Internet content filtering in educational institutions and schools

¶ … Internet has grown exponentially since its first introduction to the public. The precursor to the Internet was the ARPANET. The Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) of the Department of Defense (Carlitz and Zinga, 1997) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) were the primary creators of the ARPANET. Subsequently however, efforts from private entities and universities have helped develop the network infrastructure, as it exists today. "The goals of ARPA's 'Resource Sharing Computer Network' project were to develop the technology for and demonstrate the feasibility of a computer network while improving communication and collaboration between research centers with grants from ARPA's Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO)." (Press, 1996) J.C.R. Licklider of MIT undertook groundbreaking work in developing computer interactivity. Later, he implemented his vision though time-sharing systems-affordable interactive computing. The effort of the NSF also helped to distribute the features of this new networking capability to all major universities and research centers in the U.S.A. (Carlitz and Zinga, 1997)

Purpose of this study

Changes in computer technology and the adaptation of computers to traditional educational needs have required that schools, universities and libraries make the necessary move to introduce the technology in their classrooms. As beneficial as the Internet has become in dissemination of information and knowledge, it is also ridden with websites that contain pornographic, violent and, often, disturbing information that can be objectionable to children and young adults. Access to state-of-the-art computers at affordable rates and Internet connections such as broadband (cable and DSL) and through telephone lines has brought the Internet to homes as well. The increased use of online options for dissemination of information by schools and the use of teaching mediums such as Blackboard have coerced the hitherto reluctant student to use the Internet. Library resources and research facilities are also increasing the use of the Internet by younger individuals all the time.

Teachers and schools have used the Internet introduce students to new ideas and knowledge, expeditiously. The drawback however, has been that the Internet has also become a convenient and restriction free medium for the nefarious, unethical and moral element of society to use as a medium for conducting their own business. Every element of the free and unrestricted nature of the Internet that has made it convenient and valuable for the use of the general public has also made it beyond the control of any single controlling agency. The Internet also transcends geographical boundaries. The ability of a single government or society to put restrictions on the content and the information that is to be displayed can be impossible.

This study identifies the need for content filtering in schools, colleges and universities. There have been varying efforts at content filtering and website blocking. These have been used to ensure that the student is offered reasonable buffering when dealing with the wide world of the Internet. There is no doubt that the environment within which the university operates has a great influence on the quality, range and the scope of information that is conveyed over its networks. There is also growing concern that blocking is required to ensure that the network being used is not bombarded with spam mail that can slow down the service that is provided. Another major concern faced by many democratic nations around the world is the scope and extent of filtration that can be legally mandated to be used in schools and colleges and the level of filtration that can be used in public libraries and government funded projects. In educational environments -- both formal and informal -- the role of the educator or the teacher is critical. The level of interaction that the teacher offers to help system administrators realize the extent and the range of blocking is also essential.

Research questions

This study seeks to identify the following information based on peer reviewed literature and governmental websites and forums that consider and review such issues. Using content filtering in high schools is essential. There are however, limitations and concerns with using these filters without adequately understanding the limitations and the flaws or drawbacks of this system. As the number of schools connecting and supporting Internet facilities on their premises is increasing, school officials often face the challenge of determining the level of control that is needed and the manner in which these controls are implemented. With this in mind, the following questions are considered significant;

1. What are the different types of filters and how can blocking be successful with the use of different filters?

2. How do Content Filters work?

3. What are the limitations of filters and issues of over-blocking and under-blocking?

4. How do filters impact the first amendment rights of the individual and the role that parents, society and schools play in determining the level of censorship that is needed?

5. Future of filtering and blocking of websites and the level of standardization and knowledge that can be built to support a unified system that can be used by schools and universities with minimum cost on resources and time

Limitations of this study

This study is based on peer reviewed journal and scholarly work only. It is based on secondary research and no primary data was collected and analyzed for the purpose of this study. This study is a generic study and does not identify any single school district or society requirements. In addition, this study considers school in all regions and does not make any single distinction between the level or grade of the school or the cadre of the students that might be using the system or their computer capabilities and knowledge of filtering systems that might be used. In addition, the data will not be restricted to any one country and information will be gathered from as many sources as possible within the scope and limitation of this study.

This study addresses some of the computational and the theoretical limitations of filter and blocking concepts. It does not attempt however, to describe or explain the code writing or the computational methods that can be used for software development or upgrades. The maturity levels and the users within the school system will also determine the type and level of filtering in place. While some aspects of the cost of maintaining a filtering system and the skill and capabilities of the systems administrator are discussed within the scope of this study, the true cost of maintaining this system is difficult to predict and determine. Only after a school or a school district implements such a program, and based on the level of maintenance required, will a true cost of the filtering process be determined.

Computers and technology are also more readily accepted by the younger generation. And as such, students might have more knowledge and insight into the operation of the filters and the blocking. This knowledge might enable them to circumvent the filters and obtain information through other sources. This paper does not identify these factors nor does it discuss the options that schools might have in preventing the problem of student sabotaging the filtering system or using other ways to access the blocked sites.

