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surfwatch update

``` A few notes about Surfwatch.

(1) I am told that Surfwatch has adopted a more suitable policy for its content filter product, and that it has sensibly established formal relationships with advisors who can help them distinguish sexually explicit materials from materials that simply pertain to sexual minority communities. Those who think this is a good idea might want to drop them a note and congratulate them.

(2) Some have asked what my complaint about the Surfwatch filtering method is. I definitely agree that the net needs some kind of filtering capability. But I think the right thing is to create an architecture that does not favor the filter lists created by any particular company. Nor does it suffice to make the architecture permit individuals to customize their lists. It needs to be easy for people to install new filter lists, buy and sell such lists, compare the effects of the lists, customize the lists, allow groups of users to delegate list-maintaining duties to a designated individual, and so on. Otherwise a particular company's product might become a de facto standard and thus effectively replace user control with censorship.

(3) I am told that Amy Bruckman runs a discussion list on the subject called caci@media.mit.edu, which can be subscribed to by sending the word "subscribe" to caci-request@media.mit.edu. (Caci stands for "controlling access to computer information".) And that there's a group discussing architecture of ratings services through the mailing list called "rating@junction.net", with subscription requests sent to rating-request@junction.net. Finally, the company called "First Virtual" has a voluntary ratings proposal out.

Phil Agre with thanks to Rich Lethin and others ```

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