browsing in public library's

[t-girlxsophie]

Today out shopping,I had to get access to a PC/Printer,so I went into Public Library to use their facilities, (I've read on here of others doing this) while there waiting for my Wife I thought I'll have a wee look at CD.com.But a message came up saying access was denied as the site was unsuitable,I tried entering Transgender,and even Transexual same result.

I know theres some X-Rated CD/TG site's but use of the Computers in the Library is restricted to over 18's so I though this was a little heavy handed.It did say If you had any queries about the policy to alert staff.Now did I want to put my head above the parapet (how many TG are in my town,and that are using Library) and query there banning of these sites,I decided oh!hell why not,if it gets policy changed and even 1 person find's a source that helps them then it will be worthwhile.I had to fill a form out and It is now in the Council's hands,the Staff didn't really react to things (when I had gone maybe a different story?).

Is policys like this the same the world over.I don't know? but as I've said I have read posts here of Members using Library Computers

Sophie

[linda allen]

My guess is that the library doesn't do it's own filtering, but uses a service or software that filters out sites and possibly words.

If you really want to visit this site from a public library, speak to the librarian about it. There may be a way to temporarilly bypase the blocking.

[Stephenie S]

Yes, I agree. My company uses a service and there is just NO telling what is blocked and why. Some of thge most inocuous sites are banned and some of the most outrageous sites are let through. I suspect that there is a computer program setting up these filters and a request to change will be met with difficulty.

Linda may be right. The librarian may be able to bypass the filters. There is a provision to override the filters that are in place on my company computer. You just need the right password.

S

[Vickie_CDTV]

I'd be curious to see what would happen if you did a search on "gay".

In some US states, some libraries are required by law to have such filters since they are funded with taxpayer dollars (ok technically now they are funded by worthless IOUs owed to the rest of the world but whatever), they may have similar laws in the UK?

[Shelly Preston]

This site will be blocked because of what the content suggests

Certain key words will trigger a block automatically

We know this site is clean but unfortunately not all of them are

Your request might raise a few eyebrows when the staff read it but dont hold your breath on getting anywhere

[DebbieL]

These content blockers come in a bunch of different flavors. In the united states, the most widely used is based on self-registration. A site can set tags and/or register itself saying that they are an adult content site.

One potential abuse for any type of blocking is that a site that may be politically inclined a certain way, could be "blocked" simply because and advocate for the opposing party wants to shut down the competition and hopefully rig the election. This is why self-registration is so important.

The question is whether the cites have registered themselves as adult oriented, or whether a public facility has decided to censor content based on subjective and possibly illegal metrics and criteria.

It sounds to me like the blocker being used at this library may be illegal. Banning a general purpose discussion site based solely on keywords by a public library could be a violation of the first Amendment.

The big problem is that if they are blocking this site, what else might they be blocking? Could they be blocking political sites because they are too liberal or too conservative. Are the criteria being set by an elected body who must approve every block by a 2/3rds majority, or is the block being set by a beaurocrat who blocks sites based on their personal interests and preferences?

The very notion of a library attempting to block information that has not been identified by the publisher as "adults only", is a conflict of the very purpose of libraries. People come to public libraries to get information about things they don't understand. So long as the information is not packed with xxx rated pornographic pictures that are being shown to young children, the site should not be banned.

Corporations often but stricter constraints around what workers can access, but this is more related to security and productivity issues than any sort of morality.

Given the incredibly high suicide rates among teens who are transgendered, bisexual, or gay, suicides that could be prevented just by providing a little information, like what it means, how many others are like them, where to get group support, where to get professional support, how to talk with family and friends... Blocking sites like this is a it like murdering those children.

[BLUE ORCHID]

If I wasn't out that would be the last place that I would open up this site.

Orchid

[CaitlynRenee]

Almost as bad as when I went on Google images to look up my oldest boy as he has made a pretty good name for himself in his career field. It was a military library and after typing in his name and clicking on google images, I got the note that I had been flagged for attempting to access restricted material. Here comes the head librarian and in a very nasty tone said I'd have to get off the computer. I asked him why and showed him what I had tried to access. He was perplexed as well and when he unlocked the computer so I could try to bring up my son, guess what????

Each of my sons names, first, middle and last was tied into a restricted porn site along with pictures. Apparently every site had an actor with one of his three names. I'd never heard of such a thing and said so. The librarian was confused as well. The titles were like Lanny's longjohn, Darwin's diddle, Sandy's stupendus pendulus. That kind of crap. I never could access my son's name (and NO, it is NOT Lanny Darwin Sandy. That's just an example of how the site came up.