Conclusion

The technology revolution spearheaded by the introduction of the Internet and the availability of affordable personal computers has changed the manner in which we work, study and entertain ourselves. The evolution of connectivity to the Internet has undergone many stages. From the dial-up modem to the broadband technology as is used today, the connection speed available to the average Internet user is on the rise. Easy access to the Internet and the information that it makes available to the user is seen to be critical for the next age of computer use by citizens of any country. It has been increasingly observed that the computer industry, and the telecommunication and technology industry are converging. This convergence then presents opportunities and threats to users of the Internet.

Exercising complete control and monitoring the Internet is not possible: as it is a true open and global entity that was designed to allow information to be generated at any point and be accessed at any point. There are however many options that are available to users who wish to control the content and the availability of information. Countries like China, Iran and Saudi Arabia have very strict filtering and blocking rules. Access to information is limited and sites that are deemed 'inappropriate' (religion, sites providing information specifically to and about women, sites with sexual content, pages perceived to be hostile to Saudi Arabia and the policies of the region and some entertainment sites) are generally blocked. (Zittrain and Edelman, 2002) The country therefore, needs individuals from the region who are able to identify the topics that are of major concern and block the appropriate sites. The task of blocking also requires that a site with information that is inappropriate does not 'filter' in from other sources.

In the case of this study, when blocking of sites in high schools is referred to it is only applicable to blocking websites with pornographic and violent content. For an educational institution, the ability to connect to various online journals and libraries as well as access resources of other universities can help improve and growth the curriculum and the courses supported by school is critical and all effort should be made to ensure that over-blocking does not happen.

5. Individual characteristics that may predict preferences." (Ansari, Essegaier and Kohli, 2000)

'Memory-based algorithms calculate similarity solely based on the data available, and it considers relative contributions of the votes." (Delgado and Ishii, 2001) Computational experts are quick to identify that there are significant benefits to each systems and greater benefits if the systems can be used in sequential order to gain greater effectiveness of the filtering process.

Educational institutes attempting to implement some form of filtering processes have to be able to constant dedicate resources in the form of manpower and time to ensure that the filters being used are the most current and accurate based on the requirements. Depending on the needs of the organization, the architecture of the networks and the data basing requirements might vary significantly. The end-user of the filtration project is also an important determinant of the scope and the range of the filtration that might be undertaken. With the learning capability of the artificial neural networks (NN), it is however possible to 'train' the system to automatically identify and review objectionable websites, store these is memory for validation by a technician and then add it to the list for blocking sites.

Due to the time and the resource needs for ensuring that effective blocking of relevant sites is being undertaken, many similar agencies are also collectively working to identify site that are objectionable. (Herlocker, Konstan and Riedl, 2002)

Sites identified by one school or college is shared. And thus, a more comprehensive list can be created in a relatively shorter period of time. Human beings are able to analyze and review systems based on a wide range and scope of definitions. The same is not true for algorithms that might not be able to comprehend the other 'meaning' or inferences of terms or meanings within a text context. Visual content is even more challenging as differentiating between art and explicit objectionable images can be challenging.

Many critics of libraries using the filtering software believe that the software used is flawed. They claim that the filtering software "focus on the interest of speakers rather than the interest of their audiences, and that the interests of recipients of information are paramount in the public setting." (Bell, 2001)

Content security software can also infringe on the first amendment rights of the individual when the filtering software is sued to scan personal emails and when questionable messages or embedded images exist. Many systems are designed to automatically notify systems managers when policies are violated. (Wakefield, 2004)

In addition to blocking sites, restriction of site access through search engines is also essential. Website strategies also include the importance of being visually uncluttered and complicated. The problem of too many pop ups (or pop-unders) can also cause irritation and annoyance for the web user. The company Alexa.com markets a free tool that embeds in the browser. When a pop-up appears it allows the user the option of blocking it. While Internet advertisement and promotions are becoming increasingly common and many free sites exist by pure virtue of the advertisement, companies should draw a line at what they feel is a reasonable amount of interference with their websites.

Universities and schools are also becoming the target of spam and unsolicited mail that slows down and cripples the networking service that is provided. Denial of service (DoS) is becoming a common problem that requires schools and universities to dedicate valuable resources and time to the purpose of safeguarding the systems. Content filtering is seen as a good alternative to control the problems that are being faced. Introducing a platform for content evaluation and benchmarking the content before it even enters the system has helped control and even reduce the problems and issues of overload that universities now face. By supporting an addition platform at the perimeter of the network system, systems specialist can control the level of information flow and the quality of information flow through the system. A number of commercial off-the-shelf software packages are also available for the purpose of blocking or filtering websites, but their adequacy and effectiveness is significantly limited.

Filtering software is also being used for controlling and monitoring the use of computers on the school or university labs. It is often observed that significant resources are spent in the process of using computers for games, chatting and online auctions. "Use-filtering software is a centralized administration tool that detects the entry, presence and launch of files and applications on the network. It can prevent application installation with unique write-based detection technology. For example, it can detect and stop the installation of spy ware before it is written to the network, which strengthens security and reduces the help desk burden involved in spy ware cleanup." (O'Donnell, 2005)

It is critical that universities, schools and colleges realize that adding a content filter to their systems does not delete or alter any system files or database on the network. Rather, it acts as a layer of protection between the university/library and the Internet. One must also recognize that what is objectionable to one person may be perfectly acceptable to another person. For example, firearms websites might be considered perfectly normal for a society that is allowed to carry guns and weapons but completely inappropriate for a society that does not allow such behavior. Governing the scope and the range of content filters can be challenging as the needs of the school or the department itself within the school might require access to certain objectionable sites as a part of the study program. False-positives within the audit content is an issue that has to be investigated and rectified in the shortest possible time.

The governments in many countries are also mandating that schools offer their student's access to the Internet while at the same time ensuring that the sufficient protections has been offered to ensure that they are not accessing inappropriate websites. In the U.S., "beginning June 30, 2002 all schools and libraries are required to be following the rules and regulations of CIPA in order to continue receiving E-Rate money." (Beguette et al., 2002) The ability of schools to restrict and control the content that is accessed in schools was affirmed in Bethel School District No. 403 v. Frasier (1986). The content of the student's speech has sexual content that was considered objectionable; it was restricted. This by no means was a blow to free speech. Rather, was the extent of authority that a school could impose on the content of information that was accessed and distributed within its premises.

A Supreme Court ruling also affirmed the fact that the rights of children are not the same as the rights of adults. Responsible adults in charge of the well being of a minor had the authority to make the necessary decision to safeguard the mental and the emotional state of the child or teenager in their care. This 'responsible adult' could be a parent, teacher or individuals in the school systems that are accountable for the well being of the child in their care. The guidelines and the interpretation of 'harmful content' are vague. It does offer the individual or the committee in charge of the filter or blocking to have their say in the level of blocking or filtering that is to be undertaken. The limitations of introducing filtering content in schools are that students could obtain questionable material from their home computers and then install or load these articles or information into the school system through other methods such as text downloads.

Blocking and filtering are also becoming major issues in regions where tyrannical governments might be using these methods to restrict and limit the information that the citizens of the region might seek. As this study is only concerned with schools and educational institutions, this aspect of website blocking and filtering is not considered. Filtering of objectionable content in school is considered essential in almost all countries that have freedom of speech -- a law similar to the first amendment that is enjoyed in the U.S. It is important that filters are not used to favor one sociopolitical viewpoint over another.

"To prevent filters from being used to exclude viewpoints opposed by the software designers or other third parties, the First Amendment should be read to require that libraries using filters meet three standards. Libraries should have to (1) retain final say over selection decisions, (2) understand the criteria that the filter software uses to exclude content, and (3) have the resources to correct the viewpoint discrimination that the filters are likely to generate." (Nadel, 2000)

The judgment to block or filter content into the school is dependent on the ability of the school to arrive at the most appropriate method for determining the blocking that is required. The idea of blocking or filtering websites should not be made with the intention of restricting and controlling the information that students can gain. Rather, it should be based on what the society or the school thinks would be a bad influence on the child in their care.

When resources are limited and if the school feels that the network is being used to support activities that are not related to schoolwork it does have the right to block certain sites. This is often done so that the memory required to support the network system is available as and when needed for schoolwork. Any technology strategy is shaped by the generative forces of technology evolution and the firm's strategic action, and by the integrative, or selective, forces of industry context and the firm's organizational context." (Burgelman, Maidique and Wheelwright, 1996)

Technology strategies and the marketing of the technology are also dependent on the nature of the market and the demand for the product in the market. The same is also true for a school where the technology might be implemented for specific needs and misuse could be cost to the school over time.

It is difficult to identify a school that is not involved or needs the help of computers. Generation X is reputedly more global, technologically oriented, and culturally diverse than the generations before them. While the modern generation (Generation X, Y) has grown up on computers, older generations had to experience the learning curve for new systems. "The ready availability of a technology does not guarantee its immediate take-up and exploitation, and unless it promises some personal advantage it will not change well-established practices." (Herman, 2001)

Only when adult users view IT as a means to an end will effective use of the technology occur.

Prior to undertaking any filtering process for blocking websites, schools should step back and identify the objectives and the goals of this decision. Among the questions that need to be answered are, who makes the decision on what sites are to be blocked or accessed. (Beguette et al., 2002) In this case, involving parents and obtaining the support (at least a general consensus) on the sites that need to be blocked can help the process. When parents are also made aware of the objectionable sites and the contents that are to be blocked they can take similar measures on their home computers to ensure that access and transfer of the information from the home computer to the school computer does not occur. In turn, parents who are cognizant of new objectionable websites can also inform the school and in this manner lesser time and resource can be spent on each attempting to identify the same set of sites to block. The frequency and the collaboration that is obtained between parents and the school system will also determine the extent of interactive control that can be established.

