Censorship by omission
Friday, July 24, 2009 at 02:36PM 
Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient to the government or media organizations as determined by a censor. - Wikipedia
It really isn't fair. Nutcase book burners get all the attention:
A fight over books depicting sex and homosexuality has riled up a small Wisconsin city, cost some library board members their positions and prompted a call for a public book burning. ... The row even spread to this year's Fourth of July parade, which included a float featuring a washing machine and a sign that read "keep our library clean." (CNN, July 22, 2009)
But where are the headlines about the far more egregious suppression of "material which may be considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or inconvenient" that is an ongoing occurrence in many, if not all, public schools today?
Supporters of intellectual freedom (ahem, that's you especially there, librarians) do not give the censorship of materials in digital form as a result of poor Internet filter management the attention it deserves. If we did, I wouldn't be able to round up examples like these in about 15 minutes with just a Twitter request*:
- As part of my unit on WWII I wanted to demonstrate the effects of atomic testing on small Pacific islands. I found pictures I liked at wikipedia at home. However when I went to bring the wikipedia page up at school during class, it was blocked by our internet filter, BESS. The name of the islands? "Bikini Atoll." - New York
- From the my side of the fence I can’t count the number of calls we get about [our products] being down when in actuality it’s the schools filter – they pay for something then block it. - Commercial data base vendor
- Our Systems Security Manager decided to block delicious.com. When I went to his office to ask him why he blocked the site he opened his internet browser (which for some reason is not affected by our district filter) and he typed something along the lines of "group sex" into the Delicious search field. As the results poured in he said, "there you go, this site is full of pornography". When I explained to him that I could type the same query in Google, Yahoo, Bing, or any other search engine and get the same results, and after I assured him that certainly the sites that the Delicious "group sex" results linked to were blocked by our filtering software, he scratched his head in amazement. You would think the problem would be solved....no such luck! Although delicious.com is unfiltered now, the page to login is not ...he doesn't know how to unfilter https site. Good grief and pass the gravy! - Texas
- Until about a year and a half ago, blogger and blogspot sites were blocked in our district. Most social networking tools are still blocked now. We have access to Twitter via 3rd party apps ..., but Ning, Facebook/MySpace (not useful in classroom anyway), LinkedIn, and even the Microsoft data/doc-sharing site ... are not accessible from campus. - Alabama
Why is it that school officials interpret CIPA's requirement that "sites harmful to minors" be blocked as "sites uncomfortable to adults" be blocked?
I'll admit that Internet filtering has long been stuck in my craw:
- Are You Sure You Want an Internet Filter? Virtual Censorship is Still Censorship TechTrends, May/June 1998
- Ethics in use of technology from Ethics in School Librarianship: A Reader edited by Carol Simpson Linworth, 2003
- Freedom and Filters, Head for the Edge, February 2003
- Maintaining Intellectual Freedom in a Filtered World, Media Matters Leading and Learning, May 2005.
Schools have been using filters for over 10 years now! Why are stupid filtering decisions that lead to censorial acts still happening, even getting worse?
It's because individual teachers, librarians, techs, student and parents don't speak up, take action, or ask questions. Internet censorship is a sin of ommission because too many of us are just willing to let it happen. (Whining does not count as an action.)
Intelligent people associated with schools that over filtering, here are some actions that you can and should take:
- Ask for your school's written policy/guidelines on Internet filtering that describes exactly what is filtered, why it is filtered, and who/how the decision is made to filter. It should also clearly explain the steps necessary to have an Internet site/resource unblocked. If not, ask why not and how one can get one established. In writing - send to the tech director with a cc to the superintendent.
- Look at your board-adopted selection/reconsideration policy. Does it treat materials in electronic format in the same way that it treats materials in print format? Does someone who wants a website blocked need to go through the same reconsideration process required to remove a book from a library or classroom? If not, ask why and ask how the policy can be changed. In writing - send to the tech director with a cc to the superintendent.
- Find out who supplies your Internet fitering software/hardware. Do a little research. Does the manufacturer have a religious or political bias? How customizable is the filter? How granular are its settings and blocking categories? Does it allow creating a white list of sites that will override the filter? Does the local tech staff know how to actually use the filter? Send question in writing - to the tech director with a cc to the superintendent.
- Share examples of stupid blocking examples with administrators, parents and board members like the ones above. Share examples of tools that may be blocked in your district have been used in positive ways by educators in other schools. Keep up on how the use of tools may be changing (how social networking tools are now used for political action as well as recreational use). In writing - send to the tech director with a cc to the superintendent.
