First Class

Michelle Fretta

September 29, 1997

Paper #1

Webster's Random House Dictionary defines the Internet as "a large computer network linking smaller computer networks worldwide" (Webster 683). The Internet is a global interconnection, a system so phenomenal, its potential seems end less. The capabilities of the Internet reside at the touch of human fingertips with the help fo one of our greatest inventions: the computer. Our daily lives are filled with technology, which we are using as stepping-stones to further our way. The upw ard climb of technology today is a steep hill, but this challenge does not stop us from embarking at ever increasing speeds in our quest for improvement. As a recent addition to our computer and communication technology, the Internet has much to offer in both applications and advancements in the classroom.

An Internet guide explains, "In less than two decades, the Internet has gone from being a highly specialized communications network used mostly for military and academic applications to a massive electronic bazaar" (Heide 6). When the In ternet first began, there was no hint that it would evolve into what we are familiar with today as a publicly accessible network. In fact, the Internet grew out of a project with a far different intent than the Internet has today (Gilster 16). This orig inal project was a network called ARPANET, which was designed and developed in 1969 by Bolt, Beranek, and Newman under a contract to the Advanced Research Projects Agency of the United States Department of Defense (ARPA) (Gilster 16). ARPANET was designe d as a network to connect university, military, and defense contractors, and was established to help researchers share information more easily and study how communications could be maintained in the event of a nuclear attact (Gilster 16). As one book say s, "...ARPANET's founders originally contemplated letting only researchers log on and run programs on remote computers. . ." (Gilster 16). As the network grew, file transfer capabilities, electronic mail, and mailing lists kept people interest ed in the new communication system (Gilster 16). According to Encarta, "As early as 1973, in an era of mainframe computing a decade before the desktop PC revolution took hold, ARPA, under its new acronym DARPA (Defense Advanced Project Agency), mana ged by American engineer Robert Kahn, began a new program called the Internetting Project" (Gilster 16). As time went on, the project continued to grow.

This early Internet was developed principally by an American computer scientist named Vincent Cerf in 1973 who was an integral part of DARPA (Rutkowski 1). The goal of the DARPA program was to determine how to link networks, overcoming the differe nt methods each network used to move its information. When successful, so-called gateways could be used to connect networks, "passing traffic seamlessly from one to the other" (Gilster 16). Some people do not date the true arrival of the Inter net until 1983, when the original ARPANET was split, one part being used for military communications, and the other for continuing research in networking (Gilster 18). As early as 1980, networks started linking computer science departments in several sta tes. By June 1990, the networks had combined and established the written, workable principle: "let networks communicate by a set of protocols, with new networks being added to an ever-growing metanetwork communicating through gateways" (Gilste r 18). The collection of all the interoperating networks has become what we know as the Internet today.

In order to use the Internet, a computer, communication modem, communications software, and an account on an Internet-accessible Service Provider is needed. Once a computer is connected to the Internet, there are certain applications that are auto matically part of the Internet connection for any user. These applications include E-mail, File Transfer Protocol, Telnet, Gopher, and the World Wide Web. There are many other applications that are available through the Internet, but these are the most widely used by Internet users all over the world.

E-mail is one of the most common Internet applications, as mail is a frequently used form of communication. E-mail allows the user to send and receive messages over the Internet. A user can send E-mail to anyone else who is hooked up to the Inter net and has an Internet address. The E-mail system is easy to use and a lot quicker than our usual e-mail system, which can take days to transfer mail from one destination to the next. With e-mail it does not take more than an hour for mail to reach eve ry connection in the world.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is another common application for Internet users. This is a process used to transfer files of all kinds across the Internet (Heide 12). Frequently transferred files include educational software, text files of sample l esson plans, electronic books, research reports, and graphics files (Heide 12). Telenet, as a similar application, allows an Internet user to connect to a computer at a remote location and use that computer as if the user were really there. Many online library catalogs work in this way, making it convenient for people to check the library's selection without going to the actual location, saving both effort and time. Gopher is yet another tool that can save time, by allowing the user to go to hundreds o f sites on the Internet using an easy-to-follow menu. Computer file directories can be accessed, or even created, using Gopher. As a part of the Internet, all files created using Gopher can be accessed by anyone.

