It must be nearly Christmas! At last, something from Martin with which I can
wholeheartedly agree.
Unlike him I am committed to the need for some level of filtering, and I
want to know what sites people are trying to access so that filtering
arrangements can be adjusted. I also want statistics of use, just as I do
for other provision. I'd be very unhappy if I had to tie those requirements
into monitoring the use of individuals however. What next? Archiving of logs
for future police inspection? That sounds like what the security forces are
already proposing. Not my idea of librarians' role.
Duncan Westlake (London Borough of Hillingdon)
-----Original Message-----
From: Martin Dudley [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 17 December 2000 11:24
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Monitoring public use of internet access
The problem with having a membership requirement or a log on process for
access to networked information services is that this is socially exclusive.
Access to the network society requires for the socially excluded an open
environmnet and a great deal of courage perhaps. Getting (non-members)
through the door is hard enough - asking them to prove they exist even
harder.
You don't have to be a member of a library or have any other qualification
to read a paper or use the reference library. I don't need permission to
read about what I want in a refernece book, and I certainly don't want a
member of staff checking which pages I read. Please don't put up barriers.
Read Open to All? The Public Library and Social Exclusion. Organise your
ISPs and ICT techies to deliver useful mangement stats if you have to.
[log in to unmask] wrote:
> As part of our "People's Network" strategy, we need to monitor the kind of
> use - morally-acceptable and otherwise - made of our public-access
internet
> points.
> Questionnaires, however brief, are of limited use. The ideal, to my mind,
> woild be a system whereby a user logs onto the computer by means of
scanning
> his/her reader's ticket. A programme on board could then not only record
the
> user's identity but also the use made of the facility -
> internet/word-processing/spreadsheets etc.
>
> Does anyone know of such a system currently in use?
>
> Many thanks.
>
> Alun Williams
Martin P Dudley
Research and Innovation Services
29 Lang Road, Bishopthorpe, YORK YO23 2QJ, UK
+44 (0)1904 706557
Mobile and SMS: +44 (0)7950 414267
[log in to unmask]
www.riservices.co.uk
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