- Object to fitering decisions in writing and as a group (high school social studies teachers, K-12 library staff, 4th grade team, the PTO, the student council, etc.) Send to the tech director with a cc to the superintendent.
- Work to make decisions about filtering shared decisions and not leave them to the discretion of a single individual - no matter how wonderful he/she may be. Volunteer to sit on that tech committee, advisory council, or policy-revision group. Send concerns in writing to the tech director with a cc to the superintendent.
- Don't give up.
Technology integration specialists, get on board on this issue. Michelle Wilson says it well:
... this reactionary "let's just block it until we can figure it out" is such a hindrance to tech integration. Teachers think there's something inappropriate when a new tool is automatically filtered, and are so much more wary to try using it with their kids because the district created negative connotations.
Thus endth the rant.
* I am still looking for stupid filtering examples. Please send them my way.
Reader Comments (14)
My favorite...
I was doing some professional development in Lake Wobegon, Wisconsin. It was the beginning of the school year. Ruth Harrison was very proud of the newest "technology protection measures" that were implemented during the summer months. They were now protecting students from evil by monitoring things at the keystroke level. Software alerted key people of naughty in real time by sending an email with the offending phrase. This was week two and Mr. Noir was teaching the home row in keyboarding fff, jjj, ddd, kkk, sss, lll, aaa, ;;;. All administrators received 25 (students) x 5 (periods) x 10+(attempts) warnings, via email, about evil happening in Mr. Noir's class that day.
K wasn't dangerous.
KK may have simply been a misspelling.
KKK tripped a flag that the children of Lake Wobegon were being harmed. 1000 times that day.
I was preparing a recent issue of my electronic newsletter for library media specialists. For the curriculum connections section, i was verifying the web addresses of some sites I wanted to recommend. Found a terrific museum site with virtual tours and a 6-module tutorial for K-12 use to teach perspective, tone, etc. One module was blocked because of a 3-letter string (s-e-x) in the URL. So much for recommending that site!
We need to remember that technology should always support curriculum. Sometimes It seems like the computer tech people have more power than the district curriculum committee.
CIPA is such a convenient excuse! And such a tawdry one, particularly given that CIPA deals only with images, not text. (There's also the fact that the definition of "harmful to minors" is essentially the standard definition of obscenity, but with "with respect to minors" tagged on--which means it's not clear whether it actually proscribes very much.)
Anyway, good post.
Doug,
You stated:
Let me give you this one. I have been a part of my school system since 1996. We did not use Internet filtering until around 2000-2001. I had developed my entire curriculum around web sites and personal pages (WebQuests, Hunts, etc.). My students loved it, my parents loved it, and my administrators loved it. More than that, it was effective (even using test scores as a tool to evaluate).
I was asked to move from Social Studies classroom to Technology to help other teachers adopt the web tools. Then we created a Tech Department. The worst thing the ever come to public schools...yes more than NCLB.
Associate Degreed (at most) 20 somethings were given more power than teachers, principals, board members, and the superintendent in deciding what was appropriate for class consumption, based upon their inability to read CIPA. They learned about filtering so they could simply block whatever they considered "non-educational."
I lost school access to most of my online material, and I was teaching tech classes.
HERE'S THE KICKER (related to your comment).
When I spoke up, asked questions, and conducted workshops, the tech people used my information to block even more sites!
When blogging became my practice in 2003, I had students reply to my posts as discussion formats. I used Blogger. It was soon blocked.
When I demonstrated how my students were using Xanga to work on group projects between classes and grade levels, it was blocked.
When I showed people how they could use Delicious to share bookmarks, it was blocked.
When I showed Social Studies teachers how they could create a Wikispaces page since the school system denied them resources during their adoption year, It was blocked the next day, because of the "number of hits" the address was getting from inside the school network.
I don't do much talking anymore. I find ways around the filter to do what I want to do. I'll never tell them about YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Diigo, or other workarounds I have found (along with help from my 12 & 13 years old students.
As I started saying 5 years ago - THE NEW BOOK BURNING IS CALLED INTERNET FILTERING
@ Doug
My own school is rather liberal. We don't filter much. We block porn and that is about it. All the social networking sites are wide open, youtube is available, and on and on. No one seems to be over concerned. I'm personally concerned about the fax machine though. I have virtually no control over what comes through that machine. God forbid someone send us a ridiculously inappropriate fax. What would we do?
