From the Editor: The Information Age – A Time for Responsibility

By Betty Hawkins

A recent Fortune article examined how the Internet's growth - perhaps the biggest event since the creation of the personal computer - is still a work-in-progress that will likely evolve in ways not anticipated by any company. "Indeed, the Internet is already so big that it is almost a force of nature."

There's so much information available now that we're beginning to figure out ways to stop the flow, or at least monitor and control how people are using these vast information channels. We're approaching a fine line here - censorship is working its way into cyberspace.

Hasn't progress always come at a price? We can travel across the country in a matter of hours in cars and airplanes, but at the cost of air and noise pollution. We can illuminate, cool, and heat our homes and offices, but at the cost of natural fuel resources. We can eat cheese cake, heavy gravy, all those things the experts say are bad for us, but at the cost of... well, you get the picture.

But let's get back to the serious subject of censoring information. The debate is on: Should we regulate what information gets on the Internet? Do employers have the right to monitor their employees' activities on the Internet? This doesn't have to be an all or nothing situation. Parents have an obligation to determine, based on their own values, what they want their children exposed to. Yet, you and I have a constitutional right to decide for ourselves what we read and listen to. Companies have a right to expect their employees to devote the hours for which they are being paid to productive work - that is, they have the right to determine how employees use the Internet during working hours.

So, let's accept our responsibilities as parents, employees, and mature adults. The responsibility of the information provider, be it Internet, newspapers, television, or the movie industry, is just that - providing information. What we view, read, or listen to is ultimately our responsibility. And I believe the majority of us have enough common sense to accept that responsibility.

Check It Out!
The good information on the Internet far outweighs the bad stuff that makes the news! Did you know Campbell Soup has a Web page? (It's at http://www.campbellsoups.com.) Now that the weather is colder, I'm thinking of checking it out for "Sunday afternoon, sitting by the fireplace, watching football" recipes!

As you read our Web pages, please remember that we invite you to tell us how we're doing. We're always interested in hearing what you think, and we try to provide ample opportunity for you to respond. Let us know what you like or don't like about what you see here, and if you have any suggestions for improvements, please give them. We want to be a wealth of responsible information!

Betty Hawkins, Editor