The World Wide Web (WWW) is probably one of the most useful applications to the common Internet surfer. This special software tool is extremely helpful in accessing information and other media the Internet has to offer. The WWW is not a special s ervice and is free for any user to use once a computer and a connection to the Internet are obtained. This tool is an easy way to find just about anything needed on the Internet. To make the process even easier, there are web browsers, like Netscape, th at can aid in finding desired information.

The Internet has made a strong entrance into the classroom and shows great potential for being a facilitator of learning well into the future. As it becomes an integral part of the classroom, students are becoming familiar the workings of the Inte rnet and more proficient at working with computers at an early age. Children learn many basic skills in school, and the use of the Internet is becoming part of that basic knowledge they learn. Along with becoming Internet proficient, there are many othe r benefits in having the Internet a part of the educational scene. With the Internet aiding learning, the teacher becomes a facilitator of learning, guiding the students instead of taking complete control of the learning process, as has been the focus fo r teachers in the past. The Internet can be a motivating way to learn, with so many possibilities and open communication across the world. Children can learn about current events as they happen by communicating with people who are in the midst of the ne ws. This interaction can add a personal aspect to the news that they would otherwise not experience. Through the Internet, the WWW can bring studetns an array of educational information such as online museums, zoos, books, encyclopedias, newspapers, and journals.

The Internet is a resource that goes far beyond the realms of any local library or classroom. As one teacher says, "When students collaborate on online educational projects with other classes, they not only have the chance to gain computer sk ills and cooperative learning skills, they also have opportunities to interact with students and experts from around the world and expand their knowledge of other cultures" (Wilson 29). The Internet can also serve as a means for networking with othe r educators, helping teachers do their jobs better, and thus benefiting students. The Internet demands active participation of students and can enliven education for children with all interests. Students can even create their own electronic publications that become available to a global audience. With technology quickly advancing, the Internet is becoming a big part of daily life. As one author states: "It is generally agreed that in the twenty-first century, technology will be pervasive. Futur ists predict that by the end of this century, approximately two-thirds of all work will involve some form of computerized information. It is important that all students today learn to access, analyze, and communicate with electronic information effective ly" (Robert 7). Most of what goes on in the world is somehow reflected on the Internet and as a result students are dealing with real world problems, solutions, and information. In a sense, they are dealing with and learning about their own society , while remaining in the classroom. During this process, the Internet overcomes the barriers of time and space in teaching and learning.

Even though the Internet is a recent addition to society, its growth, popularity, and use has expanded at astronomical rates. As movement into a future filled with computer technology, the Internet is sure to play an integral part of daily life. For many, it already does. Since the Internet has become such an important aspect of relations and communications, it is imperative that an effort is made to educate people to work with computers and the Internet. Knowing the Internet is going to be a b ig part of the future is, perhaps, one of the most important reasons why students should become Internet proficient along with learning reading and writing, which are the basic skills needed for daily interaction and survival in today's world. Learning h ow to use the Internet does not need to be complicated or difficult. As one author simply states, "Learning about the Internet might be likened to the experience of moving to a new town. At first, you have to plan on extra time to get where you nee d to go, and you may lose your way. But after a while, you can travel to many destinations without even taking the time to figure out your route" (Wilson 7). Learning about the Internet is just like learning any other basic skill, and is turning ou t to be equally important. As our revolutionized world takes form, society must rise to the occasion and take advanrage of all the technology the Internet has to offer. What a great future children will have with the Internet opening their worldly commu nications for whatever they choose. The Internet joins the world into one community united by computer technology.

