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Re: Website Reliability



Title: RE: Website Reliability

Regarding the replies by:

BJ Dalton (commercialism and privacy) and Peter Kurilecz (commercialism).

I think it is great to see a librarian asking good questions about the reliability of web-based information, and getting positive press coverage for it. 

Is it an invasion of privacy to take random samples (as the article stated) of sites visited by students and study them?  It seems to me the school has a responsibility to make sure that the resources are being used to best advantage by the students(users).  Don't most repositories track usage in one form or another?  These were not someone's personal computers after all. 

Which leads to the discussion of commercialism.  I would guess that few school districts in the U.S. were "sold" on getting wired to the net so that students could be bombarded by commercials.  In fact, since millions (probably billions) of tax dollars have been used to purchase hardware, software, and access, its alot more complicated than it is being made to sound in the recent postings.  This debate would be getting a little off-topic, and I'm no expert, but...

I think the internet was around a while before this current trend of advertising heavily online.  In the first decade or more the creation and growth of the Internet was fueld by research money (gov't $) and Dept of Defense spending wasn't it/.  Advertising only works if there are eyes to watch it!  Advertisers came after there were people online to advertise to, and this medium was pushed for its educational benefits and thereby sold to schools etc...

At least with exclusive vending contracts the media or food companies pay the school, right?  Finally, as to the broadcasting industry and its growth, I don't recall radio or TV in the schools until recently and I beleive the deal worked out for TV's use of the public airwaves at low prices required a percentage of "Quality Programming". 

I find that capitalism is rarely as simple and straightforward as it sounds.

My opinion only.

Tom Heard
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