[LM_NET] More filtering follies

[Nancy Willard <nwillard@CSRIU.ORG>]

Australian teen breaks through the government's new $84 million filtering
system in 30 minutes.

Sixteen-year-old Melbourne teenager Tom Wood said it took him less than 30
minutes to override the cyber barrier technology which was launched by Prime
Minister John Howard earlier this month.

"I downloaded it on Tuesday to see how good it was, because for 84 million
dollars (69 million US), I would have expected a pretty unbreakable filter,"
he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/afp/20070827/ttc-lifestyle-australia-internet-sex-f
il-0de2eff_1.html


A government official was quoted as saying that it is better to have a
computer than not. The problem is that relying on a filter results in false
security and the failure to educate and monitor.

I am working on an in-service presentation on Internet safety and
responsible use. This will be a narrated Powerpoint. It should be ready
mid-September. In this I strongly emphasize that filters are merely speed
bumps and that teachers must ensure that they are prepared to lead students
in quality educational activities and that all student Internet use must be
monitored. 

Nancy
-- 
Nancy Willard, M.S., J.D.
Center for Safe and Responsible Internet Use
http://csriu.org
http://cyberbully.org
http://cyber-safe-kids.com
nwillard@csriu.org

Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats: Responding to the Challenge of Online Social
Aggression, Threats, and Distress (Research Press)

Cyber-Safe Kids, Cyber-Savvy Teens: Helping Young People Learn to Use the
Internet Safely and Responsibly (Jossey-Bass)

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