Do you think Internet Porn Should be allowed in public libraries? Why or why not?

Contributor: kelaaa33wish kelaaa33wish
Too many kids in the library so I would say no.
04/29/2011
Contributor: CPTInsanity CPTInsanity
I have had to look at playboy.com to find a quote from an interview with President Jimmy Carter. I did an abstract speech on lust for my public speaking class back when I was a freshman in college. President Carter's quote about lust really helped me make my speech more legitimate. If it wasn't for my university library not having filters I would not have been able to find that quote for my speech. Don't get me wrong playboy.com isn't really porn, and I would be kind of freaked out if I saw some dirty looking dude watching porn on a library computer, but not having that filter really helped me out. Made an A on my speech, and that is a really hard topic to make a legitimate abstract speech on in a fairly conservative university.
04/29/2011
Contributor: Kindred Kindred
Quote:
Originally posted by BBW Talks Toys
Thank you @Rayne and @Kindred for sharing your points of view... Allow me to expound on those from the other side.



I'll address the parent responsibility portion, seeing as I have children and live in a much smaller metropolis than ... more
I understand your concerns, however you are basing your decision on your particular situation, and not the issue as a whole. If your library segregated computers for adults, would that be acceptable? And while I sympathize with your situation, the issue is bigger than your public library and had far greater implications. By censoring in one, you effectively open the door to censor in all.

My examples were to demonstrate the potential danger of going down this path. Do you not think that people will twist this argument and apply it to other areas of society? And IDing an individual is the safeguard utilized by the store to ensure the person is of age for whatever we are talking about, whether it be adult content or alcohol. My suggestion is that your library will also have to institute some form of safeguard to prevent children from having access. There are lot's of easy ways to limit access in a library.
04/29/2011
Contributor: BBW Talks Toys BBW Talks Toys
Quote:
Originally posted by CPTInsanity
I have had to look at playboy.com to find a quote from an interview with President Jimmy Carter. I did an abstract speech on lust for my public speaking class back when I was a freshman in college. President Carter's quote about lust really ... more
University libraries and Public libraries are different creatures IMHO.
04/29/2011
Contributor: Rayne Millaray Rayne Millaray
@BBW Talks Toys -

Liquor stores check IDs, Porn shops check IDs, Grocery and convenience stores check IDs (at least they're supposed to) before exchanging money for goods... public libraries do not (nor do many public libraries have the funding to station someone there to check them).

Actually, all the public libraries in my area check ID when you apply for your library card and distinguish adult cards from child cards by color. And you have to provide your library card at the desk to be able to use a computer.

In the case of the libraries mentioned in that article, the smaller branches are being given the right to make the filtering decision themselves. The larger branches, however, are doing a number of things to keep porn viewing by adults from affecting their child patrons. They're using screens you can only view from a particular angle (directly in front), and providing "blinders", for lack of a better description, that attach to the screens. And they're moving the computers to a less common area of the library that children don't have to pass by so none will accidentally see the porn.

I'd venture to say that even in your small branch's case, rearranging the layout would be possible if they put their minds to it.

But when it comes right down to it, the library is meant to archive history. All of it. War, peace, famine, feast, and even pornography. And some of the books your kids can pick up off the shelves are far worse than any porn flick I've ever seen.

And you're right! There are young adult books mixed in with the adult ones, and adult books most of us don't mind our older children reading. And some of them are just as graphic in their language as mainstream porn. Would you suggest the library not carry those as well? And where does it stop? When all that's in the library are children's books and human interest stories? Does that really seem like a good thing?

It doesn't make me popular, but as far as I'm concerned it's the parent's responsibility to protect their kids. Not society's.
04/29/2011
Contributor: BBW Talks Toys BBW Talks Toys
Quote:
Originally posted by Rayne Millaray
@BBW Talks Toys -



Liquor stores check IDs, Porn shops check IDs, Grocery and convenience stores check IDs (at least they're supposed to) before exchanging money for goods... public libraries do not (nor do many public libraries ... more
Not all libraries filter adult vs. child cards. You do have to put your card # in to use the computer, but if the memberships are not differentiated, then it makes little difference.

There are young adult books mixed in with the adult ones, and adult books most of us don't mind our older children reading. And some of them are just as graphic in their language as mainstream porn. Would you suggest the library not carry those as well? And where does it stop? When all that's in the library are children's books and human interest stories? Does that really seem like a good thing?

It doesn't make me popular, but as far as I'm concerned it's the parent's responsibility to protect their kids. Not society's.


^^^I'm with you 110% here.^^^ I don't believe that it should be taken off the shelf. I believe that parents need to be aware.

I wish our city had funding for that kind of stuff, but they simply don't. Our library has had many days (even weeks) off on furlough due to budget constraints. I would imagine that a majority of states are experiencing what is happening in my state versus the freedom that major metropolis cities like LA and NYC have to do things like this.

Personally, what I would like to see happen is to have different types of memberships where parents can categorize their child's membership however the parent sees fit. It would be easy to do it online and have genres, sections, movie ratings, internet filters, even authors (if they are parents like me who are readers and are aware of content in a wide-variety of books). They could go in and customize the content to their liking and then when a child goes in and logs into the computers, the settings would be there or if they were going to check out a book or movie, they would have the settings there and the librarian could simply say, "this isn't available to you, check with your parents if there has been a mistake."
04/29/2011
Contributor: BBW Talks Toys BBW Talks Toys
If wishes were kisses....
04/29/2011
Contributor: Rayne Millaray Rayne Millaray
Quote:
Originally posted by BBW Talks Toys
Not all libraries filter adult vs. child cards. You do have to put your card # in to use the computer, but if the memberships are not differentiated, then it makes little difference.



There are young adult books mixed in with the adult ... more
Personally, what I would like to see happen is to have different types of memberships where parents can categorize their child's membership however the parent sees fit. It would be easy to do it online and have genres, sections, movie ratings, internet filters, even authors (if they are parents like me who are readers and are aware of content in a wide-variety of books). They could go in and customize the content to their liking and then when a child goes in and logs into the computers, the settings would be there or if they were going to check out a book or movie, they would have the settings there and the librarian could simply say, "this isn't available to you, check with your parents if there has been a mistake."

Some libraries already do this. They just don't advertise it. And the ones that don't, should. I mean, really, what's a few extra boxes to check when they're entering the kid into the system? Others require parental permission for the library card. And still others require the parents be present when the kids are checking out books regardless of the content.

Honestly, if the issue really is just about children accessing adult content, then from where I sit, parents should be petitioning libraries to put better safeguards in place, if that means child and adult cards, or child and adult computer sections. But filtering information? In my opinion, that's the parent's responsibility, and a little more censorship in a public catalog than I'm able to stomach.
04/29/2011
Contributor: Lady Marmelade Lady Marmelade
It's not the right place for that.
04/29/2011
Contributor: Leila Eden Leila Eden
My first instinct was to say it shouldn't be but then I thought about it and read what Rayne, Kindred and Kristi said and I realize I agree with them. Censorship is such a slippery slope!
04/29/2011
Contributor: Diabolical Kitty Diabolical Kitty
I don't think it should be allowed because there are younger children in the public libraries.
04/29/2011
Contributor: lover15456 lover15456
05/01/2011
Contributor: babypinecone babypinecone
Quote:
Originally posted by removedacnt
On SexIs today, one of the Sex Feeds was about the fact that Los Angeles and NYC Public Libraries Won't Filter Porn

This seems to be causing quite a stir, with opinions coming from all sides.

How do you feel about it? Do you think ... more
I don't think it is a smart thing to have porn available in public libraries. It would be like having sx in the middle of the entrance to the library, not everyone is cool about that.
05/02/2011
Contributor: 0 0
I live in a dorm, and when girls decide to watch porn in the common room they get in A LOT of trouble. it is considered sexual harassment of the other students because it is in a public place...and I totally agree! If you can't afford to have somewhere private to watch your porn, then you probably shouldn't watch it...just my humble opinion
05/05/2011
Contributor: Liz2 Liz2
I am fairly open and rile vs censorship of any kind but porn in public libraries makes me uncomfortable. I am a major user of public libraries and from my experience all the computers are somewhat adjacent to each other...I would be very uncomfortable with some creepy dude sitting next to me, watching porn and getting off.
Overall, I don't know and didn't vote.
05/05/2011
Contributor: Enchantedkitty Enchantedkitty
i'd have to say no
05/07/2011
Contributor: amandaco2011 amandaco2011
I say no and a lot of it is because out in public like that is not a proper place for porn especially where children are present.
05/07/2011
Contributor: PiratePrincess PiratePrincess
I don't think its appropriate in a public place. I wouldn't want children seeing it, or others who do not wish to see that at all.
05/09/2011
Contributor: tickle me pink tickle me pink
I say no. I don't think porn is appropriate in any public place, especially not in one that children have easy access to.
05/29/2011
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by removedacnt
On SexIs today, one of the Sex Feeds was about the fact that Los Angeles and NYC Public Libraries Won't Filter Porn

This seems to be causing quite a stir, with opinions coming from all sides.

How do you feel about it? Do you think ... more
Honestly I don't know...I don't like censorship in any form in libraries but I dunno if the local library is the best place to be surfing porn! I can see the whole research side of it but there is going to have to be monitoring at anyrate to stop the sickos from "researching" kiddie porn.

I am really on the fence about this one!
06/12/2011
Contributor: Airen Wolf Airen Wolf
Quote:
Originally posted by Rayne Millaray
Okay, I'll bite.



Let's start with the famous saying, "1984 was a warning, not a manual."



Censorship is a slippery slope. It's not a far step from banning porn from library computers to banning it ... more
I have to agree...
06/12/2011
Contributor: lovemuscle n cookie lovemuscle n cookie
I really don't think porn should be allowed on public access computers like libraries, etc. Nor do I believe people should be watching porn on smart phones, laptops, etc out in public. It's one thing to do something and make sure you won't be seen by others, but its another just to watch it openly around other people and kids in a public area who shouldn't have to leave because of it.

I work in IT as a Network/Systems Administrator, so I know what it can be like to block adult sites, and what can become of people visiting those sites.

So my vote is no in a nutshell
06/12/2011
Contributor: Ajax Ajax
I'd have to vote no.

There's just something about that that doesn't sit right with me. I think you should be able to BORROW porn from the library, but not watch it on the library computers.

The libraries around here don't have the computers in a different section. In some they are right beside the reading area and in others they are right in the center of the library so you can see them from almost every part of the room (except from behind the larger stacks of course). I wouldn't want to get an eyeful while i'm browsing for books or checking out. No-thank-you.
06/12/2011
Contributor: Anjulie Anjulie
NO b/c of children being in the library.
06/12/2011
Contributor: pogoyoubounce pogoyoubounce
I'd say no.
06/25/2011
Contributor: boobookittyfuk boobookittyfuk
no frikkin way. do you see how many kids walk around there and stare over ppls shoulder at the computer??
07/03/2011
Contributor: lanky lanky
children dont need to see that
07/03/2011
Contributor: liama liama
Quote:
Originally posted by removedacnt
On SexIs today, one of the Sex Feeds was about the fact that Los Angeles and NYC Public Libraries Won't Filter Porn

This seems to be causing quite a stir, with opinions coming from all sides.

How do you feel about it? Do you think ... more
No! No one wants to accidentally stumble upon someone wanking in the library!
07/04/2011
Contributor: js250 js250
Quote:
Originally posted by removedacnt
On SexIs today, one of the Sex Feeds was about the fact that Los Angeles and NYC Public Libraries Won't Filter Porn

This seems to be causing quite a stir, with opinions coming from all sides.

How do you feel about it? Do you think ... more
Public libraries are for families, children and other people who do not need to see or know your personal proclivities. There are other places to view porn that are less public and safer for all involved.
07/04/2011
Contributor: P'Gell P'Gell
It depends what the libraries definition of "Porn" is. Many consider THIS SITE a porn site. If I wasn't able to use my home computer I would like to be able to access Eden on the computers in the library. My guess is that it is blocked.

One person's porn is an other person's daily fodder.
07/04/2011