[Publib] Question about filtering software categories

[Judy Anderson]

Can you tell us what company has done this? I would think that folks looking 
for filtering software would want to know about this "bug".

Judy Anderson
Oregon
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>From: "K.G. Schneider" <kgs at bluehighways.com>
>Reply-To: kgs at bluehighways.com
>To: "'PubLib '" <publib at webjunction.org>
>Subject: [Publib] Question about filtering software categories
>Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2006 12:23:51 -0400
>
>Dear PUBLIB folks,
>
>I am asking this on behalf of a library I'm not affiliated with that would
>prefer to make this request anonymously. Don't assume it's a public
>library... don't assume it isn't. (It's not close to where I live, either!)
>
>I need your input (of course) right away-as in by mid-afternoon tomorrow,
>Thursday, 9/21.
>
>The situation is that this library uses a filtering software that it has
>been satisfied with until recently, when the company eliminated its
>"Gay/Lesbian" category and instead recategorized websites into
>"Sexuality/Alternative Lifestyles" or "Political/Activist." Websites that
>generally oppose gay rights now end up in the "political" category, which
>the library has left unblocked, while websites that generally support gay
>rights are now in a very broad "Sexuality/Alternative Lifestyles" category,
>which the library blocks. This situation has caught the attention of a 
>civil
>rights organization that will be meeting with the library very soon to
>discuss the discrimination issues raised by these categories.
>
>The government entity affiliated with this library is eager to find out if
>there are other public agencies that have faced the problem of a
>discriminatory filter, and what they have done to address it (which could
>include negotiating with vendors to change or add categories, switching
>products, etc.). Also, if problems with categorization affected a product
>decision-i.e. you didn't buy a product because it overblocked in certain
>areas-they'd like to hear about that as well. Any other thoughts welcome
>off-list or on.
>
>Karen G. Schneider
>kgs at bluehighways.com
>
>
>
>
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