Re: Rating System for WWW Pages
WAGONERN@JUNCOL.JUNIATA.EDU
Thu, 1 Dec 1994 13:16:34 -0500 (EST)
I second Brian Farrar's suggestion to put complete control in the hands
of the client. If a *local* (ie 'client') filtering system is workable
enough, that should defuse the pressure (anticipated and existing) to
censor the Web.
I teach Net usage workshops to public school teachers, and the question
of classrom control over content comes up often. It is a valid question,
IMHO, but I think the best solution is to put good tools in the hands
of the people who need or desire that kind of control, rather than
trying to create a webwide rating system which will only be circumvented
anyway.
Would it be possible from a programming pov to run a filter along with
existing browsers which would only permit access to a limited (pre-approved)
set of adresses? IOW, that way a teacher could permit access to say,
SpaceLink or the Smithsonian (or whatever) while denying access to other
sites? Any ideas, anyone?
I think it is vital that the Web community solve this problem before
others solve it for us ......
Nathan Wagoner