As any systems administrator will testify, maintaining and overseeing the network system for any organization can be a challenge. The same is also true in a school. After the decision to block certain sites, schools have to be able to dedicate trained personnel for this task. In many cases, this expertise might not always exist in house in the school and an external consultant might be sought to achieve this task. In many cases, schools within a school district could also build this capability at a centralized location and offer the network services to all the schools in the area. Some level of standardization could be thus achieved among all the schools in the region. Technology conceptualization, creation, adaptation and implementation can be challenging and require dedication and focus. In addition to input from software and hardware professionals, input from the teachers and in many cases even the students can help the process of implementation. "Of course, information systems cannot be expected to serve every need" but neither should the processes required be ineffectual or cumbersome for the end user. (Petrides, McClelland and Nodine, 2004)

End users determine the extent and the scope of the adaptation of the new technology that takes place. Identifying the end user, determining his or her realistic needs and ensuring that the project results matches expectation or requirements is essential. In schools the student is the end user and identifying the needs of this user within the scope of the educational program is very important.

In reality, with any IT project of this nature, determining the true cost of the task is difficult. The main aim in any filtering and blocking undertaken by the school should be to offer students the most access to the knowledge and the information that they seek. Any knowledge transfer should be able to facilitate "knowledgeable action" from the individual transferring the knowledge and the individual receiving the knowledge. (Walsham, 2002)

Successful network systems in schools ensure that the student always has the access to the necessary source within the shortest period of time and with the least inconvenience.

Often, in addition to school personnel and parents, external agents might also be involved in the decision making process. Arriving at a consensus is always a challenge. In most cases, when a group or team of individuals is responsible for determining the best course of action for a task they employ different methods at arriving at a decision. Most teams generally utilize five levels of decision-making: command, consult, majority, consensus and unanimity. It is easy to understand that these decision types are very closely related to the time factors teams may have in arriving at a decision. When the command type of decision-making process is used, the team leader identifies the tasks at hand and identifies a course of action. Unanimity, on the other hand, ensures that all members like and accept the decision -- they have to "buy-in" to the decision. Consensus is the next option; it takes time to generate consensus for any process. In consensus, the team members discuss the pros and cons of any issue extensively. A decision is made based on the discussion; every team member might not agree to it, however. Not agreeing "with" the decision is okay; not supporting the tasks and functions that need to be completed once the decision is made however, is damaging to the team.

Different people involved in the process might also have different requirements from the filtering and blocking that they seek. It is essential to ensure that the content being blocked is 'objectionable' only with respect to pornographic, violent or related to drugs, suicide, arms and related topics. Sites should not be blocked because of social, political or ideological reasons. At all times, the First Amendment rights of the students and the school personnel should be considered. While it is true that children do not enjoy the same level of first amendment rights that adults do, ensuring that the education and the school system offer them the most complete and comprehensive education and all viewpoints on a topic is essential.

The Internet is a dynamic entity. Changes and evolution are a norm in this arena. Parents and school officials have to sport sufficient flexibility to change their decisions based on the need of the time. For example, the school might decide to add new sites to the database of sites to be blocked. This task is not a pure science and the number of objectionable sites could increase significantly over time. It is also essential that the team of teachers, parents and administrators meet to review the past blocked sites and familiarize themselves with the content that the students might be attempting to access either intentionally or unintentionally. This allows the parents and school officials to improve their own knowledge of the sites and the topics that the students are accessing.

Selection of the best vendor to provide the software and the hardware requirements for the filtering and the blocking IT systems is also a critical factor. There are a wide number of software solutions that are available in addition to the numerous hardware options. Software and hardware have their advantages and shortcomings. School officials have to be able to understand these shortcomings and limitations early on. Some vendors offer customizations and add-ons that can help incorporate future growth and development. Schools should however realize that any customization comes at a cost. Understanding the true and hidden costs of customization of hardware and software early on is essential. In reality, often, vendors selected by the school might fail to deliver on the promises during negotiations. This is not because vendors are incapable of delivering the necessary services; rather, it is more often the result of the vendors not comprehending the strategy of the school.

Successful IT projects identify the current needs as well as the potential future needs of the school. Not building sufficient capacity into the networks and the infrastructure is often cited as the main cause for many problems encountered. In addition, the range and the extent of the computer usage by the students can impact limited capacity. For example, computer games and online gaming can utilize significant network capabilities and determining if blocking the site or building greater capacity is a better option are but some of the few decisions that need to be made. "Most clients report their frustration with endless cost-service debates, and sometimes significant loss of control over their IT destiny and knowledge base." (Willcocks et al., 2004)

Vendor stability and dependability is also essential. During the pre-implementation stages, care should be taken that the hidden cost of the IT implementation are investigated. Budgets need to be planned reviewed by the relevant individuals.

Then there is also the factor of letting the student know that the site was blocked and that access was denied is essential. Students should be made aware that some form of filtering has been implemented in the school and the blocked websites are logged and archived for review at some later stage. Schools are also increasingly requiring students to use passwords to log on to computer and use the network facility. Tracking password and student ID with respect to the web content accessed can also help officials determine the trend of browsing that is undertaken by specific students. There are also other concerns such as viruses and worms that need to be blocked. These can come through attachments and Spam mail that students might receive over the school's network system.

