The Internet is unlike any information medium in history. While there may be similarities, the free flow of information that the internet provides makes it a completely unprecedented information medium. The internet allows users to access a breath of information way beyond channel-surfing with a limited number of stations. The capacity of this new medium is only limited by its users. If knowledge is power, then information is king in this technology age. When the masses have access to information, those in power are likely to feel threatened. Just like what a mass-produced book could do in the 18th century. Unlike traditional print media like the newspaper, the Internet is relatively cheap an

Personally, I value the freedom of speech and feel it is my right to read or write what I want based on my own good judgment. When I have children I know that I could adequately supervise what my children are watching and reading on the Internet. Even if I was not able to adequately supervise my children's viewing habits, I do not think it is in America's best interest to let the government regulate what is and what is not appropriate.

The Communications Decency Act, backed by such groups as the Family Research Council and the Christian Coalition, would have made it illegal to transmit "indecent" material to children online, had it not been struck down by the Supreme Court. The problem with such legislation is that the Internet unlike television, radio, or print, is used by a global audience unaffected by the strength of broadcast signals or the location of paper routes. For this very reason, provincial definitions of "pornography" or "indecent material" cannot be applied to the Internet without abridging First Amendment protection. To ban pornography from the Internet would be to curtail a medium that is fully deserving of the right to free speech. (Communications Decency Act)

- Protect children from potentially harmful material.

To help understand why legislators are attempting to censor the Internet, it helps if one firsts understands how the Internet came into existence and how it basically works.

Probably the only viable solution to the problem of children viewing objectionable material on the Internet I have found is the use of a voluntary rating system. Such ratings systems are already in use and include the Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA). "The Internet Content Rating Association is an international, independent organization that empowers the public, especially parents, to make informed decisions about electronic media by means of the open and objective labeling of content. ICRA's dual aims are to:

After 1996 many adult websites introduced different password protection schemes. Prior to accessing the site's content a username and/or password would be required. To gain a username and/or password a person must subscribe to an Age Verification Service (AVS). At this point a subscriber of AVS could only pay using a credit card. The logic behind this idea is that minors would not have access to credit cards. This solution might work but legislation would have to be in place to force adult websites into using some sort of AVS. However there are two main problems to this solution. The most obvious problem is that the web is world-wide and there is no legislation that could be enforced on everyone. If someone in the Netherlands wanted to have an Adult Site with no password protection they can. The second problem is that many people just give their usernames and passwords away on message boards or on other web sites.

From my experience with blocking software like Net Nanny, I have found many problems. The problems I will describe have all came from computer technical support positions I have held. The first problem or problems I have found are under-blocking or over-blocking. No blocking technology is clever enough to block all of the pornography on the Internet unless it effectively blocks most or all of the materials on the Internet. At that point you get into over-blocking. Most of the material on the Internet is informative and useful and should not inadve

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