[bksvol-discuss] Re: adult content?
- From: "Peter Scialli" <Peter.s@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 8 Jun 2004 09:10:57 -0400
I'm joining this thread late, but below is our official statement on the
Adult Content issue.
At Bookshare.org, we know that the definition of so-called adult content is
subjective. We try to be flexible in terms of working with individual users
and the parents of our minor subscribers in delivering open access to books
while not exposing anyone to material which might be deemed offensive or
inappropriate.
Every book in the Bookshare.org collection is processed through an
automated tool which assesses the content for the prescence of language
which is customarily thought to be violent, profain, explicitly sexual or
otherwise objectionable to a significant number of people. When our
volunteers review books for publication on the Bookshare.org site, they are
asked to agree or disagree with the automated assessment. If they disagree,
the book is more carefully reviewed by a member of the Bookshare.org staff
to help in providing the rating. Children or adults requesting shielding
from adult content will not normally have access to books which carry the
Adult rating.
While the system may not be perfect, we have found it to be very effective
in limiting the delivered material to the standards of most people who
subscribe to Bookshare.org. Of course, there are times when a book may be
rated as having Adult content contrary to the opinion of most. Less often,
a book which may have some objectionable material may make it past the
screening process. In either case, we are able to take action to assist the
individual user in getting only the material that he or she wants.
Adults may request access to adult material at any time. Those under
eighteen years of age may provide a signed request from a parent or guardian
asking for access to an individual title or to adult content in general. In
the latter case, the child will be classified by the system as being over
eighteen and the parent has agreed to be responsible for the material
requested by the child memb er.
If you have any questions about the process or about access to a particular
book, please feel free to contact us by writing to
support@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
________________________
Peter M. Scialli, Ph.D.
Associate, Technical Projects, Bookshare.org
www.bookshare.org
A Project of The Benetech Initiative - Technology Serving Humanity
peter @benetech.org
www.benetech.org
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sarah Van Oosterwijck" <curiousentity@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <bksvol-discuss@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, June 08, 2004 9:07 AM
Subject: [bksvol-discuss] Re: adult content?
> I too vote for the same notation as the library of congress listings.
They
> are far more accurate and informative than the adult content check, and
> there aren't any judgement calls, or distortions to the true meaning of
the
> word adult. Adult really doesn't have anything to do with the issue as
far
> as I am concerned.
>
> I don't object to the blocking of books containing adult content, because
I
> don't see how not allowing people under 18 to read those books could
really
> hurt them, and parents can tell bookshare to override that setting for
their
> children if they can think of a reason for doing so, but I also think
people
> under 18 can learn to make their own choices, and obey their parents
wishes
> without a programmed inforcer. Calling that content adult is just a way
to
> make it sound more appealing to kids wanting to be adults. It is also an
> insult to adults who don't want to read that stuff.
>
> Sarah Van Oosterwijck
> curious entity at earthlink dot net
>
>
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