My previous boss a few years ago after driving off a number of the teachers finally resorted to blocking employment search sites after the tech guy informed her most of the web viewing in the lounge was on employment sites. Wow!
Hi Doug,
You wrote that the reason stupid filtering decisions leading to censorship is getting worse is
"...because individual teachers, librarians, techs, student and parents don't speak up, take action, or ask questions. Internet censorship is a sin of ommission because too many of us are just willing to let it happen.
I'm guilty of not speaking up, but here's an explanation in my defense.
I'm a teacher librarian in a public middle school. I do the best job I can to educate staff who are not as comfortable with technology or not as knowledgeable about technology as I think they should be, but I know there are those who I haven't reached. We have a mini lab in the library, but we also have a full lab in a classroom by itself.
I am not a full time librarian. I also teach math in another room. In spite of my best efforts, the computers are not always used very wisely in my absence (when I'm teaching math), and the students are certainly NOT always supervised (by some) in a manner that I would deem appropriate (again - this is in when I'm teaching math). Poor planning and purpose, lack of vision and clear instructional goals, using the computer as a reward/babysitter are some of the reasons I think what goes on, in my absence, does go on. I happen to know of these events because, occasionally, I'll forget something I need, ask a teacher to cover my class while I run back to my library to pick up material, and I'll see the way the computers are being used. For that reason alone, I'm glad there's a filter in place because those computers, and the students using them, are in my library.
Again - I'm not there and they are under the supervision of another teacher, doing something that is not related to library or research or anything that I've had a part in planning so I'm glad the filter is there.
For that reason alone, I haven't spoken up. I am only willing to be responsible for me and the program I've agreed to run. I can't be responsible for other adults who have had the same opportunities as I to educate themselves regarding appropriate technology use that I have had, but if something were to happen, those computers are in MY library.
So, bottom line is that I'm not willing to speak up for the removal of filters because it would be whole school removal of filters, and I work in a shared space with some people who don't always seem as vigilant or professional as I'd like them to be. I know that sounds harsh, but it's my reality.
I'd be interested to know your thoughts, even if you feel like I'm just wimping out of my professional responsibilities. We'll still be friends, and I have broad shoulders! I think that looking at WHY librarians and others haven't spoken up about the filtering that's happening is an important question. You've made an accurate observation, but now we should delve into the reason.
Respectfully,
Janice Robertson
In the spring of 2008 the district I work with held a meeting with Ed. Tech, IT, and school tech facilitators. We found out at the meeting that the IT folks hated the district filtering software as much as the rest of us. They were spending too much time having to deal with unblock/blocking requests. They actually asked all of us what we wanted. We told them that we wanted local control. We understood that it might be appropriate to block certain sited for younger students but if a high school student was doing a report on a provocative subject, they should have that access. We now have 8e6 as the filtering program. The control can actually drill down to the teacher level if they are trained to do it. When I spoke with the 8e6 guys at NECC 2008 they told me that our district was the first one that had asked for that kind of flexibility.
The other thing we put into place was a committee to review blocking/unblocking requests.
Now we have a group of people who look at the educational value of block/unblock requests. I know there is still a chance that something useful will get blocked but at least a teacher has the opportunity to make a case about why something should be available to their students.
A couple of years ago the district filer prevented my wife from reading the ethics guidelines from the American Librarians Association. Apparently ethics are bad?
We have been told that a filter must be in place for us to be eligible for e-rate and other government funded subsidies. Is that true?
I am not able to search for "young adult literature". Why? Because that phrase contains the phrase "adult literature". Obviously I must be searching for pornography.
I certainly sympathize with Ric Murray. I too know the pain of doing a workshop for teachers on a Web 2.0 tool - only to have it blocked within the week.
Doug,
I agree filters are expensive and don't really work (loved the Washington Post Op Ed that said they work really effectively to prevent access by ONE group: teachers). And I've worked to get web 2.0 tools in my district unblocked (we saved delicious and google docs from the chopping block). District LMSs have worked to create a vetting process to help pilot new tools: documenting TOS, creating sample parent and administrator advisory letters, getting tools on a formal "white-list" so there's some reliability of access ). But still, all of blogspot is blocked, labeled as "adult oriented." I have to remember to read Debbie Reese's excellent "American Indians in Literature" blog at home. And our reconsideration form is too unwieldy. It's styled after the library material reconsideration form: two pages for a teacher to fill out identifying positives, negatives and alternatives to the resource, form must then be approved by building administrator, then on to Tech Director and a district review committee. Too unwieldy and too time-consuming. Teaching energy and focus are lost; and more time and energy lost to creating work-arounds. To my knowledge, the district committee has never convened.
