This in from ZDNet:
Reining in social-networking sites: Last summer, over the objections of civil libertarians, librarians and educators, the House overwhelmingly approved the Deleting Online Predators Act, which would restrict ambiguously defined social-networking sites in schools and libraries that receive federal funding. The proposal ultimately died last year, but on the first day of the 110th Congress, Sen. Ted Stevens, a veteran Alaska Republican, reintroduced identical language in what he portrayed as a renewed effort to protect children online.
Andy Carvin’s site DOPA Watch has a full list of links related to the reintroduced legislation.
Stay tuned to this blog for more information and resources. Don’t forget that it’s important to keep talking and educating your community, colleagues, etc. about the positive aspects of social networking. Check out the ALA social networking wiki and YALSA’s 30 positive uses of social networking document in order to help you educate.
And we might begin by pointing out that certain Presidential candidates are going whole hog with blogging, YouTube, even MySpace! If it becomes part of the American fabric of political races and thus “educational”, how can we possible restrict the use of these social networking tools in the schools or libraries!