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Vol 8|No 8|May|1999 |
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From Now On
by Jamie McKenzie Note (June 11, 1999): Since this article was published in May, it appears that SurfWatch has discontinued the practice of automatically blocking sites using the file names "adult.html" and "adult.htm." While there has been no formal acknowledgement of wrong doing or defamation of character by SurfWatch, From Now On takes pride in seeing the word "adult" restored to common usage.
A SL@P is an electronic insult - an unfounded and defamatory label applied to a Web page without looking at it to check its contents. It is an electronic rumor, a digital dismissal, a gratuitous and indecent assault on the reputation of an unknown person. A SL@PPER is a company which indulges in indiscriminate SL@PPING without regard to the damage done to the victims of SL@P. For other new forms of electronic misconduct, see SPAM, Telephone Slamming and SCAM. An article on adult learning appearing here at From Now On was blocked by SurfWatch during April. Even though it contained no sexually explicit material, clients of SurfWatch were told that the article was blocked for that reason. (click here to see how SurfWatch characterized the article on one From Now On site even as recently as May 9, 1999). Please remember that this author filled out their review form for both sites on April 23 and at the time this article was published on May 12 they had only responded to the one which was named in the listserv message. (click here to read the blocked article http://staffdevelop.org/adult.html) This article you are reading right now was also blocked by SurfWatch before it was even published. They evidently block new files named with adult.html until they are asked to desist. If you are worried about your own site or other sites being unfairly characterized, you may test them by visiting http://www1.surfwatch.com/testasite/body.html No Warning A content provider or individual could be maligned on a daily basis for weeks and weeks without knowing that damage was being done and without knowing how many people had been erroneously told that they were harboring sexually explicit material. On April 23, a technology director e-mailed From Now On complaining that she could not reach an article written about adult learning. (click here to read her e-mail message - name withheld) When the article was checked on April 23rd at http://www.surfwatch.com SurfWatch blocked it at both From Now On addresses (fno.org and fromnowon.org) stating that it was blocked for "sexually explicit material." On this same page they offer a form to fill out if you think their characterization is unjust and should be reviewed. I filled out the form for both addresses and heard nothing back until May 5. The May 5 note from SurfWatch resulted, evidently, when someone e-mailed a copy of my listserv posting to LM_NET complaining about the situation. Filling out their forms did no good. Complaining to 25,000 librarians caught their attention. (click here for a copy of the belated SurfWatch response and apology) After a week of no action and no response from SurfWatch, I asked my attorney to take legal action and contacted both the ACLU and the press. Arbitrary, Capricious and Irresponsible This approach to blocking content is arbitrary, capricious and irresponsible. It apparently relies upon clues like the file name "adult.html" to filter and then label pages as "sexually explicit" without actually examining their content. If they were simply blocking the site, it would be one kind of damage, but they go a step further by labeling the content erroneously as "sexually explicit." This is defamation of character and false. We are witnessing an industry which uses crude measures to deliver "information security" and applies a standard that a page or a site is "guilty until proven innocent." List of the Falsely Accused The following 32 Web pages were blocked by SurfWatch for what they claimed was "sexually explicit material" when they were checked at the SurfWatch site during the week of May 10. None of them contained "sexually explicit material" as far as this author can tell. Visit and judge for yourself (if you do not have SurfWatch installed). (May 21): Surfwatch stopped blocking FNO pages and removed the explicit sexual material label. Please notice the large number of respectable organizations SL@PPED in this manner. (May 21): Surfwatch stopped blocking these pages once FNO notified these sites that they had been blocked and published the list in this article. Very useful information from the Federal government for cancer patients which contains no sexually explicit material. http://rex.nci.nih.gov/INFO_CANCER/ADULT_HODGKNS.htm US Department of Education Office of Educational Research and Improvement - an article for parents which contains no sexually explicit material. http://ericps.crc.uiuc.edu/npin/respar/texts/helping/library/adult.htm A list of Adult Literacy resources which contains no sexually explicit material. http://zorba.uafadm.alaska.edu/fairnet/volops/agencies/adult.html A schedule of recreational activities which contains no sexually explicit material. http://zorba.uafadm.alaska.edu/fairnet/volops/agencies/adult.html A page outlining a range of Adult and Workplace Education programs offered