From: Filtering Facts To: filt4lib@listserv.ci.escondido.ca.us cc: ffl@compuserve.com Date: Thu, 23 Oct 97 15:39:10 +0000 * List: filt4lib@listserv.ci.escondido.ca.us It is with regret that Filtering Facts can no longer endorse the filtering product X-Stop, manufactured by Log On Data. Filtering Facts also asks that other anti-pornography groups that have endorsed X-Stop, such as Enough is Enough and American Family Association, reexamine their endorsements of X-Stop. Recent events have demonstrated that X-Stop is not a suitable product for use in the library setting, and that Log On Data has not conducted its public relations in a responsible, professional manner. Specifically: 1) X-Stop has made unsupportable claims about its product: X-Stop has at times claimed to be 100% effective at blocking pornography. Several others and myself put this claim to the test, and each of us were able to disprove this claim in less that 15 minutes. X-Stop claims to "only block legally obscene material". Obscenity is a legal standard that must be administered by a judge, not a software technician. 2) X-Stop does not promptly unblock sites that they are blocking improperly: On October 6th, an article appeared on the web site 'The Ethical Spectacle" (www.spectacle.org) entitled "The X-Stop Files". This article listed several sites, such as "The American Association of University Women" (www.aauw.org) which were clearly not pornographic, yet were blocked in the X-Stop "felony load". On October 7th, I notified X-Stop of this article. That same day, the CEO, Michael Bradshaw, issued a statement apologizing for the mistakes, and saying they would be fixed in "a few days". On October 20th, I contacted Mr. Bradshaw, and he informed me that the sites were now unblocked. On October 20, 21, and 22, I downloaded the latest updates to X-Stop's filtering list, in both the "pornography only" and "felony load" categories. None of the improperly blocked sites had been unblocked. 3) X-Stop has not conducted its public relations in a professional manner: On two occasions this year, once at the Family Friendly Libraries Conference, and another at a meeting in Santa Clara County, Michael Bradshaw, the CEO of Log On Data, agreed to come and speak, but never showed up and did not call to inform the participants he was not coming. X-Stop has never made an official announcement clarifying the reasons for the problems with their product and their plans for correcting them. The only official statements were a series of rambling e-mail messages by Mr. Bradshaw which were re-posted to various Internet mailing lists: From October 7th: "Temporarily guilty as charged! Iam the ceo and we have a big foul up here at the factory. If the Industry will give us a few days we will fix the matter. It may present a liability at this end for me to fully explain how we say one thing and do another. Should you be so kind as to forward this to all concerned I will promise you and others that I have personally communicated to, that our claim to automation is real and that we make a special model called the "LIBRARIAN" and even it is corrupted with special agenda blocking." Please feel free to call me at 1-888-786-7999. Mike Bradshaw, C.E.O., Log-On Data Corp." From October 15th: "* I received over 200 e-mails that were worse by far than all the others, they were the judge, jury and executioner, Just hatred and venom. It doesn't matter but I wish someone would not put our group of good employees, who are of every race, religion (or none), creed, sexual preference, political leaning, etc. we all have a blast around the labs and offices teasing about each others goofy ideas, but only in jest, we are tolerent and kind to each other and try to be to everyone. I hope these comments, if nothing else, will serve to beg your personal inquiry about us and who we are. We make and sell things to adults and schools and corps. because they are going to buy something, let it be honest and block only what they ask, not with hidden agendas and the like. Mike Bradshaw, C.E.O., Log-On Data Corp." Filtering Facts originally endorsed X-Stop, along with many other organizations supporting filtering in libraries. Since Log On Data continues to behave in an unprofessional and unresponsive manner, other organizations should strongly consider ending their support of X-Stop. ***************************************************************************** David Burt, Filtering Facts, HTTP://WWW.FILTERINGFACTS.ORG David_Burt@filteringfacts.org