Michelle Fretta

November 21, 1997

Paper #3

The Internet has become an important and useful tool for adults as well as children in our modern society. Because of this fact, many controversies have arisen and we are finding ourselves admist an Internet war. As reflected by laws and othe r limitations set by our society, children and adults lead very different lives, and have different limitations. These different limitations exist, yet only one Internet exists for the use of both adults and children. The controversy arises here. Shoul d children be protected from certain sites on the Internet at the expense of restricting the Internet for adults? If the government were to regulate Internet access for everyone, our First Amendment right of free speech would not be enforced. However, t he Internet does need to be regulated in some way for children. Instead of the government, parents, librarians, and advertisers should institute regulation, each in their own way, on the Internet in order to avoid infringement of the First Amendment and protect children.

Government regulation of the Internet would violate our fundamental freedom as adults. This regulation is not necessary when people have the capability to easily filter their computers effectively on their own. The First Amendment states, "C ongress shall make no law . . .abridging the freedome of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances" (Internet Censorship in the US). The argument that has ar isen is whether or not the government should have the control to censor the Internet as it pleases. The Internet, being a mode of our communications today and predictably far into the future, is an outlet for free specch, just as media of any kind. Gove rnment regulation of the Internet is likely to interfere with the free exchange of ideas, and therefore violate the First Amendment (Excerpts From Ruling on the Internet). In a government's attempt to restrict from minors potentially harmful speech, a la rge amount of speech that adults have a constitutional right to receive and to address to one another would be suppressed (Excerpts...).

Because governmental oversight of the Internet would violate the First Amendment, parents must take on the responsibility to protect children from the risks of unfettered access to harmful, age-inappropriate, and obscene materials (Adults Have Duty to Filter Internet for Children). Many parents and educators are concerned that children have access to unsuitable and potentially harmful Internet sites and wish these sites to be blocked as a method of prevention. In response to such concerns, differ ent blocking devices have been invented for all types of computers that have access to the Internet. This filtering software, along with some adult supervision, has proven to be successful in blocking access to certain sites for children. I strongly agr ee with the Libertarians who say, "parents, not Justice Department bureaucrats, should determine what children see, hear, or download" (Advisory From the Libertarian Party). As one parent's webpage says, parents "should use their own filte ring software to prevent inappropriate materials from being accessed by minors in the home" (Parent's Page). New technology allows adults to effectively block offensive material that might otherwise reach children, including well-known names such as Net Nanny and Surf Watch. These filtering devises have proved that they can effectively block the Internet, and therefore the government need not interfere. If parents are responsible for their children's actions, then parents are responsible for what their children see on the Internet.

In order to make it easier for parents to take control of the Internet in their homes, more focus should be put on educating parents in controlling Internet access for children. There is a great importance of educating parents and recommending goo d web sites, and efforts are now being made to guide parents to make the best use of the Internet (Library Journal). The Netparents Organization is one prominent organization that focuses on the task of educating, and informing parents on Internet use fo r their homes (Parent's Page). By posting updated information and tips on how to institute regulation as a parent, this organization encourages parents to educate themselves and their children in using the Internet safely and in a positive manner. Paren t education is the key to teaching our children Internet ethics as well as protecting them from certain sites.

While it is important for parents to regulate the Internet, it is also imperative that there be some sort of Internet regulation in public areas, such as public libraries. Libraries are not merely concerned with the threat of government regulation ; any Internet control at all, including blocking devices, is a concern as such regulation would affect everyone who uses Internet access in the library. Suddenly, even parent control is not enough freedom. According to Norman Holman, the New York Publi c Library director, none of the filtering devices for the Internet can do their job without compromising the library's committment to the free flow of ideas (Harmon). Holman comments, "arbitrarily cutting off certain aspects of the Internet as an in formation source, without knowing what it is you're limiting access to, flies in the face of what libraries have traditionally stood for" (Harmon). Filtering devices should not be used in library adult sections because, though they may block access to pornographic sites, these devices also block huge amounts of information that is not pornographic. While this method is effective for protecting children at home, it denies adults their right to information in the public library. Blocking such pornog raphic sites may prove to be helpful in children's sections of libraries, but they should not be used in adult sections. The loss of the accessibility of such a vast amount of information takes away from our complete freedom on the Internet.

