Pornography in computer labs causing concern<\/p>\n
By Michael Kibaara Muchiri<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): The Internet is finally causing ruffles here
\nin Yogyakarta. And a lot of institutions, particularly
\nuniversities, are riding the wave of its popularity and taking
\nadvantage of its reputation as a source of easy money by
\ninstalling easily accessible and cheaper Internet services.<\/p>\n
In fact, the hourly rate at campus computer labs couldn't get
\nany lower. For between Rp 2,000 and Rp 3,000 an hour, students
\ncan enjoy surfing the Internet, reading their favorite newspapers
\nor checking current journals, or sending e-mails to friends all
\nover the world.<\/p>\n
Obviously the browsing of journals is of minor significance
\nbecause, as most of us guys at the campus have noted, contrary to
\nconventional wisdom, the biggest effect of the World Wide Web is
\nto facilitate more student idleness and skipping classes. Wait a
\nminute - did I forget aimless chatting and looking at
\npornography?<\/p>\n
Where one's arrival at a Warnet, warung Internet, or Internet
\ncafe was once met with knowing blushes, this phenomena is now
\nbeing pushed to the university computer labs.<\/p>\n
Only this time, the hourly rates are cheaper and there are no
\ncubicles to guard against prying eyes from the people in the
\nneighboring seats, who could range from curious innocent freshmen
\ndiscovering their adolescence late in life to \"couples\" who
\nunashamedly gaze with glee at the steamy sites.<\/p>\n
Regrettably, the campus computer labs were designed to
\nmaximize space and hence have no wall partitions for privacy.
\nWe'll talk about freedom and its embarrassing moments.<\/p>\n
The Internet has often been referred to as a limitless source
\nof information. In Yogyakarta, despite the initial good
\nintentions to operate cheap, comfortable and affordable Internet
\ncomputer labs it is proving a fertile ground for bad behavior.<\/p>\n
On several occasions, a computer has been left on with the
\nremnants of a steamy site. The guy on the queue could be anybody
\nranging from that innocent pea-eyed girl to a serious porno fan
\nlooking for a chance such as this one. Forget the \"these are
\nmodern times\" line. This is Yogyakarta and the steamy sites can
\nget Internet clients very nervous at times.<\/p>\n
Well folks, the story of pornography on the Internet is
\nneither here nor there. The universities are apparently powerless
\nto stop the spread of this vice and it is difficult to envisage a
\nmodern university without the Internet. It would be unrealistic
\nfor the university to strictly control or sift through everything
\nthe students are watching as this is clearly in contravention of
\nthe ethic of privacy that is so fundamental to Internet
\ncommunication. Nor can a university run away from the presence of
\nthe Internet for fear of pornography. The Internet has landed in
\nuniversity campuses, and is here to stay.<\/p>\n
The low hourly rate of campus labs has its hidden cost. It can
\nbe frustrating having to queue to use the Internet while the guy
\non the computer is merely chatting nonsense, or plainly watching
\nsome lewd act on a steamy site. And it can be quite disheartening
\nto see the top brains of the nation being influenced by the
\nmalaise of pornography.<\/p>\n
Clearly these are hard times that require tough choices. And
\neven tougher choices will have to be made as we move ahead into
\nthe future. But surely there must be some way to curb the
\nmalaise. Like, for example, putting some rules on what not to
\nsurf, watch or read in the campus computer labs, or advising
\nstudents to help cull the offenders. It is time the university
\nauthorities set some candid rules that are either abided by or
\nresult in the offenders getting kicked out of the lab. That way
\ncampus computer labs will help foster intellectuals instead of
\nperverts.<\/p>\n
The writer, studying for his Masters in Psychology at the
\nGadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, works for the Ministry of
\nEducation in Nairobi in Kenya.<\/p>",
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