethe filter.The biggest concern about the use of filtering is the continuingmisperception mis��per��ceive?tr.v. mis��per��ceived, mis��per��ceiv��ing, mis��per��ceivesTo perceive incorrectly; misunderstand.mis that filtering will prevent young people from accessingmaterial that adults would prefer they not access. If you do not believeme, ask some high school students. Unfortunately, while the vastmajority of schools have installed filtering, very few have acomprehensive, educational program to prepare students with theknowledge and skills necessary for them to independently make safe andresponsible choices when using the Internet--whether at school or athome.Nancy Willard Nancy Willard (born June 26, 1936, in Ann Arbor, Michigan) is a children's author and poet. In 1982, she received the Newbery Medal for A Visit to William Blake's Inn. She lives in Poughkeepsie, New York and lectures at Vassar College.[1]. is director of the Responsible Netizen Institute(responsiblenetizen.org) and is author of Computer Ethics (philosophy) computer ethics - Ethics is the field of study that is concerned with questions of value, that is, judgments about what human behaviour is "good" or "bad". Ethical judgments are no different in the area of computing from those in any other area. , Etiquette etiquette,name for the codes of rules governing social or diplomatic intercourse. These codes vary from the more or less flexible laws of social usage (differing according to local customs or taboos) to the rigid conventions of court and military circles, and they ,and Safety for the 21st Century Student.