If the school already has some form of filtering in place, identifying the shortcoming of that system can help them arrive at a more suitable new system for the school. Often, the effort to connect legacy systems that the school supports into the new system can increase the cost and the decrease the performance of the system. Adequate training and development of the school personnel to handle routine maintenance and upgrading issues is also essential. As with any IT system, training and educating the people who will be operating the system and monitoring it are essential. This is especially relevant as the current teenager, growing up with technology and having the time and the opportunity is more computer savvy that the previous generations. The ability to hack into systems and change code requirements is a real threat. It is vital that individuals overseeing the system familiarize themselves with the new methods of hacking that can be used and make the system tamperproof.

In many situations, external entities that sponsor or support computer labs in schools might also gain information through the monitoring of the sites that student's access. Data- mining and knowledge acquisition in this manner can offer these entities or school an insight into the preferences and the biases that students display. There is an increasing trend of using marketing options that can be streamlined with the knowledge that can be gained through this method. At the same point in time, students in these labs need to realize that their actions are monitored and could be documented.

Identifying the successes and the failures along the way can help the school catch mishaps and deviances from the original strategy early on and this can help them make the necessary changes as soon as possible to the strategies being implemented. If school use a centralized blocking system, appointing an individual who has the expert knowledge in this arena can help the school keep abreast of all the changes that are essential.

Language and the culture of the school are also essential factors when considering filtering and blocking. High schools in America are becoming increasingly bilingual as a result of the sizeable Hispanic population in the country. In addition, students with multiple language skills can also access sites in these languages for which filtering and blocking might not be undertaken. For example, porn sites in Spanish, Chinese or French could be accessed if the student has the ability to speak and write the language. Combating this issue of language and blocking of websites can be tricky. It is not cost-effective to block based on all languages but schools can identify languages that are spoken but their student demographics and gain insight into words, phrases and terms along with the urls of the websites that they wish to block. Flexible translation software programs can help combat this issue. "Translation between various dialects and jargons, though difficult, should still take less effort than the translation between different natural languages, since only a part of message semantics has to be processed." (Chislenko, 1995)

As translating experts will testify, software can help with the basic translations but when used for complex phrases and sentence structure these software algorithms might not be as effective as filtering or blocking the necessary files or web pages.

Very often, IT projects failures are due to the limited attention to details during the initial stages. This is also true of filtering and blocking endeavors undertaken by schools and colleges. In reality, adapting software and hardware needs to topics and conditions that are problematic only end up generating more problems and difficulties in these arenas for the school. Concerns that exist with any process or task should be first identified and solutions for these problems sought. Often, schools realize that the process of seeking solutions for problems help them gain better insights into the issues and the concerns that the process face.

All network systems that are used undergo some form of attack or intentional disaster. This is very true for school systems where students are constantly attempting to find loopholes and weak links in the system. In the case of modifying filtering criterion and blocking objectionable sites, students who are determined are constantly seeking out new ways to 'fool' the system and allow access to the websites. Understanding the risk associated with the various systems and the potential failures that could result are topics that have to be considered by any school. A centralized IT management responsible for the different existing systems and many in-house and homegrown systems support existing operations frequently does exists. Individuals who had initially conceptualized and designed the systems for filtration might have moved on to other jobs and the existing systems could be seriously jeopardized by new personnel who are not aware of the complete operations and the needs of the system.

Communication is essential during pre-implementation and implementation stage. Information that is critical to the success of the project should be transferred to the relevant parties within the shortest possible time. Any filtering system should also communicate the status of the operation to the key individual monitoring the system. Parents and "responsible adults" who are also involved in the process of constantly reviewing content filters that are used should have access to the information as well. One of the salient negative effects of integrated systems for reporting is the information-overload. Information that is communicated should be relevant and critical, while at the same time it should target the correct individuals. For example, if a breach in the filtering software occurs, the systems analyst should be the first to be notified. Similarly when decisions to update the criterion are required all the relevant parties should be notified within the shortest possible time. Conceptually, information is a critical 'resource' for the school and as such should be managed just like any resource of time, money labor. Misuse of this resource can impact other resources.

Information has to be constantly and regularly updated into the system to ensure that it is available and current. Failure to update systems makes the system ineffective and integration is never really possible. Experts in the IT arena should not overwhelm employees with limited knowledge, similarly individuals in the school system not completely aware of the complexities of the task should not belittle or minimize the true extent of the work that is required to operate a blocking and a filtering network for the school. Filtering and blocking of sites is never complete and it requires budgeting and planning just like any other department in the school. Ensuring that decision makers are aware of the needs financial and skill level can help. School's decision makers also have to use their best judgment when deciding which sites to block and the resources that can be allocated for this purpose. (Nadel, 2000)

Developing a global network with the capabilities of developing a 'brain' and creating an extensive pattern of weighted links is also essential. (Heylighen, 1999)

Students also increasingly rely on the Internet to provide them with social contacts and interactions. Emails, both solicited and unsolicited, are on the rise. While it is relatively cheap to send emails and receive them, the supporting technology requirements are is tremendous. Automated and semi-automated filtering solutions are sought to control this problem of emails that schools and universities have to deal with. (Cranor and LaMacchia, 1998)

Software filtration that is currently available is also useful for blocking more than just objectionable websites. Schools are in possession of thousands of personal records and using filtering and blocking software can also help control the intrusion of hackers from outside the network attempting to break in and steal information on students and their preferences for specific sites. (Messmer, 2005)

Many websites launch cookies on individual computers and some of these cookies could track the activities of the computer user and transmit this information. Schools are also using filters to control the online purchasing that students might be undertaking using their own credit cards or numbers that they have obtained from other sources. Web filters also are expected to become more flexible so that network managers can offer limited access to some sites based on the need of the student. For example, students studying topics on violence in the workplace or domestic violence could be allowed to gain access to sites that might be otherwise considered too graphic for the sensibilities of the student.

