ACS PR condemns ABC's search hacker

[Stephen Barnett]

Thanks Kate for your quick response!
I guess I could argue that there is little point on the 'Net for trying the
example first its not static!!!!

I guess I was arguing from the point  of view if we don't provide some
controls we may have it thrust upon us or our connections unplugged.

I appreciated Tom's spiel on Channel Nine this morning although I only
caught a few minutes.



>> I'm concerned as a Internet navigator and trainer about what I might find
>> and how to control the situation.  Today I was instructing two members of
>> library  staff in a new search tool. How should we react when our search
>
>I'm not sure it's up to you to control any situation.  If you meant to show
>training examples you should have tried them out beforehand.  I would have
>thought that any library staff would be well aware that if you do a search
>for a string you can pick up all sorts of unintended references -- so what?
>Do you want it all pre-digested and pre-filtered for you?  The beauty of
>information searches is the unexpected -- if you know exactly what you
>want then it's not much use doing a general search.
>
>> Economy:Organizations:Public Interest Groups:Death
>> Entertainment:Humor, Jokes, and Fun:Bizzare
>> Society and Culture:Abortion Issues:Pro-Life
>>
>> What was a balanced search result is ruined by the stupid, juvenile link.
>
>Balanced?  The Net *reflects* life as it is, it's not some sanitised,
>prettyfied Disneyland.  People make jokes. (Some people might think the
>third reference isn't entirely balanced either, but...)
>
>> As it was a new search I could not predict and certainly didn't appreciate
>> the sick bizzare humour.
>
>It's not up to you to *appreciate* it!  You did an objective search for a
>string, you found references to it.  You don't have to follow them up,
>and it's not up to you to decide whether or not such any particular reference
>should occur.  For what it's worth, jokes can be a subject of serious study
>-- maybe it's not *your* field but it might be useful to someone, and it's
>not up to you or me or anyone else to determine its value.
>
>> I'm for freedom of speech but certainly can see
>> the problems that some primary and secondary schools will have.
>
>Yeah, kids love jokes, they probably won't look at the sensible references :-)
>
>> I guess the recent posting re a 'Web Society'
>>has some merit if self censorship rather than legislated control were to
>>occur.
>
>Sorry, but I'm just so fed up with everyone looking for solutions to problems
>that don't exist except in the fevered imaginations of tabloid hacks and
>self-appointed censors.  Stop worrying about what the Net isn't and utilise
>what it *is*.
>
>Try making Real Life perfect first before you try to turn its reflection
>into Utopia.
>
>Kate.
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>Kate Lance                    System Manager  Department of Computer Science
>clance@cs.newcastle.edu.au    University of Newcastle   NSW  2308  Australia
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------

========================================================
Stephen Michael Barnett
Lecturer, Learning Services
Torrens Valley Institute of Tafe
100 Smart Road Modbury 5092
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
e-mail stevebar@tafe.sa.edu.au
phone int 61 8 207 8103 fax int 61 8 207 8008

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