Replay, for Those Interested

This blog grew out of my occasional ranting on my website, for which I really had other intentions. However, in the interest of explaining how a fifty-something mom with a large family and an aversion to the computer landed infamously upon the web, blogging of all things, here’s some of that story:

With a bit of provocative opinion, of course

(6/16/99) The controversy over censorship and control is raging. I have my two cents worth: there are many people who want to give free reign to the porn/prostitute sector and they are a determined lot, as there is much money to be made glutting the web with their wares. Parents are told to monitor their child’s computer activity and invest in “block” type programs. HAR HAR HAR hahahahah. Excuse me, I was momentarily overcome. This is why: Here’s me…computer novitiate—–here’re my sons….computer nerdoids of hacking level abilities. I mean they are excellent. There is no program, and, for that matter, no password long able to screen them out of anything. Ask the FBI what this means in terms of control.

The only reason I went into the world wide web, in the first place, was because I was experiencing some unusual trouble with my kids behavior and was able to snoop in his computer because he was SURE I was unable to master the medium. NEVER underestimate a mom. But you can be very sure that none of these boys will make that same mistake twice -they now have a grudging respect for my new found nerdness. What would you call it? Anyway, it is simplemindedness to suggest that parents can keep their impressionable kids from the corrupting influences without some overall control of the web. I wish it weren’t true.

What is my definition of corrupt? Yeah, I think porn pics are in there, but also the destructive info that led to Littleton…bomb stuff, hate and revenge stuff. There shouldn’t be lots of bureaucracy, but some general lines drawn saying “This far and no further”. I have run into numerous porn sites, just minding my own business, on lookups on my name, surfing through blocks of addresses in some of the free websites, arriving in my email- untraceable and unblockable. You can’t escape it as it is, why do they need more access and freedom? There are good reasons customs restrict plant and animal introductions into a country. Some are just so noxious in habit that they compromise the welfare of the primary inhabitants. I think the primary inhabitant of the web is intellectual knowledge. Business and entertainment have their place, but are secondary….And prostitution solicitation doesn’t have any place at all.

addendum That one boy, who I monitored by getting him to put my initial site and design online, is a successful programmer and manager in a Tech company, now. He has part of his degree and is thinking about going back to school ( which I encourage him to do). His older brother who did not get himself in trouble with me is now about to graduate from a well-known tech university in computer engieering. I am very proud of these boys, and indeed of their younger brother, also in programming, and the two girls who are on their own.

I no longer run into porn sites on the web since I know what to avoid and the net has changed. The internet is becoming increasingly business oriented and less knowledge oriented. I think that is too bad, actually, but it was bound to happen. I still think we ought to have some censorship and controls.

…and that is the rest of the story…..