Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, August 5, 1995 TAG: 9508080023
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
As a technology training assistant in the Roanoke school system, Fifer has been working on ways to allow teachers to use the Internet and online services without exposing students to pornography and other offensive material.
The office that Fifer works in has been drafting an acceptable Internet-use policy which, if approved by the School Board, could be in place in the coming year.
Fifer also is a member of a committee in the Virginia Society for Technology in Education. This group is writing "guidelines to help educators use the Internet in their classrooms" which would be recommended to state school systems.
``I like to compare the Internet to a field trip,'' Fifer said. ``When teachers take students on field trips, they take certain risks.''
Amid demand from people like Fifer and a surge of attention in Congress, several software companies in recent weeks have started selling programs that provide more control over what kids see on line.
The products have names like NetNanny and Cybersitter and cost $30 to $50. Some provide monthly lists of on-line files that may be inappropriate for children.
Rep. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., displayed some of the products Friday during the House telecommunications reform debate.
``It is possible for our parents now to childproof the family computer,'' said Wyden, who sponsored an amendment, passed 420-4, that discourages government control of the electronic networks.
The three biggest online services - America Online, CompuServe and Prodigy - have some safeguards built into their software.
Prodigy, for instance, keeps a record of how the owner's computer is being used to visit the World Wide Web, allowing a parent to review what a child has seen.
The stand-alone products go further by blocking out individual sites or screening for offensive words.
The newest, Cyber Patrol by Microsystems Software Inc., allows parents to limit the amount of online time children have and control the sites they can visit. The company also will sell a monthly list of online files and computer locations that might be offensive.
``We tried to set up a thoughtful framework for parents to be able to work their own choices,'' said Nigel Spicer, president of Microsystems. ``All of us are going to have different ideas about what is appropriate.''
SurfWatch Software Inc.'s program, called SurfWatch, blocks more than 1,500 on-line files. The company sends subscribers a monthly update so that they can block more.
``It's a moving target,'' said Nelson Heller, publisher of two Chicago-based newsletters about the use of high technology in education. ``What's not there one day is there the next, and it's very difficult for schools to keep up.''
On Friday alone, according to one access provider, there were five new adult-oriented sites on the global data network. However, most pornography is confined to bulletin boards that are not connected to the Internet and require credit card access.
In addition to comforting parents, the taming of cyberspace may also lead to new online services for children. For instance, the magazine Highlights for Children is waiting for safeguards before it goes on line.
``As we develop our on-line product, these thoughts are uppermost. There are two problems - people polluting a service we might offer and the easy transfer from children's programming to adult material,'' said publisher Kent Brown.
In Roanoke, Fifer has reviewed several of the online programs and is close to deciding what to buy.
Staff writer Jonathan Hunley contributed information to this story.
by CNB