From: Doug Peterson <fnorky@geocities.com>
Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 05:57:33 +0800
To: Kurt Starsinic <kstar@isinet.com>
Subject: Re: Yet another self-labeling system
In-Reply-To: <3.0.1.32.19970730170104.006a3948@[198.62.99.20]>
Message-ID: <33DFB441.59A0@geocities.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain



Kurt Starsinic wrote:
> 
>     I'm in favor of a ratings system; not one which indicates for whom a
> given page is suitable, but rather one which identifies the subject matter.
>  The Dewey Decimal System is a primitive example of such a system.

Technically the Dewey Decimal System in not a rating system, it's a
subject index.  It would make searching the web quite a bit easier.  It
could be as easy as this:

 <META NAME="Dewey Decimal" CONTENT="423.342j">

Of course the number is now only a subject, not a specific web page.


>     It seems to me that, if the USG is in the business of encouraging or
> endorsing morally normative ratings systems (which, of course, they've done
> for years), they're discouraging free discourse regarding child-rearing.

Could you elaborate please?

 
>     It's important that parents can protect their children from content
> which _they_ believe to be inappropriate, but providing boilerplate (such
> as "adult"/"non-adult") turns parents into sheeple.

Agreed.  I prefer to determine for myself what is appropriate for my
child.  What someone else considers adult, I may consider appropriate or
even required for my child to view.
 
-Doug