engines for certain key words, this software filters out websites that might be inappropriate. This type of software quickly became popular in school systems and public places such as libraries. Unfortunately, some people feel that filtering software isn’t the answer to problem with censorship on the Internet. Ted Nellen, a high school English teacher since 1974, feels filtering software is actually more of a nuisance than it is a help. In the school systems of today, he feels that filtering should be a job for the teacher, not a piece of software. He brings up the question of just what exactly does filtering software say about a school? Nellen feels it says that school is not trustworthy and that the teachers are incompetent. More than that, however, it makes the children of that school feel like they can’t be trusted. Filtering software actually prevents the learning process by blocking sites that might actually be used as an educational tool. For instance, Nellen gives the example that if he were trying to give a lesson on AIDS and wanted to use as much updated information as possible, he couldn’t access most of the sites that he would want to use because of the way the filtering software is setup. Software such as this doesn’t provide the independence that teachers need nowadays to teach on topics that change often. There is too much energy put into controlling. The true energy should be put into teaching about what is right and what is wrong on the Internet. In the eyes of an actual teacher, the best filters are not software but education, supervision, and trust (53). Others, however, like a recent Network World article take a different side. This article explains recent bill proposals that include requirements for schools and other federally subsidized organizations to use filtering software (4). Another article by Odvard Dyrli agrees with the fact that filtering software in schools should be implemented. B...
