Greensboro city council gets it right on library computer filters

Greensboro City Council voted last night to install "porn" filters on computers used by minors at the library. Adult log-ins will not get filtered. This is the correct decision.

There has been no disagreement that children deserve special treatment. The difference of opinion has been over whether to treat adults like children too. The over-protective software solution is right for children. It was wrong for adults.

The idea that software could serve as an appropriate enforcer of "community standards," as councilman Danny Thompson wished for, was misguided. Local online discussions illustrated the futility of identifying a community standard to begin with, as people argued for and against blocking sites about hacking, hate, extreme violence and other objectionable things not about sex. There were some attempts to embarrass people into supporting filters by impugning their morality. Local blogger Joe Guarino even went so far as to suggest that library staff should be arrested if library patrons were found to be viewing illegal materials. That was disgusting and dangerous. We should be thankful that we did not give such sanctimonious self-righteous moralizing any credence by wading into the quagmire of defining "community standards."

The complaint of council woman Trudy Wade, echoed by Guarino, that without filters, people will continue to view pornography is either an intentional canard or, despite the monumental amount of discussion, continued ignorance about the capabilities of filters. Filters can be defeated. Even with them in place, determined users can still view pornography and that imperfection would not only have left Guarino and Wade dissatisfied (and, presumably, looking for additional remedies for a 100% guarantee), it would have come with a heavy cost to legitimate users. As noted here, filters block access to things like Cragislist ads and pictures of bunny rabbits (really--from actual Greensboro library log files). We are better off without a "solution" that would have still allowed porn but which would have had the new requirement that a patron petition library staff should she want to view personal ads. The policies and procedures currently in place to police adult users against viewing obscene material will continue, just without the downside burdens or false sense of security of imperfect filters.

It would have been easy for council to bend to fear mongering and demagoguery on this one--to get scared or try to make hay. I am very proud that they took a deliberative approach to a mature solution. Kudos too to library director Sandy Neerman and library staff who navigated what could have been a minefield with aplomb.

[See all posts on this blog about this issue.]