Organization: Samford University Computer Services
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cwis-l
Date:         Thu, 8 Oct 1992 08:09:03 CDT
From:         THE GAR <GLWARNER@SAMFORD.BITNET>

Caution:  The "dingdong" is continuing.... (nice monicker, Rita, Thanks)

First, a quick apology to Rita for associating EFF with the groups
it houses.  As Rita has pointed out, Carl is not an EFF employee,
he just lives there.

I suppose I've offended several people with my posting, but here
is the REASON I felt that it should be posted to the list, which
if I recall is about Campus Wide Information Systems.

As the maintainers of a Campus Wide Information System, what
responsibilities do we have to ensure that the policies of our
host universities and local (and federal) ordinances are not
being violated?

One reply from a librarian told me that libraries are not responsible
for keeping children out of certain areas.  Good point.  If the library
were carrying material that had been found to be legally offensive,
I wonder if this practice would continue?  I would ask this librarian
how "offensive" their collection is?  Does it contain pornography?
Obscenity?  Or only erotica that has been deemed to have a literary
quality, thus removing its "legal" obscenity status?  If they do not
carry pornography, is that not the same thing that these university's
CWIS administrators have decided?  To choose what limits are placed on
the materials they distribute for public reading?

Another reply I received told me that 95% of the material on the internet
was harmless.  Great!  I didn't notice anyone banning the entire internet,
only those portions that are deemed likely to carry offensive material.
An analogy I would suppose, is that 90% of an R rated movie is not likely
to be offensive.  However the movie is given an R rating, and minors are
not allowed in without parental consent, based on the 10% that IS offensive.
I have not studied alt.sex, so I cannot give a % rating, but some of the
trash that has been complained about has included oral and anal sex, sex
with animals, and sadomasochism.  Most of which would probably not receive
a PG rating, or even an R rating in the theaters!

As a Campus Wide Information System administrator, I believe that we should
take a "common carrier" approach to private e-mail.  If no one complains,
we don't get involved, if someone starts complaining about obscene postings
we take the phone company stance, and help them stop them.  But private
postings are an entirely different story from public newsgroups, in my
not-so-humble opinion.

I'd like to hear responses to the issue addressed in the last paragraph.
What SHOULD the stance of a CWIS administrator be towards public newsgroups
that carry offensive material, or material that violates university, local,
or federal statutes of decency?  This is a REAL topic for CWIS discussion!

Standard disclaimer: These opinions are those of myself, and do not
reflect the policies or opinions of Samford University, or Computer
and Telecommunication Services.


 /++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++\
!  Later        +   Systems Programmer                                 !
!  Gary Warner  +   Samford University Computer Services               !
!               +   II TIMOTHY 2:15                                    !
 \+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++/
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU