Utah enacts net porn law

[southernman]

[url "http://www.theregister.com/.../utah_filtering_law/"]http://www.theregister.com/.../utah_filtering_law/[/url]
Utah enacts net porn law By [url "http://forms.theregister.co.uk/mail_author/?story_url=/2005/03/22/utah_filtering_law/"]John Leyden[/url] [size 2]Published Tuesday 22nd March 2005 18:13 GMT[/size] [size 2][/size]
Utah's governor has defied criticism from technology firms and free speech activists to sign into law a bill designed to protect children from Internet pornography.

The controversial bill ([url "http://www.le.state.ut.us/~2005/bills/hbillamd/hb0260s03.pdf"]PDF[/url])will require ISPs to block access to websites deemed "harmful to minors" on request. This blacklist will be drawn up by the state's Attorney General.
[url "http://as1.falkag.de/server/link.asp?rdm=45370159&dlv=704,20373,155794,148248,576044&kid=148248&chw=9148259-9148248-&tcs=&bls3=111000A&bls4=010001155796&ucl=111111A&uid=1&dmn=.lv.lv.cox.net&scx=1152&scy=864&scc=24&jav=1&sta=,,,1,,,,,,,0,5,0,23533,23488,14659,3133,839&cmd=url&iid=155794&bid=576044&dat=http://servedby.netshelter.net/click.cgi?pid=THEREGISTER%26j=0%26k=1%26id=765452"][/url] [url "http://sel.as-eu.falkag.net/sel?cmd=lnk&dat=155794&opt=0&rdm=20040704"][/url]
ISPs in Utah have the option of blocking sites or providing customers with third=party filtering products unless they want to risk felony charges under the new law. The law states that: "Upon request by a consumer, a service provider may not transmit material from a content provider site listed on the adult content registry." Internet content providers that create or host data in Utah must properly rate the data or risk possible criminal charges.

Local ISPs say the law is unnecessary. "The market has already provided a solution to this problem," [url "http://www.sltrib.com/utah/ci_2617213"]said[/url] XMission President Pete Ashdown. NetCoalition, a lobbying group, says the measure will oblige search engines to display the rating of sites to Utah residents and is technically unworkable.

Groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union go further and warn the bill violates the US Constitution's First Amendment on free speech and the Commerce Clause. Six other states have had similar legislation ruled unconstitutional, resulting in huge legal bills for residents, Media Coalition director David Horowitz told the Salt Lake City Tribune.

The bill was drafted in an attempt to skirt constitutional concerns. Time will tell if the measures withstand legal srutiny. ®
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[mateo]

I think it's a good idea to keep porn away from kids, and especially to keep kids out of porn. As the article said, however, there are already several programs out there to filter this stuff. I think the state just did it to give everyone a warm fuzzy.

I guess if you take a picture of your warm fuzzy, and put it on the net, you'll have to register your site, right? I crack me up.
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[FlyingFish]

[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]First off – I have kids.[/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Second - I know that parents cant watch their kids all the time. [/size][/font]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]I don’t want children looking at pornography or graphic violence either. It is the job of the parent to supervise/control what their kids see and do. Instill good values all their lives and you will have fewer worries. Kids will always find ways to get away with stuff if they want. (I did-didn’t you?) Get a porn filter on your computer if you think you need it. Keep big brother out of our lives as much as possible.[/size][/font]
[size 3][font "Times New Roman"] Far to often lazy parents rely on the government and others to police their children. Not everyone will agree with me and some will always want to make everybody do and believe the same things and that is unrealistic. [/font][/size]
[font "Times New Roman"][size 3]Sorry for the rant. I’ll get off my soapbox now.[/size][/font]
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[ALAN]

I somewhat agree. It's the parents responsibility to watch over what their kids do. I know its hard, my parents had a hell of a time with me, even tho computers were in the si-fi only a dream when I was growing up. I had control over what my kids did. I think it will only get worse if the government gets involved. I will cause they hi-tech people to creat aways around it. Leave it alone and let the parents be responsible for their kids. I had to be.
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[mikecromaine]