Got home, typed in his name and there he was, no porn sites.

[SarahLynn]

Since the original poster is in Bonnie Scotland the first amendment does not apply. That being a given, I'd still be questioning why this site was blocked.

SarahLynn

[billie earls]

Libraries should not restrict what an adult wants to view on computers. The library is a place for ideas not censorship. They should have some kind of filter on computers the children use and even that should be only against porn sites and not block because of certain words.

[*Vanessa*]

I just searched our public library (Central, AB) being curious what I would find. There are many publication available dealing with the larger umbrella of Transgender. Maybe talk to the library to see why the material is not available..

[sissystephanie]

Lisa, the OP was written by a member in Scotland. The laws of the U.S.A. don't apply there, and Scottish law does allow what the library did, unless I am way off base! I don't agree with their opinions, but I don't make their laws!! Personally, I would find another place to use a computer for that website!!

[Ressie]

Things are different in my town. Kids under 18 are allowed to use computers for internet. However, there are books available about homosexuality. I haven't searched for cross dressing, but I'm sure there are a couple of books that touch on the topic. If not, the university library probably has plenty of resources.

[Genifer Teal]

I recall when a school was laughed at for filtering out the word breast and not allowing a student to research breast cancer which her mother was recently diagnosed with. Those outside services keep a fairly crude list and take a no holds bared approach to blocking sites.

[sara.s]

Was it the same for Gay, L & B terms too? How else can someone do a research on these topics in such libraries?

[JenniferR771]

I was frustrated while trying to look up information on crossdressing in my early 20's. Many libraries consider the idea of crossdressing offensive, perhaps. But today you can search most libraries online using their online catalog.
Like Ames, Iowa for instance.

http://catalog.amespubliclibrary.org...=17&y=12#focus

For example I searched for well-known author Peggy Rudd and found nothing. I was saddened to hear recently to hear that she is in poor health.

I then searched crossdressing. Again nothing.

I tried Amarillo TX, same problem.
http://www.amarillolibrary.org/search.php

I go thrown out of a library last year for "looking at crossdresser sites", because the person next to me complained. The librarian told me I could "come back tomorrow and it will be OK." It was.

What about your local medium sized libraries?

[linda allen]

......... I go thrown out of a library last year for "looking at crossdresser sites", because the person next to me complained. The librarian told me I could "come back tomorrow and it will be OK." It was.

I'm surprised a library wouldn't have dividers between the computers. And surprised that they would make you leave one day for something that's OK the next day.

The other side of the coin - There is some extremely offensive stuff on the internet. Offensive beyond belief. Should an adult be allowed to view this stuff in private? Well, it's allowed to be posted so I suppose so. Should someone be allowed to display it in public (that's what you are doing if you bring it up on the screen in a public place)? There has to be a line drawn somewhere. We may not agree on where, but it has to be somewhere.

Let's say the guy next to you in the library is viewing a video of a middle aged man having sex with a 14 year old boy and he has a bulge in his pants and is moaning. Find that offensive? Should that be "protected" by law?

[BritneyLynn]

The US constitution protects free speech and free press, but the existence of a publication doesn't require a retailer to stock it or a library to subscribe to it. I doubt there are any who display, circulate or even keep in a back room everything in print. A publishing house can't demand a library to place a book on their shelves, that's a decision made by the library staff subject to the direction of the jurisdiction's elected council members or county board of supervisors. Someone who really wants the book can order it directly from the publisher and often from online and mail order distributors.

Similarly a citizen can buy their own subscription to a periodical, many of which offer distribution through the mail.

Web sites are still available through most Internet providers. Some providers offer the adult paying for the account the ability to designate which of multiple log-in names is subject to provider level filtering. The public can still take a laptop or tablet to WiFi hotspots in many coffee shops (some in book stores) and a significant percentage of over the counter food outlets (each of which are free to filter or not).

In my community's libraries computers that access the Internet through filtering servers are equipped with typical table top displays (not sure if all the CRTs have been replaced with LCDs). Unfiltered computers are equipped with displays that are located under a glass panel in the tabletop that can ony be seen by the user or someone standing a few feet directly behind them.

[Allsteamedup]

I am just delighted that I have free access to a computer when I am in town for checking my email. I am quite happy to accept the restrictions there, which include the blocking of an SOs support site. The service is free including tuition and lots of people evidently use the family tracing service. Accepting that some sites try to exploit those more impressionable members of society has to be accepted: in my library after school all the machines are taken by schoolchildren doing homework.