I am most impressed with the decision to encourage staff to be aware of the pitfalls inherent in using the Internet, especially by inexperienced and as yet innocent young people, naive adults and uninformed older people who are barely computer literate. It is imperative that we share the information supplied by the given resources with our patrons, not only for their own safety but for them to take home to help others whom they may know are not safety savvy.
I watched the videos and read the documents about Internet safety with heartfelt gratitude to those caring and responsible people who are trying to make the global information highway a safe place to travel in our insatiable quest for information - even if one of them, McAfee, is a commercial vendor of Internet security products - at least they are showing respect for the purchasers of their products by providing these guidelines, as do Microsoft and many other sites aware of the need to use the Internet safely. http://www.scribd.com/doc/3169710/Microsoft-Internet-Safety-Presentation. There have also been quite a few television programmes recently examining the ramifications of Internet use and abuse.
Contrary to most populist post-modern beliefs that there must be no rules, I know from experience and a lifetime of reading widely, that the No Rules Rule always results in chaos. Even a brief sojourn into the history of the human race will verify this. There are of course rules and rules, and, as with all things in life, moderation is the key to the implementation of anything worthwhile - aka commonsense.
To ensure our own safety and the safety of those we love, means that we all have to be equally responsible for and accountable to the rest of humanity, and by default the planet, for the information freely available to everyone using this incredibly powerful and dangerous tool. We only have to look at the state of the world to know that for every responsible person there are as many irresponsible ones who apply the No Rules Rule daily and who do not care for their own or any one else's safety or well being, not of their property, their bodies, nor their minds.
That is why parents, teachers, librarians, extended family, friends and all care givers, those who are entrusted with the well being of the most vulnerable members of society, are morally obliged to teach the skills necessary to protect them when using the Internet.
Where do we start? Where we are - in our homes with ourselves and with our families and friends. As librarians we need to inform patrons how best to protect themselves when using the Internet and other electronic media available in our libraries. We also need to provide written warnings/instructions available at each Internet station. I am also of the opinion that each computer should be shielded from the others to provide privacy. The best safety guidelines are useless if anyone sitting on either side of us can read what we are reading and watch what we are typing.
Congratulations and thank you to those of you who have worked so hard to provide us with the means to explore these crucial personal and social issues.
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