Innovation changes personal lives and culture.

“There has been an ongoing trend towards openess in our culture. In recent years, people have not been as concerned about hiding the truth about themselves as they were in the past. They’re open about their bodies, sex lives, failings, secret thoughts and incomes — all of the things that had to be hidden for fear of shame, punishment and ostracism before.” 

Computers simplify and complicate. Research, shopping, news, banking, and stock market trading, even grocery shopping can be done on the Internet. We can find a date, send her flowers, confirm a restaurant reservation, and get movie tickets.

We can also seek images and expressions our grandmother would not appreciate. Just think of her as you type in that URL. Remember to erase your tracks too (see Perfect Disk). Cleaning-up the footprints your browser leaves should get your attention. Your children will not find their Mom or Dad’s behavior encouraging or thoughtful (and Moms can be as guilty as Dads). We produce more when we use Internet resources effectively, and we waste time when our purient curiosity takes over.

Joseph Weizenbaum (1923-2008) told the New York Times (1999), “The Internet is like one of those garbage dumps outside of Bombay (Mumbai). There are people, most unfortunately,crawling all over it, and maybe they find a bit of aluminum…but mainly it’s garbage.” 

Banter and rumor, innuendo and slander characterize many Internet entries. Of course, this is not pervasive. Every site must edit volunteered entries for blogs; forums, and web hosts must do the same. A lot of time and expense goes into weeding out the robot (those automated) entries and authored articles or comments lacking reasonable facts or purpose other than to scam and abscond.

Brad Haynes (AP writer) reports that JuicyCampus.com will respond to New Jersey prosecutors accusation that the site posts offensive material. The site administrators do not monitor or censor the posted comments that demean “appearance, race, and sexual history” of students, according to (attorney general).

The New Jersey prosecutor initiated investigation when a female student reported how she is “terrorized by posts on the Web site that included her address”. Prosecutors have subpoenaed information from JuicyCampus on how it is run, citing concerns about “unconscionable commercial practices” since the site is supported by advertising.

What makes this story more  reprehensible is the reply to accusations given by the webmaster. According to AP writer Brad Haynes, “JuicyCampus founder Matt Ivester has expressed little concern in the past about backlash from colleges. ‘Like anything that is even remotely controversial, there are always people who demand censorship…we believe that JuicyCampus can have a really positive impact on college campuses, as a place for both entertainment and free expression.”

Providing space for slander, innuendo, and libel should not be shielded by the First Amendment.

Weizenbaum wrote in Computer Power and Human Reason (1976), “How long will it be before what counts as fact is determined by the system, before all other knowledge, all memory, is simply declared illegitimate?” (Wall Street Journal, March 15-16, 2008)

Finding quality content, written carefully and with focus is like finding a lost ring at the beach without metal detector. You have to “wand” your eyes over 100’s of words and pages before finding answers to your question. Too many write too much without saying anything.

Echievements makes an effort to filter the “illegitimate”, but not with absolute success. We all have ideas; most of us need to learn how to make an idea legitimate, reasonable, and benficial to our readers.