Топик: Интернет /english/
So-called chat rooms, or chat channels, are created that feature a particular theme, such as science fiction, movies, sports, or romance. All the messages typed within a chat room appear almost simultaneously on the computer screens of all participants for that chat room.
A chat room is much like a party of people mingling and talking at the same general time, except that all are typing short messages instead. Chat rooms are usually active 24 hours a day. Of course, Christians realize that the Bible principles about association, such as the one found at 1 Corinthians 15: 33, apply to participation in chat groups just as they apply to all aspects of life.
Who Pays for the Internet?
You may be wondering, ‘Who pays the charges for the large distances one can travel on the Internet?’ The expense is shared by all users, corporate and individual. However, the end user is not necessarily presented with a long-distance telephone bill, even if he has visited many international sites. Most users have an account with a local commercial Internet service provider, who in many cases bills the user a fixed monthly fee. Providers generally supply a local number to avoid extra phone costs. A typical monthly access fee is approximately $20 (U.S.).
As you can see, the potential of the Internet is enormous. But should you get on this information superhighway?
Do you Really Need the Internet?
SHOULD you use the Internet? Of course, this is a personal matter, one that you should weigh carefully. What factors might influence your decision?
Need—Have You Calculated the Expense?
Much of the recent growth of the Internet is due to strong marketing efforts of the business world. Clearly, their motive is to create a sense of need. Once this perceived need is cultivated, some organizations then require a membership or annual subscription fee for the information or service that you initially accessed without cost. This fee is in addition to your monthly Internet access costs. Some on-line newspapers are a common example of this practice.
Have you calculated the expense of equipment and software versus your actual need? (Compare Luke 14:28.) Are there public libraries or schools with access to the Internet? Using these resources at first may help you to assess your need without making a large initial investment in a personal computer and related equipment. It may be that appropriate public Internet resources can be used, as needed, until it is clear how often such resources are actually required. Remember, the Internet existed for more than two decades before the general public even became aware of it, let alone felt a need for it!
Security —Is Your Privacy Protected?
Another key concern is confidentiality. For example, your E-mail message should be seen only by your intended recipient. While the letter is in transit, however, a clever and possibly unscrupulous person or group could intercept or monitor your correspondence. To protect messages, some people use E-mail software products to scramble their letter's sensitive contents before mailing it. At the other end, the receiving party may need similar software for unscrambling the message.
Recently, much discussion has focused on the exchange of credit-card and other sensitive information for commercial use on the Internet. Although substantial innovations are expected to strengthen security, the noted computer security analyst Dorothy Denning states: “Completely secure systems are not possible, but the risk can be reduced considerably, probably to a level commensurate with the value of the information stored on the systems and the threat posed by both hackers and insiders.” Absolute security is not realizable in any computer system, whether connected to the Internet or not.
Can You Afford the Time?
Another important issue is your time. How long will it take to install and learn the tools to navigate the Internet? Also, one experienced Internet instructor pointed out that surfing the Internet “can be one of the most addictive and time-intensive activities for a new Internet user.” Why is this?
There are large numbers of interesting subjects and countless new things to discover. In effect, the Internet is a vast collection of libraries with visually appealing documents. Navigating through just a fraction of it can easily whittle away most of the evening hours before you even think of sleep. (See the box “How Valuable Is Your Time?” on page 13.) Of course, this doesn't mean that all Web navigators lack control. However, it would be wise to place time and content restraints on Web surfing—especially for youngsters. Many families do the same with television. This will protect time set aside for family and spiritual activities. —Deuteronomy 6:6,7; Matthew 5:3.
Are You Missing Out?
In time. Internet technology will be more fully deployed in developing areas of the world. However, recall the people mentioned at the beginning of the first article. Most of the information they obtained could have been acquired by using libraries, telephones, conventional mail, or newspapers. Of course, some of these methods may involve more time and expense. Still, for the majority of people throughout the earth, these more traditional methods will likely continue for a time to be the primary means of communication.
The Internet
Why Be Cautious?
THE Internet certainly has potential for educational use and day-to-day communication. Yet, stripped of its high-tech gloss, the Internet is beset with some of the same problems that have long afflicted television, telephones, newspapers, and libraries. Thus, an appropriate question may be, Is the content of the Internet suitable for my family and me?
Numerous reports have commented on the availability of pornographic material on the Internet. Does this suggest, though, that the Internet is merely a cesspool full of sexually perverted deviants? Some contend that this is a gross exaggeration. They argue that one must make a conscious and deliberate effort to locate objectionable material.
It is true that one must make an intentional effort to find unwholesome material, but others argue that it can be located with much greater ease on the Internet than elsewhere. With a few keystrokes, a user can locate erotic material, such as sexually explicit photos including audio and video clips.
The issue of how much pornography is available on the Internet is currently a hotly debated subject. Some feel that reports suggesting a pervasive problem may be exaggerated. Yet, if you learned that there were not 100 poisonous snakes in your backyard but only a few, would you be any less concerned for your family's safety? Those who have access to the Internet would be wise to exercise caution.
Beware of Those Who Prey on Children!
Recent news coverage has shown that some pedophiles join on-line interactive chat discussions with young people. Posing as young children, these adults have slyly extracted names and addresses from unsuspecting youngsters.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) has documented some of this activity. For example, in 1996, police found two South Carolina, U.S.A., girls, ages 13 and 15, who had been missing for a week. They had gone to another state with an 18-year-old male they met on the Internet. A 35-year-old man was charged with luring a 14-year-old boy into an illicit sexual encounter when his parents were not home. Both cases began with dialogue in an Internet chat room. Another adult, in 1995, met a 15-year-old boy on-line and boldly went to his school to meet him. Still another adult admitted to having sex with a 14-year-old girl. She had used her father's computer to communicate with teenagers via on-line bulletin boards. She too met this adult on-line. All these youngsters had eventually been persuaded to reveal their identities.
Need for Parental Guidance
While cases such as the above are relatively infrequent, parents must nevertheless examine this matter carefully. What resources are available to parents to protect their children from being targets of crime and exploitation?
Companies are beginning to offer tools that range from rating systems similar to those for movies, to word-detection software that filters out undesirable content, to proof-of-age systems. Some approaches block material even before it reaches the family's computer. Most of these approaches are not foolproof, however, and can be circumvented by various methods. Remember, the original design of the Internet was to make it resistant to disruptions, so censorship is difficult.
In an interview with Awake!, a police sergeant who supervises a child exploitation investigation group in California offered this advice: “There is no substitute for parental guidance. I have a 12-year-old child myself. My wife and I have allowed him to use the Internet, but we make it a family affair and place careful safeguards on the amount of time we'll spend.” This father is especially cautious regarding chat rooms, and he places firm restrictions on their use. He adds: “The personal computer is not in my son's room but in an open area of the home.”
Parents need to take an active interest in deciding what use of the Internet, if any, they will permit for their children. What practical and reasonable precautions should be considered?
Staff writer David Plotnikoff of the San Jose Mercury News offers some useful tips to parents who decide to have Internet access at home.