Link to my Freedom Middle School library webpage:
http://domin.dom.edu/students/bielvick/753/freedomlrchomepage.html
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Blog Post #5 - DOPA - Deleting Online Predators Act
Over the last few weeks, I’ve read about DOPA in several blogs and listservs and decided I should find out more about it.
DOPA is the Deleting Online Predators Act, and it passed the House of Representative on July 27, 2006, and now moves on to the Senate for a vote. The American Library Association (ALA) website explains what DOPA is:
"DOPA is short for the Deleting Online Predators Act, the name given to H.R. 5319, which requires schools and libraries to block access to a broad selection of web content including "commercial Web sites that let users create Web pages or profiles or offer communication with other users via forums, chat rooms, e-mail or instant messaging." The bill blocks users from accessing sites like MySpace from schools or libraries, as well as access to a wide array of other content and technologies such as instant messaging, online email, wikis, and blogs."
According to CBSnews.com’s Larry Magid, DOPA is ”a well-meaning but ill-conceived piece of Internet safety legislation that could actually make the Internet a more dangerous place for children and teens”. In his report, "House Misfires On Internet Safety," Mr. Magid does an excellent job of explaining why this is not the best piece of legislation. He has been working on Internet Safety issues since 1993. He wrote "Child Safety on the Information Highway" for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and is on the board. He also runs SafeKids.com and SafeTeens.com, and is co-director of BlogSafety.com. Because of Mr. Magid’s background, he is highly qualified to analyze the effectiveness of DOPA. The following are a few of the reasons why Mr. Magid does not like the DOPA legislation:
1. Rather than “‘deleting’ online predators, it deletes the ability of schools and libraries to determine whether kids can constructively take advantage of social networking and other interactive services that are extremely popular among teens.”
2. It "lumps social networking sites and chat rooms with previously blocked sites that are obscene or contain child pornography, as if social networking was somehow the same as those horrendous sites."
3. The bill does not address “deleting” predators. It does nothing to increase the penalties of the criminals who prey on children, but rather punishes the potential victims and libraries and other institutions by denying access to social networking programs.
DOPA does not address the real need to educate children, teens and adults about the safe use of the Internet. Librarians should take great interest in this legislation because they could be greatly hampered by it.
To read more about the pitfalls of DOPA and the advantages of social networking, read Larry Magid’s report at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/01/scitech/pcanswer/main1853357.shtml
To read more about the American Library Association’s position on DOPA and its five key points, visit the ALA website at: http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/techinttele/dopa/DOPA.htm
DOPA is the Deleting Online Predators Act, and it passed the House of Representative on July 27, 2006, and now moves on to the Senate for a vote. The American Library Association (ALA) website explains what DOPA is:
"DOPA is short for the Deleting Online Predators Act, the name given to H.R. 5319, which requires schools and libraries to block access to a broad selection of web content including "commercial Web sites that let users create Web pages or profiles or offer communication with other users via forums, chat rooms, e-mail or instant messaging." The bill blocks users from accessing sites like MySpace from schools or libraries, as well as access to a wide array of other content and technologies such as instant messaging, online email, wikis, and blogs."
According to CBSnews.com’s Larry Magid, DOPA is ”a well-meaning but ill-conceived piece of Internet safety legislation that could actually make the Internet a more dangerous place for children and teens”. In his report, "House Misfires On Internet Safety," Mr. Magid does an excellent job of explaining why this is not the best piece of legislation. He has been working on Internet Safety issues since 1993. He wrote "Child Safety on the Information Highway" for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and is on the board. He also runs SafeKids.com and SafeTeens.com, and is co-director of BlogSafety.com. Because of Mr. Magid’s background, he is highly qualified to analyze the effectiveness of DOPA. The following are a few of the reasons why Mr. Magid does not like the DOPA legislation:
1. Rather than “‘deleting’ online predators, it deletes the ability of schools and libraries to determine whether kids can constructively take advantage of social networking and other interactive services that are extremely popular among teens.”
2. It "lumps social networking sites and chat rooms with previously blocked sites that are obscene or contain child pornography, as if social networking was somehow the same as those horrendous sites."
3. The bill does not address “deleting” predators. It does nothing to increase the penalties of the criminals who prey on children, but rather punishes the potential victims and libraries and other institutions by denying access to social networking programs.
- I love this comparison, “It would be like trying to protect children from being injured or killed by drunk drivers by ruling that kids can no longer walk, ride a bike or even ride in a car or bus to school.”
DOPA does not address the real need to educate children, teens and adults about the safe use of the Internet. Librarians should take great interest in this legislation because they could be greatly hampered by it.
To read more about the pitfalls of DOPA and the advantages of social networking, read Larry Magid’s report at http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/08/01/scitech/pcanswer/main1853357.shtml
To read more about the American Library Association’s position on DOPA and its five key points, visit the ALA website at: http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/techinttele/dopa/DOPA.htm
Monday, August 07, 2006
Blog Post #4 - Dateline NBC reports on MySpace.com
On Sunday, April 9, Dateline NBC aired a report on Myspace.com. I did not see the report, but heard about it through the Illinois School Library Media Association (ISLMA) listserv. One of the members provided a link to the report online. The report involved a 30-year old police detective, Detective Dannahey, who created a fake MySpace profile as 19-year old “Matt,” and entered into conversations with three teenage (14-16 years old) girls. The girls thought they were using MySpace safely and their parents were fairly involved, and yet, all three invited “Matt” to be on their “friends” list. This was a very eye-opening report. Information that is revealed by some young people on this site is exactly what a sexual predator could use to gain a young person’s trust and friendship. Regarding a 377- question survey that one of the girls posted to her account, Detective Dannahey said, “if I really was a predator, that would be just the kind of information that could, maybe years ago, take me months talking to you to get that kind of information.” After reading this report, it is apparent that young people can easily reveal personal information without realizing it, and they may not be diligent enough in their screening of people who they invite to be “friends.” As librarians, it is important for us to understand MySpace, how it works, and to educate parents and teenagers on how to use it safely. The report gave the following safety advise: “Whatever social network your child uses there are easy steps you can take to reduce risks: Monitor your child’s profile regularly, keep photos and personal details off, and put your child’s computer in an open area.” It may not be appropriate for everyone, especially young people under the age of 18, to put it all “out there.”
This report and other information on MySpace can be found at http://www.msnbc.com/id/12242009/ .
This report and other information on MySpace can be found at http://www.msnbc.com/id/12242009/ .
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