What I don't understand is why more districts don't go with a simple teacher override password- and then hold teachers accountable for following the AUP? Seems like it should be easy to record when overrides occur and ask administrators to monitor the override log. My district does this with youtube only, I'd love to see it expanded- and will work toward that goal. But I'd love to see what my colleagues and I could accomplish if we didn't have to constantly lobby the powers that be. There's a lot of time being wasted, and learning opportunities lost.
One of the most frustrating things for me is that e-rate and safety is what is talked about in public, but privately the conversation is about overworked, understaffed IT departments and limited bandwidth (Then there are IT staffers who may have little respect for teachers and who relish their control, but that's a whole other rant). If staffing and bandwidth are really the issue, there's a different argument to be raised. And I would hope the Tech Director and IT department would be leading the charge alongside librarians and teachers for adequate funding and meaningful professional development.
Our kids can't wait.
Doug,
I wanted to do a baseball math lesson using the RBI's of Atlanta Braves players. (I live and teach in the Atlanta area.) I was unable to access the Atlanta Braves site because it had the word "rave" in it! I wasn't happy, to say the least.
Another teacher I know wanted to do a math lesson using common items found at Wal-mart. The Wal-mart site was blocked because it is shopping. Maybe too many teachers were shopping rather than teacher. :-)
Wikipedia is blocked in the system I now work in. I don't think Wikipedia should be used as a main source since it can contain incorrect information. However, it can be a great starting point for many students.
-Earl
Hi Mr Pederson,
Good thing they weren't working on "x" either.
Good story. Thanks!
Doug
Hi Martha,
Not unusual, as I understand it. The algorithms are pretty crude. I've seen examples of sextant, asexual reproduction, and other terms with the 3-letter-word in them.
Appreciate the example.
Thanks,
Doug
Hi Mary Kay,
And I am not sure if the situation is changing - or changing for the better, anyway!
Doug
Thanks, Walt. I really resent it when companies parade CIPA as a reason for schools needing their product. I just had words with a company who insists that CIPA requires e-mail filtering.
And I always interpreted "sites harmful to minors" meant the Republican Party websites!
All the best,
Doug
Hi Ric,
I appreciate you sharing your experiences, but it is heartbreaking to think someone as innovative as you has "given up." Don't your techs have a boss that can be reasoned with???
All the best,
Doug
Hi Charlie,
Faxes! Have you seen what they put in books and magazines these days. Pure smut. Ban'm all I say!
Doug
Hi Janice,
A couple thoughts:
You aren't responsible for the actions of other adults in your building, your principal is. Period.
Filtered or not, no computer should be used by students in an unsupervised environment. NO filter is 100%.
Nobody is against blocking pornography.
Speak up again!
Doug
Hi Dottie,
The idea of having a review committee is one I've supported for a long time. It should be modeled after (or the same) as the committee that reviews book or other educational material challenges.
I have to think about "local control" of setting Internet filters. I like the idea of professionals having over-ride capabilities, but I think it may be difficult to justify why different labs in different buildings have different filter settings all in the same district!
Appreicate the comments,
Doug
Hi Alfred,
Well, we all know that ALA is seditious, being critical of filtering and in favor of intellectual freedom!
Doug
Hi Marcia,
Yes, I would interpret CIPA as requiring an Internet filter. But the law ONLY stipulates that images be blocked which are pornographic or "harmful to minors" - a description so broad as to be meaningless.
Doug
Hi Jacquie,
Good example of stupid blocking tricks.
Thanks!
Doug
HI Shannon,
Thanks for the thoughtful comments.
I don't understand why we don't make it easy to unblock a site and difficult to block one! (Well, I do understand it revolves around frightened administrators.)
The bandwidth issue should be a non-starter since packet-shapers that can prioritize Internet traffic are available and work. We don't block YouTube, but we do give it lowest priority on the network.
I suspect that you are right about many tech staffs being frustrated as well. Effective blocking (and I agree some blocking is necessary) is difficult to achieve.
All the best,
Doug
Hi Earl,
Good examples of Stupid Blocking Tricks. Any concerted effort by teachers and librarians in your district to correct the problem???
All the best,
Doug