The amount of money being spent by corporations and schools for web and email filtering has grown exponential. In 2003, approximately $731.1 million dollars was spent on acquiring some form of web filtering software. A year later, this amount jumped to $996.6 million, approximately $200 million more than in the past year. This value is only expected to increase in the coming years. In spite of the increase of filtering and blocking of websites that is being done the topic is extremely sensitive. Schools and educational institutes have to constantly be able to justify the use of these measures for sites other than porn.

Filtering allows the imposing of values at the user end of the Internet and allows parents and policy makers greater control based on their own personal beliefs and values. Technology has offered schools a cheap and effect means for data processing, data accessibility, data warehousing and data mining. "The advancement in data processing has greatly improved the accuracy and speed at which data are entered, stored, exchanged, manipulated and analyzed." (Jain, 2003)

Schools that have the technical capabilities are also increasing using data mining to gain information on rating of websites and the content that exists on the different web pages. By running queries on search engines to identify sites that have the content to be blocked schools can constantly add the urls and new content in the form of word or phrases to the 'check lists' that they maintain.

There are important distinctions between data, information and knowledge. Data are raw facts collected by observation or monitoring; when data are filtered out to identify trends and organized it converts to information and when this information is used in the operation, planning and strategy it is converted to knowledge. Schools are also sharing this information more readily with other schools in an effort to reduce the amount of time and resources that need to be spent on the process. "Data ( Information ( Understanding ( Knowledge" is how Chowdhury identifies the use of data. (Chowdhury, 2003)

Countries and governments such as China that have used filtering tools to control the Internet use in their countries do not use any one single tool or method for filtering but rather use a wide array of filtering tools in conjunction with each other. The U.S. legal system has also been very fuzzy on their opinion of filtering and blocking of objectionable sites for minors. The "Child Online Protection Act (COPA) imposes penalties of $50,000 and six months imprisonment for knowingly posting on the Web, for commercial purposes, material that is harmful to minors." (O'Regan-Jr. And Snyder, 2004)

This has made the effort of policing the end user section of the web very difficult in countries where civil liberties and the rights of the individual are valued. The American Civil Liberties Union (A.C.L.U.) has also been unable to maintain its stand on any one side of the issue of filtering. "When a parent installs a filter that keeps a kid from seeing a bunch of sites that may or may not be pornography, that's parenting, When a government forces all adults and minors to use filters, that's censorship." (Schwartz, 2004)

It is currently estimated that approximately 40% of all the pornographic material that is posted on the web come from publishers outside the U.S. Despite many heated debates, lawmakers in the U.S. have been unable to arrive at a consensus that can help determine a law against Internet pornography. (Savage, 2004)

The unchecked legal restrictions on the Internet will only become void if the government of the United States can prove beyond any doubt that there is no other safer or more efficient way of protecting children or minors from the objectionable content of the Internet. At present software filters at home and schools are probably the most effective way of protecting minors from web content that is not appropriate. Many commercial software companies have therefore been aggressively pursuing the market in order to be able to provide a product that can be use to filter the Internet based on a set of predefined guidelines that can be imposed.

"Content filters do not scan attachments for specific viral code. Instead, they thoroughly inspect all e-mail traffic, looking for keywords, phrases, attachment names, scripting commands, and even message origin. A network manager can create rules that delineate which e-mail can pass and which should be rejected." (Mamaghani, 2002)

Commercially available software can be adequately modified to support the needs of the home computer users as well as schools if they are used in conjunction with other filtering and blocking tools.

Software development in almost all fields has been greatly supplementing the use of content filters and the effectiveness of the filters that are used commercially. Some schools and colleges that have the internal expertise to generate the necessary software systems to support an independent filtering system are able to customize the needs of the school and the extent of output that they desire from the system. Over time the information that is collected and the knowledge that is gained can be used to develop systems that are more knowledgeable and have the ability to collect, review, process and parse the websites based on broad criterion set. The increased used of fuzzy logic concepts to defining filtering needs has been observed. (Bowen et al., 1992)

As more schools use content filtering, the database that is being developed from the information collected from all sources can be used to create a centralized system. Thus, schools to support this complex and very comprehensive database on their individual servers can allocate fewer resources. The method in which the data is collected and archived is also important. Different societies and varying acceptable standards have at present created a system that is not very well defined. Over time however, many of the issues within this database could be classified based on a predetermined scale for the use of schools in the U.S. It is essential that the database be sufficiently robust while at the same time have the capabilities to adapt and incorporate new changes and ideas within the content monitoring that is needed. The following diagram illustrates recipient-centered controls that can be used. (Diagram obtained from (Resnick, 1999))

The legal rules and regulation of each country could also have a major impact on the filtering and the label developing. As parenting styles and the role of governments and their control over the population differ significantly one single consensus is impossible.

