Internet service providers that operate in Utah must offer customers a way to block porn sites under a law signed this week. ISPs complained that the law adds nothing to the fight against pornography, and said a legal challenge is likely.
Republican state Rep. John Dougall said the measure he sponsored should help parents overwhelmed by advancing technology. “Kids are much more savvy about what’s going on than their parents,” Dougall said.
Seth Finkelstein Points Out the law requires a list be kept. “…create a database, called the adult content registry, consisting of a list of content…”
Great Irony
The great irony of “fighting porn” is you need a “really really really” long list of porn sites…and making them public…well “transparencyâ€? is a good thing.
The fight against porn
Why are we fighting all porn? Child pornography I understand, but who honestly cares about the vast majority of the stuff? We’d do better putting the effort, and money, into education and maybe making sure they have enough clean clothes to wear and food to eat. It’s a feel good measure that will have no real value.
Shock! Horror!
Coz pr0n is teh evol! OMG WTF!!!!1!
No, seriously, you call yourself a librarian and you were unaware that allowing adults access to certain forms of sexual information makes them club baby seals to death? With burning flags? And copies of Gigli?
Re:The fight against porn
Because as everyone knows Utah is the world’s capital for illiterate, starving, naked people.
Re:The fight against porn
Oh I’m sure there are no hungry kids in Utah. Nor kids that don’t have clean clothes, or clothes that need repair. I’m also sure they’re all covered by health care so they don’t have to worry when they get sick either.
By all means lets pour money fighting something that, by all indications, quite a few people enjoy. I’m sure it’ll be as effective as the Drug War.
Re:The fight against porn
“Oh I’m sure there are no hungry kids in Utah. Nor kids that don’t have clean clothes, or clothes that need repair. I’m also sure they’re all covered by health care so they don’t have to worry when they get sick either.”
I’m willing to bet there are no hungry kids in Utah. And whether or not they are covered by healthcare I’m sure there’s an emergency room they can go into if something serious is wrong.
“By all means lets pour money fighting something that, by all indications, quite a few people enjoy. I’m sure it’ll be as effective as the Drug War. “
They’re not banning porn or fighting it. They are putting safeguards in place so people have more control over the product they are buying. It is up to the individual to choose whether they take advantage of the controls or not.
Apparently you’re not happy unless people are forced to read/listen/view every piece of garbage available.
‘Let the people decide, let the people decide!’ Well, now they can.
Misguided dolts
“For every action there is an opposite and equal reaction.”
–Sir Isaac Newton
“For every social action there is an opposite and equal social reaction.”
–a principle of sociology
“If you don’t want to be offended by what is on the internet, unplug your computer from the internet.”
–Michael Nellis
Re:The fight against porn
As the article noted, at least some of the internet companies already provide filters. I’m willing to be the majority of them do.Parents can buy filters for their computers.
They have plenty of choice already. I do not see a need for Government to become involved. In fact, I see a danger in Government becoming involved. I think it is just grandstanding on their part, and yes, I think that the proponents of this measure see it as a battle in the war against porn. I think most of them would be more than happy to legislate porn out of existence for everyone if they had their way.
Does this librarian rush ever wear off?
I’m willing to bet there are no hungry kids in Utah.
Actually, Utah is doing pretty well. Only 18% percent of children in the state (142,560) are living in poverty, as opposed to the national average of 23%. [1] Still, according to Gina Corona of Utahns Against Hunger, “Utah is the highest in the country in food insecurity”. [2] I’m not sure where she gets her numbers, but while I suspect they’re hyperbole, the existence of the organization (which provides child nutritional assistance) implies some need was seen by someone in Utah.
While the Utah Issues 2002 report of Utahn poverty does apply some caveats (such as recognition of Utah’s strong social support network) to the Center on Hunger’s 2002 finding that Utah has the fourth highest prevalence (4.43%) of hunger in the nation [3], it stresses that the issue of nutritional deprivation still exists.
(Even the Center on Hunger’s report asks that these findings be taken carefully, saying Except under severe circumstances, children, in particular, are likely to be protected from hunger by their parents even while adults in the same households reduce their food intake or skip meals. Nonetheless, it seems likely that there are are hungry children in Utah, just as there are hungry children everywhere else in the world. Nowhere is perfect.
Re:Does this librarian rush ever wear off?
Nowhere is perfect but we’re a heckuva lot closer here then anywhere else.
‘Poverty’, as its thought of in this country, is something only to be dreamed of in other parts of the world. Also ‘nutritional deprivation’ is not quite the same as going hungry. If parents can’t take the time to buy a simple multi-vitamin (a pretty cheap investment) that’s not the government’s fault.
Re:Does this librarian rush ever wear off? … well there are plenty of places that are a lot worse off. I mean, jeez, it’s noting a few flintstones chewables wouldn’t fix. I’m not in the compassion business, and our government shouldn’t be either. And, hey, LOOK! Halley’s Comet!
Well, when I said “no hungry kids” I really didn’t mean “NO hungry kids”. What I meant was
Other misguided dolts
All who believed were together and held everything in common, and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need.
– Acts of the Apostles 2:44-45
From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.
– Karl Marx
My interest in reading the Bible grew stronger and stronger, and the words became clearer and more meaningful. We studied Acts, the story of the Apostles building the Christian Church …
– George W. Bush
Re:Other misguided dolts
Too bad Bush didn’t study the Commandments: Thou shalt not commit murder; thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s ass, nor his wife, nor his home (meaning his oil); thou shalt not bear false witness. . . .
Then there are those so inconvenient Beatitude thingies: Blessed are the humble, the meek, etc, etc, etc.