This Editorial in The Oakland Press says there’s sound, logical reason for the ordinance in Royal Oak, MI, is wandering into some new territory. It could be one of the first cities in Michigan to pass an ordinance forcing the library board to install filters, according to the Michigan Municipal League. Other libraries leave only one terminal unfiltered as a matter of policy.
This editorial wouldn’t normally be very interesting, but I’m behind a filter (not sure which) that does some sort of keyword filtering (not sure how) that automatically stops loading pages with bad words. It cuts this editorial off midsentence somewhere near the middle (end?) of the page. That “sound, logical reason” The Oakland Press says will save our children won’t allow me to read this editorial. Should I assume this editorial has some kind of “obscene material” they say is blocked by those filters?
Some Post Notes
1. If you think you can figure out which side of the filtering argument I agree with from this post, you’re wrong. The irony was simply overwhelming. (like rain on your wedding day or a free ride when you’ve already paid)
2. I don’t know what filters/firewall I’m behind. 99% of the time they get in the way for me it’s a false positive, but I’m very careful about what sites I visit from here.
3. I’ve been behind this thing for a couple years, so yes, I’m sure that’s the problem. This happens all the time, LISNews is frequently cut off for me.
I’m guessing
that pornography is the word that stopped your filter.
“Everything is for the best in this best of all possible worlds”
-Candide by Voltaire
it continues
The further irony is that actual pornography never contains the word “pornography.”
Good Guess
But it’s “Exposing them to sexually suggestive or sexually explicit material was never a good idea, but it is becoming more difficult for parents today to monitor and control their youngsters’ access and exposure.”
It’s because . . . .
But “they” need to protect you from yourself for your own good. They see you as too weak-minded to be able to handle all that freedom, so it is necessary that you get freedom only in doses small enough that it does not overwhelm your immature mind.
Oh, yes, they know what you’re going to say; that you are a fully franchised adult. But, see, even if that is so, there are still others out there who need to be protected from what you might look at, so you need to be forbidden to look at it anyway.
There is nothing that cannot be found offensive by someone, somewhere.