The issues of over blocking and under blocking also have to be addressed. Intelligence of compute systems are developed over time and the degree of reasoning and learned behavior can vary significantly. The objective of any filtering system is that the user gets information that is requested based on a preset list of guidelines that can be either controlled by the user or some other entity acting with the best interest of the user. As feedbacks and monitoring are important features in determining any software system, the intelligence of the system has to be developed based on the responses to the queries and the information present or missing as applicable to the situation.

All software and hardware systems face limitation with respect to the knowledge that can be accumulated and the intelligence that can be achieved. Knowledge development in societies requires the right mix of creativity, chaos and order to develop. The Internet has introduced many new concepts and ideas that are still in the process of flux and adjustment. Decisions that need to be made should be based on long-term implications of the situations rather than the short-term objectives. Schools are also facing reduced funding from state and federal governments leaving limited budgets that can be assigned for the purpose of implementing filters and controls on computers supported by the school. Commercial software that is available is not without its own shortcomings. For example, advertisement of the tools to parents and schools and the commercialization of the task of filtering are making it the focus of civil liberty groups and concerned citizens.

"Childproofing the Internet' is a concept that is gaining favor among parents and school officials. The dilemma however, is that many of the individuals who wish to implement the controls have limited knowledge of the systems that are needed and are dependent on the expertise that professional can provide to them. Minors and the present generation that have grown up using computers are cognizant of many of the loopholes and are not averse to using these loopholes to achieve their objectives. It is essential to recognize that in the effort to control the content that the children can view, parents do adjust the content filtering based on the age and the maturity of the child and the requirements of society as well. Unfortunately, some content will always be out of bound such as pornographic images and the sites with sexual content.

Conclusion

The Internet is the largest network connection that exists in today's modern word of computerization and information technology. Filtering and blocking is considered an important aspect of managing networks of school systems. The Internet has offered individuals great potential to collect information and knowledge through the ability of communicating through common platforms. As significant as the information dissemination and distribution is through the network, the Internet also is a source of free pornography, violence and drug information. Just as the industrial revolution had changed the way people lived and worked, the information revolution has created a similar environment. Access to information from all quarters of the globe and on a wide range of topics is available through the medium of the Internet.

The absence of policing agents and the free global medium and platform for integration has made it easy for individuals to set up a wide range of websites. Some countries like China has proven to have the ability "to block access to political, religious and news information makes it "the most sophisticated effort of its kind in the world." (Messmer, 2005) While many frown of this use of policing to curb free speech and individual thinking, it is becoming increasingly clear that the U.S. needs to implement some form of filtering to manage the information that is transmitted in the schools and the educational institutes that function in the country.

Currently, approximately 85% of all schools in the U.S. are connected to the Internet. Web monitoring in this environment requires that school officials, parents and IT administrators actively get involved in the process of controlling the information that is available to the student population. IT projects are never 'completed'. They are constantly evolving and changing. This is due to the fact that components and knowledge that is involved in the IT process are constantly changing. Product-obsolescence of is common and the life cycle of most software and hardware components is a reality. Schools often fail to realize this or even when they are aware of this they are often surprised by the total cost of ownership of the IT systems. Organizations are often 'surprised' when they are faced with the cost of implementing and maintaining the system. Budget planning for post implementation needs even at the preliminary stages can help the schools realize the true cost of the system.

Setting up controls for the IT system can help reduce costly mistakes. While it is essential that IT system allow transparency and connectivity, controls can ensure that only authorized personnel are allowed to make the critical changes required to the system. Periodic preventive maintenance can also help reduce the need for system shut down. In many situations, poor decision-making is one of the most costly mistakes that can be made.

The decision to implement some form of filtering and blocking software is generally the decision of the school administrators, however parents and the rest of the society should support the decision. Activist and first amendment proponents are always not sure of the true extent of the controls that schools, public libraries and universities can have in controlling the information that is available on the Internet. The culture of the region and the tolerance for monitoring might also impact the true scope of the filtering that can be implemented within the school system.

Schools have to find the optimum balance between building sufficient capabilities, making the entire system robust and also ensuring that system flexibility is obtained. Training and acquiring personnel needed to support this department is done gradually with schools and universities focusing on individuals who are willing to constantly learn and develop new systems. It is also essential that teachers, principals and parents make the necessary effort to learn the needs of the monitoring process and implement these features on computer facilities that might not be located on school premises. Schools can budget and plan for training and education of teachers and school administrators. The workforce should be interested and motivated to undertake the constant learning that is needed for this field.

