120
Erwin A. Alampay, Joselito C. Olpoc, and Regina M. Hechanova
The degree to which the Internet is provided in Philippine schools varies, especially
when considering the costs attached to it. For some, especially in private schools, the
cost is already embedded in other fees. For others, the cost of using computers and
the Internet is part of individual courses, with limited time use, any excess of which
entails additional payments.
Access can also vary depending on the kind of user and the manner in which she
or he obtains access. Some universities provide stand-alone computers with Internet
access that do not require individual passwords to log on. In these cases, individual
use of computer terminals cannot be effectively monitored. In other schools, students
have to register their computer unit or log on using university-issued accounts, requirements that make it easier for dedicated information technology departments to
monitor online use.
Restriction, Privileges, and Appropriate Use
Varying restrictions are implemented in educational institutions. For instance, generally, all of the universities in the OpenNet Asia organizational survey agree that access
to pornography should be blocked.
However, for liberal arts programs, especially those with fi ne arts and literature
courses, pornography can be a contentious issue. In some specifi c cases, technical tests
conducted for OpenNet Asia in 2008 in the Philippines reveal that some sites that
clearly have LGBT content were blocked. These include http://www.gayhealth.com,
which promotes the belief that “ lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender men and
women need and deserve their own source for health information, ” and http://www
.samesexmarriage.ca , a Canadian site that advocates for equal rights for same-sex
couples. Regardless of the reasons for the blocking of these sites, the danger in censoring sites is that decisions are dependent on the discretion of gatekeepers and, at times,
are left to purely automated systems that cannot discriminate between sites.
16
Some universities provide some leeway with these restrictions by giving users temporary access to blocked content provided that they give justifi cation for why they
want to access a Web site. In the OpenNet Asia survey study one university noted that
it grants requests for temporary access provided that it is for research and instruction
purposes. However, student respondents in a focus group found this process cumbersome, especially when action on the request takes time (if it comes at all) and when
access can be alternatively obtained from public Internet caf é s or from private Internet
accounts. The same university has relaxed restrictions for its faculty, giving them
access to alternative proxy servers. However, faculty members have to register in order
to gain such access. Hence, people surrender certain liberties, which in this case may
be privacy, in order to be included and gain privileges.
17 In fact, a computer science
professor interviewed says that once a person logs on to the university network, that
Erwin A. Alampay, Joselito C. Olpoc, and Regina M. Hechanova
The degree to which the Internet is provided in Philippine schools varies, especially
when considering the costs attached to it. For some, especially in private schools, the
cost is already embedded in other fees. For others, the cost of using computers and
the Internet is part of individual courses, with limited time use, any excess of which
entails additional payments.
Access can also vary depending on the kind of user and the manner in which she
or he obtains access. Some universities provide stand-alone computers with Internet
access that do not require individual passwords to log on. In these cases, individual
use of computer terminals cannot be effectively monitored. In other schools, students
have to register their computer unit or log on using university-issued accounts, requirements that make it easier for dedicated information technology departments to
monitor online use.
Restriction, Privileges, and Appropriate Use
Varying restrictions are implemented in educational institutions. For instance, generally, all of the universities in the OpenNet Asia organizational survey agree that access
to pornography should be blocked.
However, for liberal arts programs, especially those with fi ne arts and literature
courses, pornography can be a contentious issue. In some specifi c cases, technical tests
conducted for OpenNet Asia in 2008 in the Philippines reveal that some sites that
clearly have LGBT content were blocked. These include http://www.gayhealth.com,
which promotes the belief that “ lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender men and
women need and deserve their own source for health information, ” and http://www
.samesexmarriage.ca , a Canadian site that advocates for equal rights for same-sex
couples. Regardless of the reasons for the blocking of these sites, the danger in censoring sites is that decisions are dependent on the discretion of gatekeepers and, at times,
are left to purely automated systems that cannot discriminate between sites.
16
Some universities provide some leeway with these restrictions by giving users temporary access to blocked content provided that they give justifi cation for why they
want to access a Web site. In the OpenNet Asia survey study one university noted that
it grants requests for temporary access provided that it is for research and instruction
purposes. However, student respondents in a focus group found this process cumbersome, especially when action on the request takes time (if it comes at all) and when
access can be alternatively obtained from public Internet caf é s or from private Internet
accounts. The same university has relaxed restrictions for its faculty, giving them
access to alternative proxy servers. However, faculty members have to register in order
to gain such access. Hence, people surrender certain liberties, which in this case may
be privacy, in order to be included and gain privileges.
17 In fact, a computer science
professor interviewed says that once a person logs on to the university network, that