[OPLINLIST] Business conducted on OPLIN computers
Martha Lee
Martha Lee" <leem1@oplin.org
Mon, 20 Oct 2003 10:50:32 -0400
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0042_01C396F7.FBD2F1A0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Bluffton Public Library just received a letter from "a disgruntled" =
tax payer complaining we have some people using our public terminals =
"for personal gain". It is in the OPLIN policy that "commercial =
activity; including but not limited to operating a business for personal =
gain" is prohibited on OPLIN network.
How do you know what patrons are doing on the computer? Should you =
know, as long as you aren't seeing something obvious like naked people =
on the screen?
I don't know how our letter writer knows people are using terminals =
"for personal gain". While we have regular users, I don't ask what they =
are doing or why. One man last summer was using a terminal about an =
hour a day when his small business terminal was in the shop. I =
considered that a legitimate use. Another user wrote a book, which he =
has published. According to OPLIN policy, are those legitimate uses?
Has anyone else run into this question at their library? Any =
suggestions for handling the issue, should the patron pursue it?
Martha Lee
Head of Circulation
Bluffton Public Library
------=_NextPart_000_0042_01C396F7.FBD2F1A0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Diso-8859-1">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1226" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Bluffton Public Library just received a =
letter=20
from "a disgruntled" tax payer complaining we have some people using our =
public=20
terminals "for personal gain". It is in the OPLIN policy that =
"commercial=20
activity; including but not limited to operating a business for personal =
gain"=20
is prohibited on OPLIN network.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> How do you know what patrons are =
doing on=20
the computer? Should you know, as long as you aren't seeing=20
something obvious like naked people on the screen?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> I don't know how our letter writer =
knows people=20
are using terminals "for personal gain". While we have regular =
users, I=20
don't ask what they are doing or why. One man last summer was =
using a=20
terminal about an hour a day when his small business terminal was in the =
shop. I considered that a legitimate use. Another user wrote =
a book,=20
which he has published. According to OPLIN policy, are those =
legitimate=20
uses?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2> Has anyone else run into this question =
at their=20
library? Any suggestions for handling the issue, should the patron =
pursue=20
it?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Martha Lee</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Head of Circulation</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2>Bluffton Public Library</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_0042_01C396F7.FBD2F1A0--