Depending on the needs the architecture of the networks, the vendors used and the focus of integrations, IT requirements have to be specifically tailored for each school district. Dealing with the social issues of change that IT introduces is more critical. The main purpose of any IT infrastructure development is to harness the knowledge that is available and use it wisely. "Knowledge generates the basic breakthroughs in technology that create the disequilibrium conditions in which high returns and high growth rates are possible. Knowledge allows new things suddenly to be done in new ways." (Thurow, 1999)

There are many different methods for filtering and blocking objectionable content from the Internet. Data mining and building sufficient artificial intelligence in the system is also essential. As mentioned in the sporting field 'the best offense is the best defense.' Schools and universities can proactively work hard at identifying the criterion by which they can block and restrict objectionable sites. Noting queries and answering them in a timely manner can also encourage teachers and school officials who are not very familiar with the working of the Internet gain a better appreciation of the needs for filtering.

Training and educating teachers and parents in the use of the Internet are also important. Often while the children have tremendous expertise in the use of the Internet, supervising adults have limited capabilities in this arena. Monitoring activities is therefore adequately limited. Controlling filters for content and site monitoring requires that parents and school officials are constantly vigilant and review the archived database of the activity of the children regularly. Studies indicate that parents are also using more effective filtering methods to monitor the content that are viewed by their children at home. In addition they are also expecting schools to have similar filtering software. Parents are also become more discrete and knowledgeable in the monitoring process as their technical capabilities in this arena are increasing.

Schools are also realizing that training and educating the students themselves and instilling in them the concepts of right and wrong is required. Today's minors will eventually become the society that inhabits the region or country. Ethical and moral responsibilities need to be instilled early. Just as the concept of saying no to drugs and guns, children should also be informed about websites that should not be accessed or reviewed. Monitoring activities especially in teenagers -- the high school population is a taboo topic. At the age in high school, children often resist and resent the role of monitoring that they might observed in their schools and at home. Building communication channels through which the school and parents can convey the concern and the needs for filtering can help put forward the point-of-view of the responsible adult. Internet content monitoring is also a global concern. False propaganda and information distribution can corrupt or offer the wrong information to impressionable minds.

Computer scientists are constantly developing new software that can enable greater information gathering of the web. A limited application of this algorithm and theoretical concept is being used for filtering software that is being designed for schools. The Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) is an international, non-profit organization of Internet leaders working to make the Internet safer for children. Balancing the freedom and the rights of the content provider are also essential. The ICRA identifies broad content that can be used in the monitoring software to ensure that the appropriate content is filtered out. ISP are also increasingly expected to offer some form of Internet filtering software to ensure that home users have the necessary capabilities to support a blocking of a website.

Much of the content is generally English. At present, all experts in the field are of the opinions that translation software should also be used along with the filtering software so that these words or phrases in other languages should also be blocked in a similar manner. Having the language content updated and revised frequently is very important. Schools are also realizing that in addition to depending on commercial software that is available they have to also define and implement their own content and requirements. The average high school student is computer savvy; and balancing the capabilities and skill of these savvy users with the level of filtering is also critical.

Schools should however not overstep their boundaries when determining the level of filtering and the blocking that is required. Parents and teachers along with school officials should also be involved in the decision making process for identifying the sites to be blocked and the range and scope of the blocking to be undertaken. Ignorance of the problem or failing to act will not eliminate or nullify the issues of sites that are not appropriate for teenagers. Self-policing and personal limits also have so far proved to be insufficient in monitoring the content that Internet publishers can launch on their websites. The ICRA is also working at developing a Resource Description Framework (RDF) that is a metadata platform for the XML family of technologies. The RDF offers significant advantage over the PICS, but until the work has been completed the PICS labels will be used.

Schools are also often required define the level of monitoring that is undertaken on their premises. The controversy following the monitoring that can or cannot be done has made this a tricky issue in most situations. School officials and Systems administrators need to understand the legal implication of the decisions that are made. Employees and staff should also be held to the same moral and ethical standards as the students with respect to the content and the range of the sites that they can view while on school property.

Many sites that are blocked are commercial sites for porn, violence or drug-use. It is the objective of these sites to generate revenue and encourage browsing. As a consequence, they are always working at outsmarting the filtering software that is being designed. Filtering and blocking software used in schools should also be able to identify new sites that were blacklisted that have managed to fool the system or new sites that are identified and matched the criteria's for blocking and automatically do the task without a lot of human intervention. Having a properly configured firewall can block sites that are blacklisted even before they are sought for by the end user.

Misleading domain names is also a major concern that filtering and blocking software have to contend with. Peer-to-peer file-sharing services and chat rooms are also not monitored or controlled through the filtering software and firewalls might be essential to prevent this form of breach of the Internet safety systems in schools. As telecommunication, the Internet and mass media get more integrated the extent of interaction that is experience is also increasing. Schools are not always able to effectively handle these issues, although many schools are not opting to jam or block cell phone signals within the buildings. Internet addiction is also becoming a growing concern among teenagers. Failure to develop adequate social skills is also being noticed among the high school population that extensively uses the Internet for communication.

Content filtering is an option that schools have to ensure that the student population has adequate buffering between their access of the Internet and the sites that the school might not wish them to observe.