Well first of all there is a power button and many things adults can do to inable a computer until they say it is ok to turn it on. Next why does the goverment have to control what goes on in your house. If your children don't respect you then they will disobey you more.You set rules and if they disobey them then they lose the computer. There is a history that is recorded in windows in more then one place that will tell you time date of what sites the computer has been to. But I guess these would require parents to take more of a role in there kids life by taking a couple windows classes. Personally my kids don't even watch a movie unless I or my wife or both have watched it and approve it. But I guess people are ok with the state raising there children or someone else aka T.V. or a babysitter.
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[mateo]

There are also programs that will show you exactly what your kids are doing online, and log every keystroke from chatting, so you know who they're chatting with and what they're saying.

Mike, things get a little tougher when the kids get older. Wait till your kids hit their teens. That's a lot of fun[crazy].
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[ALAN]

You got it right there Matt. The kids do change. I was involved with every aspect of my kids life from the time they were born until now. I did the scouts, both boys and girls, baseball, basketball, and soccer. And not because I made them do any of these things, because they knew I cared enough and asked for my help.
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[mikecromaine]

I do understand Matt, that when my children become teenagers things will change. I was on of the worst teenagers ever! The reason I was able to be such a terror was do to the fact that my father was never there! His idea of upbringing was speak load and carry a belt. Instead of showing a true concern for my well being. He expected everyone else to manage me Instead of him. Thats my point we as parents need to involved with our childrens life from day one. It is way more important to me and my wife that our children are raised to the standard we agree with Not the states idea of a healthy child. I am in no way claiming I am the perfect parent! Just I feel we need to play more of a part in our childrens life's no matter how hard it might be.
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[mateo]

Mike and Alan, I agree that the best thing you can do is be involved in their lives, and try your best to be a good parent. All you can do is your best, and hope that it sticks.
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[Coldfooter]

The bottom line is it dont take a caring person to produce an offspring, but it does take a caring person to be a parent. Parents simply have to take the responsiblity of raising the kids. Child rearing dont stop when the child leaves the front door in the morning for school and begin again when the child returns home. Parenting is a 24 hour, 365 day a year job that continues for the rest of our lives. But ly to many parents choose to allow others to take the responsibity of rearing their child. Teachers are treated and used as baby sitters as are the TV, video games and computers, etc.. etc... etc.... My old pappy used to tell me "idiol hands create a wantful mind",, just before he'd hand me a shovel or rake knowing I could create trouble faster that it could catch up with me..
We dont need big brother poking his nose deeper up our business farther he does now. What we need, as a whole, is for those that feel a need to produce offspring take responsibilty for their children and stop handing off their parenting duties to others..
Whats more,, to many folks forget their a parent not that childs best friend. Nor is the child the parents equal. They fear dish out punishment when its needed because they dont want to risk hurting the childs feeling, and/or, they fear the child will hate them if they put their foot down and take control. But once that occurs respect is lost and if the parent dont have the respect of the child they dont have control of the child either..

My father had little problem with tanning my back side when it was due and if there is one soul I never lost respect for,, its my pappy, god rest his soul. I'm not saying every child needs a tan, or every situation calls for a tanning. But I do feel the date parents began to fear paddling their child's back side the prisons began to over flow..

Just my 2 cent
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[ALAN]

Very well said Don. Two years before my daughter was killed in a car wreck at the age of 21, she made me a plaque for no reason at all. It said "Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad." I have that hanging next to a picture of her and her son right in side my door so its the first thing I see every night when I get home. It breaks my heart and I get very emotional about it and mad at the parents that don't get involved with their kids because the pain of loosing one is just about more than I can take. And I sincerly hope that none of you ever end up with the hole in your heart like I have that will never go away. OK I done now. Al
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[RILEYFISH]

[unsure]Alan,
Sorry to here about the loss of your Daughter. I have two daughters that mean the world to me. I am doing things with them everyday. One is on a state soccer team that plays two days a week and practices three. The other daughter barell races on her horse and we are all over northern utah with both kids taking them to these events.