by the University which contains no sexually explicit material. http://www.qut.edu.au/pubs/contprofed/adult/adult.html A page outlining a range of Adult programs offered by the Library which contains no sexually explicit material. http://www.ci.albany.or.us/pages/library/adult.html A high quality photograph of an adult beetle, part of a biology site, with no apparent sexually explicit material. http://everest.ento.vt.edu/~salom/SPBbiology/adult.html A page from a church in Park Ridge, Illinois which contains no sexually explicit material. http://www.park-ridge.il.us/spchurch/frames/adult.html Materials for a Wayne State - The College of Science - psychology course which contain no sexually explicit material. http://www.science.wayne.edu/~wpoff/cor/gro/adult.html Hospital services which contain no sexually explicit material. http://www.psych.mcgill.ca/labs/rvh/adult.html http://www.joyofliving.org/html/adult.html http://www.muskegon.k12.mi.us/library/adult.htm http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/hdfs/Grad/adult.htm http://www.ohd.hr.state.or.us/ccfh/imm/adults/adultimm.htm This sea lamprey page is part of a larger project about environmental issue pertaining to Hamilton Harbour in conjunction with McMaster University's Biology Dept. http://www.science.mcmaster.ca/Biology/Harbour http://www.coloradohealthnet.org/cancer/support/css_adult.htm http://www.chicago.avenew.com/comnity/stcharls/library/ADULT.HTM http://www.psy.uwa.edu.au/user/linda/biglab/adult.htm http://www.pnca.edu/htmls/pro/ce/adult.html http://www.wittenberg.edu/witt/commservice/agency/adult.html http://outreach.missouri.edu/ne-imaster/adult.html http://webserv.duc.auburn.edu/academic/education/ved/adult.html http://jcweb.gmu.edu/maps/pages/adult.html http://www.ohsu.edu/cliniweb/disability/adult.html http://nyneurosurgery.org/inn/tumor/chemotherapy/adult.htm http://www.cas.suffolk.edu/ehs/graduate/adult.html http://www.monmouth.edu/irs/library/melon/middletown/adult.html http://www.mca.edu/comm_ed/ce_adult.html http://www.albany.edu/twoyear/stwbestprac http://campusrecreation.ucdavis.edu/recpool/rp_adult.html http://www.surg.umn.edu/surg/CVTsurg/CVTheart_adult.html Virtual Relief While the company claims to review complaints in order to protect people and sites from unfair ratings, I filled out their forms for both of my Web sites on April 23rd and had seen no change in one of the listings 19 days later. The only blocking they removed was the one which appeared on a listserv. Legal Relief The electronic frontier brings with it powerful ways to communicate information, some of which are healthy and beneficial. Unfortunately, these positive advancements are offset by other new technologies which can block legitimate information and damage the reputation of hundreds and thousands of people while hiding behind the excuse that they are protecting children. Fortunately, the court system offers injured parties the right to bring their cases before a judge and jury to demand an end to the defamatory practice and the award of damages to those whose character and Web sites have been falsely accused. This journal has asked that SurfWatch remove all blocking of articles on the From Now On web sites and to cease and desist the defamatory practice of affixing the "sexually explicit" label where none is justified. Note (June 11, 1999): Since this article was published in May, SurfWatch has discontinued the practice of blocking pages at From Now On which have "adult" in the file name. We have further requested a public apology from a high ranking company officer that may be republished in From Now On and on several educational listservs where SurfWatch clients can read it. Note (June 11, 1999): There has been none. We have also insisted that SurfWatch cease the apparent practice of blocking and characterizing of Web sites simply because of file names such as "adult.html" as this is plainly discriminatory, irresponsible and potentially defamatory. Note (June 11, 1999): Since this article was published in May, it appears that SurfWatch has discontinued the practice of automatically blocking sites using the file names "adult.html" and "adult.htm." While there has been no formal acknowledgement of wrong doing or defamation of character by SurfWatch, From Now On takes pride in seeing the word "adult" restored to common usage. If SurfWatch does not agree to these demands, we will proceed with legal action, including the possibility of a class action suit. Please let us know if you have experienced problems with information being unfairly blocked by this product at your library, school, university or business site. We would also like to hear if you have been blocked unfairly from reading materials. Please send an e-mail message to the Editor at mckenzie@fno.org Join us in putting an end to the SL@P! Credits: The photographs were shot by Jamie McKenzie. Icons from Jay Boersma. Copyright Policy: Materials published in From Now On may be duplicated in hard copy format if unchanged in format and content for educational, nonprofit school district and university use only and may also be sent from person to person by e-mail. This copyright statement must be included. All other uses, transmissions and duplications are prohibited unless permission is granted expressly. Showing these pages remotely through frames is not permitted. |
