U.S. Senator [Ted "Tubes" Stevens, R-AK]: It's time to ban Wikipedia in schools, libraries

[rhombus]

Here's the newest from Sen. Ted Stevens, the man who described the Internet as a series of tubes: It's time for the federal government to ban access to Wikipedia, MySpace, and social networking sites from schools and libraries.

Early in January, Stevens introduced Senate bill 49, which among other things, would require that any school or library that gets federal Internet subsidies would have to block access to interactive Web sites, including social networking sites, and possibly blogs as well. It appears that the definition of those sites is so vague that it could include sites such as Wikipedia, according to commentators. It would certainly ban MySpace.

There are so many things wrong with this bill, it's hard to count them all. But its greatest irony would be banning Wikipedia -- perhaps the most widely used reference resource in the world -- from libraries and schools. I have plenty of problems with Wikipedia, including how easily it can be manipulated, and the way that student rely on it far too heavily. But ban an educational resource merely because it's interactive? If true, it's bizarre beyond comprehension.

http://www.computerworld.com/blogs/node/4598




I'm beginning to think Republicans are from the Stone Age. America needs help!

[RB TexLa]

1. guess the old way doesn't work anymore

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

2. What a maroon...

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. I can't blame him.

I hear people talk about Evolution and witchcraft on those tubes.

[saltpoint]

8. LOL!

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. People shouldn't be allowed to talk to the tubes.

Tubes are for listening to, not speaking in to. The next thing you know, they'll want some bizarre system which allows to to send 'mail' through the tubes. What wrong with a good goose quill and the Pony Express, that's what I want to know?

[Hatalles]

5. I don't think I'd mind seeing Wikipedia go.

It really troubles me for exactly the reason you mentioned -- it may be the "most widely used reference resource in the world." There are a lot of politics involved with Wikipedia and because of the reason that it can be edited by anyone, there is a lot of weasel language, biased information, propaganda and misinformation that passes for fact there. The loudest people shape the discourse... I think Colbert referred to this as "Wikiality" -- a spin on "reality."

[Ignacio Upton]

6. This is bullshit

How the hell is Senator Tubes going to expect every school in the country to enforce something like this? Also, wouldn't you think that he would have something better to do with his life? This legislation ranks up there with the DMCA (worse, actually) in the Hall of Shame for internet legislation.

[saltpoint]

7. Thank God Ted Stevens excels not ONLY as a Tech wizard but also as

a Cultural Guru.

And here he is protecting students -- impressionable young people, mind you -- from their own curiosities.

A special place at the table of God awaits Ted upon his passage into the realm of angels.

Which can't come soon enough to suit me.

Perhaps some students will use the internet for prurient reasons, but one reason they're in school in the first place is to learn, and web research is one major resource. The best purposes of a technology should not be punished by presumed fears of the worst. One kid throws a spitball at the clock, teacher keeps the whole class in for recess. That's always been total bullshit.

[ima_sinnic]

9. tsk tsk, it was so much easier when it was only books & movies

that had to be dealt with.

so I guess the dinosaurs really HAVEN'T gone extinct. how I wish this weird species, the Homo repulsicans, could get its own territory somewhere, fence themselves into it behind miles and miles of razor wire, and just leave the evils of the internet and the rest of it to the sinners who WON'T be raptured.

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. A series of tubes is all I gotta say.

[PLF]

11. Totally Tubular Ted