I would rather pay out all of this money to keep them occupied and happy than to spend it all to have an attorney represent them for the trouble that they got into or even worse yet, There funeral.

My wife and I brought them both into this cruel mean world and its OUR responsability to raise them and show them right from wrong. I got my A_ _ beat when I was a kid growing up and it made me a better person today. I have given my kids a kick in the pants here and there along the way over the years to. Both of mine are teenagers now and they are darn good girls. They have respect for people and manors.

In a nut shell, its good that they are making it more difficult to view porn on the computer. However it still boils down to us as parents to TEACH are children the right way and be involved in their lives. Soon they will grow up and be gone and some one else will influence them and we will loose them for ever.

One of the best most important things that my wife and I did was teach are children about God and to install values and morals with our children.

Enough said. Think all go work on the boat and get ready for my lake powell trip here in a few weeks.

Rileyfish
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[Mc_Lennon]

This bill is definatly a step in the right direction in Utah. However, it is not enough.

I'm 17. I don't want to say anything too bad, but lets just say that I've been around the block a time or two. There are more ways than you or I will ever know for children to gain access to these sort of sites. Having said that, this last year a friend and I wrote a document to help elder teens like us evade their parents. If any of you EVER see a document written by McLennon & Hally Potter, DELETE IT ASAP! My best gal pal Ronda and I co-wrote it with all of our "secret" ways to fool our folks. I chalk it up to rebellion. All teens do it. Since last december its been circulating. You've been warned. So, I want to give you all a few very good tips.

A- Do not use WindowsXP! The history and cache files are kept in the user's files. So if you log onto your name you will not see what your children have seen. One good tip is to use only one start up. Sure, it will give your children priviledges to your files, but you can see where they've been.

B- Do not use these filtering devices. Sure, they will keep SOME of the harmful material away from your children, but it is still no compensation for the loss of computer speed. And they all have holes. For instance take the word BASS. With these filtering devices you go down about 10-20 pages in results, and you will usually find some harmful sights. Usually its just one. But then click on "show more results like this" and WHAMO! Instant access to very undesirable stuff.

C- Do not rely on History and Temporary internet files even if you can see them. One single click on a button on Internet explorer and I have instant access to all my history files. Just a single stroll down the list of all the sights and I can delete anything I don't want my parents to find. And clearing the cache is easy. Tools, internet options, delete temporary internet files. Just like that.

Above all, folks, remember that it is not your fault that your kids would want to see stuff like this. You guys with girls aren't out of t he woods, either. Just like I mentioned above one of my friends thats the best at getting past her parents is Ronda. Its nothing with us. We are a couple of the best students at Granite. It dosn't change a thing, though. We just like this sort of material.

It is at it always will be. Kids, and above all teens, have the urge to explore. They are after all developing into adults. Every guy I know, and most the girls, too, have looked at this stuff atleast once. It dose not reflect on the quality of the person, or even that of the parenting. It is just human nature.

Don't get mad if you find out your kids have looked at this. Take it into context. Explain to them WHY it is harmful for them to look at it, or why you just don't like it. Don't flat out send them to their room and ground them. They will rebel at some time. I think you'd rather want them listening to The Beatles or stuff like that than checking out these sites.

At least thats my two cents. If you like what I've said, use it. If not, then disagree with me. It dosen't really matter which.
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[Coldfooter]

Alan I cant imagine what it must be like to loose a child and I hope I never have to face that possiblity. My youngest is now 23 but regardless she's still my baby girl. Its said that time heals all and while I dont beleive that to be the case in every situation I do hope in time your hurt fades even if only slightly...
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