"The Internet is a mirror of the world around us.
If something exists in real life, it probably exits
in some form on the Internet... good or bad. "

 


      Many schools are in a quandary: Should they provide unrestricted access to Internet content or should they install software and block by site or filter by word all incoming information. One of the reasons the issue is difficult is that no matter which choice is made, someone is always ready to sue.

     Unfortunately both the keyword and the URL filtering methods are flawed. Keyword filtering will not filter images. If the keyword is a part of the domain name, all of the content appearing at the domain may be restricted. If the keyword list is too large, inoffensive content may be restricted also. Blocking by URL, on the other hand, requires an up-to-the-minute list of inappropriate sites.

     If you would like to read more about this educational dilemma, look up Filtering Facts: www.filteringfacts.org

     Here are some examples of software that may be used to filter or block information coming from the Web: