SPA statement and RSAC release

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 08:17:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: Declan McCullagh <declan@well.com>
To: fight-censorship@vorlon.mit.edu
Subject: SPA statement and RSAC release


Statement by Ken Wasch, President, Software Publishers Association

PR News Wire via Dow Jones

               White House Forum:  Children on the Internet  

  WASHINGTON, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Ken Wasch,
President of the Software Publishers Association:  

  "The software industry recognizes -- and understands -- the legitimate
concerns of parents, educators, the President and Vice President, legislators
and other citizens about the content and suitability of many Internet sites for
our children.  We believe parents should have the opportunity, and readily
available tools, to monitor -- and block -- objectionable online content.

  "Today's White House Forum is an important step in highlighting this issue by
bringing together a diverse group of concerned organizations and individuals to
focus on what must be done.  SPA appreciates the invitation of the President and
the Vice President to represent the software industry at this forum.  However,
after we leave the White House, the responsibility of marrying freedom of speech
with these legitimate concerns falls on the shoulders of the software industry. 
The software industry develops the tools and products that, in turn, can put a
brown wrapper around objectionable material on the Internet.  Others may talk;
the software industry must act. 

  "Understanding its responsibility, the software industry several years ago
helped establish a process of self-regulation and content ratings through the
Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC).  Today, RSAC, through its
Internet ratings system -- RSACi -- has assigned objective content labels to
more than 35,000 online sites in just 12 months.  RSACi is now the world's
leading Internet content ratings system, empowering parents everywhere to block
online content they believe offensive.  It is important to keep in mind that
'Truth in Packaging' has nothing to do with suppression of content. RSACi is a
labeling system, not a system of censorship. 

  "At today's White House Forum, the success of RSACi as an effective, no-cost
tool for concerned parents was highlighted.  It is no coincidence that two of
this nation's largest corporations have committed to using the RSACi ratings
system in their online efforts.  SPA and the software industry congratulate
Disney -- with its strong family emphasis -- and IBM on their decisions to work
with RSAC.  We know others will join them.  Then RSACi will become the universal
ratings standard, allowing everyone everywhere to benefit from the exciting
world of the Internet, without the inhibition of state-imposed regulation or
censorship."  

  SPA is the leading trade association of the software industry, representing
1,200 leading publishers as well as start-up firms developing software
applications and tools for use on the desktop, the Internet, and client-server
networks.  


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISORY COUNCIL
WELCOMES IBM AS CORPORATE SPONSOR

IBM Supports RSAC Initiative to Provide Self-Regulation of Internet Content

Washington, D.C. -- July 16, 1997 - The Recreational Software Advisory Council
(RSAC) today announced that IBM has become a corporate sponsor of RSAC - the
non-profit organization committed to providing Internet users with detail
regarding web site content.  IBM is contributing $100,000 to RSAC, the
non-profit developer of RSACi, the voluntary, non-judgmental content labeling
software system that allows consumers and Webmasters to create customized
filters of online content.

"The astounding popularity and growth of the Internet has brought about its
greatest challenge -- controlling the flow of content that some feel is
inappropriate for children, students, or corporate staff.  RSAC's goal has never
been to restrict the act of free speech, but rather to allow free speech while
simultaneously empowering consumers to control the content to which they're
exposed," commented Stephen Balkam, executive director of RSAC.  "We're very
pleased to be working with IBM to continue our effort to make the Internet fun
and safe for everyone."

"Effective technology complements the efforts of parents and teachers in
monitoring children's' use of the Internet," said John Patrick, IBM's Vice
President, Internet technology.   "IBM is committed to providing parents and
educators with the tools to help children leverage the Internet appropriately. 
We are proud to be working with RSAC in creating an Internet environment that is
consistent with the interests of parents, teachers and children."

RSACi, or RSAC on the Internet, is the objective content-labeling advisory
system that is fully compliant with the World Wide Web consortium's industry
standard for web content rating, the Platform for Internet Content Selection
(PICS).  RSACi is a fully-automated system that relies on Webmasters to complete
a detailed questionnaire regarding the level, nature and intensity of the sex,
nudity, violence or offensive language (vulgar or hate-motivated) found within
their web site.  The responses given then generate rating tags that -- when
posted on the web site -- are read by not only popular browsers (such as
Microsoft's Internet Explorer), but by blocking system software (such as
MicroSystem's Cyber Patrol), allowing consumers to anticipate Internet content
and block any materials they deem inappropriate, or offensive.

To date, the RSACi content advisory system has been used to rate more than
35,000 web sites -- and it is anticipated that this number will grow to more
than 120,000 in the coming year.  "It's our opinion that the IBM sponsorship --
together with the recent formation of the International Ratings Working Group at
the Bonn Ministerial Conference -- will lead to a four-fold increase in rated
sites over the next calendar year," commented Stephen Balkam.

IBM has been a leader in developing and supporting standard content filtering
programs and technologies for years.  In addition to sponsoring RSAC, IBM
contributed to the development of PICS within the W3C earlier this year.  IBM
also ships NetVista, an Internet server designed for educational institutions
that helps teachers integrate the Web directly into the classroom while
filtering inappropriate content.

IBM, the world's largest software provider, creates, develops and manufactures
the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer
systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. 
IBM offers complete information about the company, its products, services and
technology on the World Wide Web at http://www.ibm.com.  For more information
about IBM Software to go to the IBM Software home page at
http://www.software.ibm.com.

The Recreational Software Advisory Council is an independent, non-profit
organization based in Washington, D.C, that empowers the public, especially
parents, to make informed decisions about electronic media by means of an open,
objective, content advisory system.  The RSACi system provides consumers with
information about the level of sex, nudity, violence, offensive language (vulgar
or hate-motivated) in software games and Web sites.  To date, RSACi has been
integrated into Microsoft's browser, Internet Explorer, and MicroSystem's Cyber
Patrol Software.  CompuServe (US and Europe) has also committed to rate all
its content with the RSACi system.

More information on RSAC and the RSACi rating system is available at
http://www.rsac.org.
#   #   #

A press release forwarded by Declan wrote:
>  "Understanding its responsibility, the software industry several years ago
>helped establish a process of self-regulation and content ratings through the
>Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC).  Today, RSAC, through its
>Internet ratings system -- RSACi -- has assigned objective content labels to
>more than 35,000 online sites in just 12 months.

I just read yesterday in the WEBONOMICS STORIES Newsletter:

> The first sentence in WEBONOMICS is: "New sites on the World Wide Web
> have been cropping up at the rate of one per minute." I'm pleased to
> report that this furious pace has continued -- almost exactly. Network
> Solutions Inc., the Virginia-based company that registers domain name
> addresses for U.S. Web sites, says that it had registered a total of
> 818,000 addresses by March 1997, up from 246,000 a year earlier. That's
> 572,000 new Web sites in a year, or 1,567 per day, or 65 per hour, or
> 1.08 per minute!


Taking these two statements together, the RSACi people have managed,
in the last 12 months, to rate just over 6% of the _new_ web sites in
the last year.

-- Marshall

Marshall Clow     Aladdin Systems   <mailto:mclow@mailhost2.csusm.edu>

"In Washington DC, officials from the White House, federal agencies and
Congress say regulations may be necessary to promote a free-market
system." --  CommunicationsWeek International April 21, 1997

On Wed, 16 Jul 1997, Declan McCullagh wrote:

>   "The software industry recognizes -- and understands -- the legitimate
> concerns of parents, educators, the President and Vice President, legislators
> and other citizens about the content and suitability of many Internet sites for
> our children.  We believe parents should have the opportunity, and readily
> available tools, to monitor -- and block -- objectionable online content.

The WebMuseum, MoMA, Le Photo magazine website, every artist run centre on
the Internet, how do you rate them? 

Nudity? Sex? Violence? 

Just about every gallery would include at least one of these either
directly or with suggestions of. Currently it is not the norm to restrict
gallery viewers to being of the age of majority, why should the online
equalivent have special requirements? 

I think the RSAC's need for RSACnews shows how myoptic their thinking is,
what about online Encyclopedias? Search Engines? Dictonaries? Heath Care,
Sexual Education? Photojournalism? People magazine ("How to undress in
front of your husband" was an photo article I think was published by
People in the 50s in USA)? 

Thank god public libraries didn't censor the books I read when I was less
than 18. I'd go crazy. I learnt a lot of things kids don't talk about in a
small town. Nor did the two university I went to when I less than 18
censor my Internet access. 

--
Michael C. Taylor <mctaylor@mta.ca> <http://www.mta.ca/~mctaylor/>

I'd rather accept the fact that teenagers might look at porn (shock!)
than bring children up in a police state.  Anyhow, vaguely relevant to
this hypocrisy is

http://www.gmcclel.bossnt.com/kk/kk970708.html

-- 
Martin Pool <m.pool@pharos.com.au>
Pharos Business Solutions