A couple days ago I got a call from the ACLU-WA. They said they were about to enter into a lawsuit against my regional library system. Seems their internet filtering software, blocks some sites, and the library system will not unblock the software, even if an adult goes to the staff and asks to unblock it. And, my website is being blocked, they said. I asked if just my regional library system in washington state was acting this way, and they said only it and another was acting this way. Other library sys will unblock a site, if an adult requests. Anyway, they wondered if I wanted to enter into the suit, and suggested I go to the library and try to access my site.
Well, today I stopped at the omak branch library, and asked the librarian if they could try to access my site. What came up was disturbing, maddening. It was blocked, showed my IP address, and said reason for blocking "General Pornography". When I saw that, I couldn't believe it! They had labeled my website as Pornography, and me in association, as a pornographer!
Well, the librarian said, it was because of the software....passing the buck really. For they signed onto the software and the philosophy it uses.
She gave me the number of the asst. director of the regional library, down in wenatchee. I sat in the parking lot, and called him. He explained what had been going on....only they and the Vancouver library system were refusing to unblock the blocked sites that their software blocked. "Because of the Children." Whenever I hear that, I suspect children being used as an excuse.
He said their board of 7 members decided it should be that way. Not get a different software. Not unblock for adults. But to let the software determine the broad swath of blockages. Wonder if Picasso's work is blocked....it is nude. Or
other paintings? OR just photography? How do they decide what is blocked and what not? Because I mention the word 'nude' in my descriptions? A 'general pornography' then?
Previous, I had decided to not join the lawsuit, because I didn't want anymore distraction, stress, involvement with people in general (which I don't have a high opinion of lately). But to see my label, it made me want to fight back.
The wenatchee library guy said he would look at my site, and possibly contact the filtering company to have them unblock my site....Is that what it takes? Once subscribed, the library has to contact the software company? Can't do
anything themselves? He said he would email me what he finds.
He hoped I wouldn't join in the lawsuit, cause they wouldn't be able to hire lawyers to fight it, and would probably just remove the computers from the libraries entirely. I told him if they were going to filter that broadly, then it was best they do remove the computers. I was so upset to be labeled. People in my small community, that look up my site, now get to see a labeling of me....pornographer? I didn't know this was going on.
The wenatchee guy also mentioned federal funding, etc.........but if only they and another regional library system are doing this, then it must be up to the library system to decide.....it's not just the federal funding issue. Yeah, it has to have filtering....but they can unblock.....or they can buy better filtering software that can block what must be blocked.
I've not decided what to do yet about the suit. I'm supposed to hear something from them sometime soon. I don't want the distraction. I want justice. I want to protect my space, so I can think about art, and not the fucked up world.
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