The hybrid solution of filtering the Internet in libraries is installing Internet filters on computers in the children's rooms but not those in the adult areas. This solutions is best because it protects children from accessing unsuitable sites on the Internet while in the library, but allows the First Amendment rights of the adults to be exercised in the adult section. As a result of this solution, librarians would not be relinquishing the Internet, the tool that has the potential to infinitely expand its shelf space and has already increased public interest in libraries (Harmon). Without blocking devices on the Internet in the children's sections of libraries, we are presenting the largest library in the world to them, with no limitations (Rap p). Limitations need to be set for children, even if some unrelated information on the Internet has to be sacrificed in the process.

Advertising is the only instance where the government should have a role in regulating the Internet. One article on the subject of advertising on the Internet reports, "With at least four million children under 18 regularly using the Internet , cyberspace has become the latest way for big marketers to reach a young audience with allowances to spend" (Mifflen). An advertising industry group has already made some new voluntary guidelines for "responsible marketing for children" ( Mifflin). These industry guidelines include, "asking advertisers to make ‘reasonable efforts' to get children to ask their parents for permission before purchasing a product or service through the Internet, or before children answer any personal que stions about themselves or their families" (Mifflin). This voluntary effort could demonstrate the concern there is for children on the Internet, protect them from seductive advertising, and leave the government out of the picture.

Right now, the "voluntary code for advertising on the Internet" is being tested (Mifflin). A regulatory code may be needed if advertisers do not abide by the suggestions made. In other words, the advertising industry would need to commi t itself as a whole to the agreed upon principles in order for the ideas to be voluntary. To be on the safe side, regulations should be made, and so they can be more easily enforced. As history tells us, "since 1972 the Federal Communications Commm ission has had regulations governing television advertising to children" (Mifflin). With the Internet becoming as popular and as useful as television, the Federal Communications Commission should move its attentions to the Internet and begin institu ting similar regulations on advertising in cyberspace. Right now, the Internet is a free market for advertising and most people do not realize that such unregulated material exists and is being viewed by their children. The voluntary code of regulation could easily solve this problem of regulation for children without getting the government involved.

The Internet needs to be filtered in some way. Some sites are inappropriate for minors and therefore should be restricted for adults only. Adults should not have their free speech repressed in order to protect children. Fortunately, there is an existing resolution to the growing problem. The solution is keeping the power of the Internet protection with the people, except for advertising. Parents, teachers and librarians can easily use filtering software in order to protect children, and the In ternet will remain free for adult use without restrictions. Though the government may need to initiate some regulation on advertising over the Internet, actual Internet information should remain unrestricted and in the hands of people to control as they choose. This resolution is best for allowing the Internet to grow and also for protecting our children both now, and in the future.

Bibliography

"Adults Have Duty to Filter Internet for Children." New York Times. April 1997.

"Advisory From the Libertarian Party." Internet Censorship speech. February 1996.

http://www.magpage.com/lpd/speech.html

"ALA Meets with Clinton to Push Internet Selection Versus Blocking." Library Journal.

July 1997. http://www.netpart.com/news97/articles/970728lijdig.html

"Excerpts From Ruling on Internet: ‘Statute Abridges the Freedom of Speech'." New

York Times. June 1997.

Harmon, Amy. "To Screen or Not to Screen: Libraries Confront Internet Access." New

York Times. June 1997.

"Internet Censorchip in the US"

http://wms.www.uwplatt.edu/~JANIGO/speech.html

Mifflin, Lawrie. "New Guidelines on Net Ads for Children." New York Times. April 1997.

"Parent's Page." Resources for Internet Parents.

http://www.gate.net/~crosscre/parents.html

"Parent's Page." Netparents Organization. July 1997.

http://www.gate.net/~crosscre/parents.htm

Rapp, Sandy. "Sanitizing the Internet? No Way!" New York Times. July 1997.