Abstract
Recent popular and academic discussions regarding the Internet have raised the question of whether and how networked intermediaries have a (dis)integrating social effects. In this study, we use public records of configurations of Internet filters in Alabama public schools and libraries to show how different institutions implement nominally consistent content standards inconsistently. We argue that these varying implementations are both significant and troubling for two reasons: first, they overreach the stated goals of the legislation with which they in principle comply; second, they may contribute to a broader epistemic breakdown by fragmenting the kind of information made available through and across public institutions.
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2017
Repository Citation
Peterson, Chris; Oltmann, Shannon M.; and Knox, Emily J. M., "The Inconsistent Work of Web Filters: Mapping Information Access in Alabama Public Schools and Libraries" (2017). Information Science Faculty Publications. 35.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/slis_facpub/35
Notes/Citation Information
Published in International Journal of Communication, v. 11, p. 4583-4609.
Copyright © 2017 (Chris Peterson, Shannon M. Oltmann, and Emily J. M. Knox).
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives (by-nc-nd).