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1996-03-11
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2/21/96, MRVN3@aol.com, Nanuet, NY USA
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Democracy on the Internet
by Katherine Heller
I can't remember a time when I didn't have a computer. [Image]
As a small child, my favorite games were Qbert, Zaxxon,
and Adventure. What I do remember is the day I visited a local
observatory four years ago. Someone sat down at one of the
observatory's computers and, within a few key strokes, full-color
pictures of outerspace appeared on their screen, straight from
NASA! I was amazed! I never dreamed a computer could do such a
thing! I soon learned this was accomplished using something
called Gopher, and so went my introduction to the internet. Since
then, the capabilities and potential of computers and the
internet have not ceased to amaze me.
Now, at the age of 17, computers and the internet play a large
and important role in my life, and in the lives of others around
me. A great hope of mine is that their role will continue to grow
and that they will eventually link all people and all available
information. Unfortunately, there are many barriers to overcome
before this can be accomplished. One barrier is people who prefer
to limit access to information through computers and the
internet, rather than expand it.
The people who run the computers at my high school are an example
of this. Although the school owns a fairly large amount of
software, a student is generally allowed access to only six or
seven programs. Gaining access to more programs by finding a way
into DOS or Windows is virtually considered a crime. As a result
my school's 30 IBM Pentiums are used mainly for touch typing.
When I have asked why access is so limited, I have been told that
it must be this way to evade computer viruses and keep students
from destroying the system. Naturally, I've asked how they
intended to keep enforcing their limited access policy when they
eventually have to allow students internet access. They just
smile and say "We'll see", giving the situation hardly any
consideration. This is a big problem because one of the easiest
ways to make the internet widely available is through the school
system, and the internet could be a school's best resource.
The internet has the potential to be one of the most significant
developments in the history of communications, maybe even as
great as the printing press. I believe the government is
currently threatening its ability to reach its full potential.
The Telecommunications Bill is an example of this. While I
approve of many parts of this bill, other parts are very vague
and threaten the rights and freedoms of honest people. For
example, I hope entire libraries will become available on the
internet. The Telecom Bill makes this illegal because of books
like Catcher In the Rye, which contain foul language. So are we
forced to have physical libraries for "inappropriate" books,
when,eventually, all the rest are only kept on the internet? Or
maybe someone will erase the inappropriate words and write "beep"
in their places. The bill also attacks information on STDs and
abortion. Since the internet will become the best and easiest way
to get information, people may easily become uninformed on these
issues. We may no longer be able to get a picture of our favorite
piece of artwork or the lyrics to our favorite song. It is
pathetic! Using the internet is not like watching television and
therfore should not be treated the same way television is. The
internet is interactive. Talking to someone over a computer is
hardly different from talking to them on the street, yet they are
treated differently. As the internet grows the access people have
to information may become increasingly limited. The
Telecommunications Bill, as it is, threatens our freedom of
speech and freedom of information (which our founding fathers,
unfortunately, left out of the bill of rights), and therefore
threatens the foundations on which this Democratic society
stands.
Decisions regarding the internet, made today, will affect the
lives of people for years to come. The internet can become one of
humanity's greatest resources or one of humanity's greatest
failures. I hope I have the opportunity to help build one of
humanity's greatest resources.
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