IP: Call for nominations -- a National Research Council study

[Dave Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

Dave -- because everyone in the world listens to IP, any help you can 
provide in
distributing this would be really appreciated.

Pls take my email off this note; questions about the project can be directed to
ITAS () NAS EDU (which I read).

thanks  herb

==
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

for a National Research Council study on

Tools and Strategies for Protecting Kids from Pornography
and Their Applicability to Other Inappropriate Internet Content


PLEASE POST WIDELY


The subject of controlling children's Internet access to pornography is
charged politically and emotionally in the national debate.  Other areas do
provoke public concern, but pornography on the Internet is and has been
a major focus of national debate for quite some time.  Recognizing these
concerns, the U.S. Congress asked the National Research Council in
Public Law 105-314 to conduct a study of computer-based technologies
and other approaches to the problem of the availability of pornographic
material to children on the Internet.  Providing a better understanding of
how different tools and strategies can be used to protect minors from
pornography and threats to children from sexual predators on the Internet
will promote a more reasoned consideration of various public policy
options as well as more informed approaches that are locally
implementable.  The study is expected to provide a foundation for a more
coherent and objective local and national debate on the subject of
Internet pornography.

The National Research Council (NRC) is the operating arm of the
National Academies (<http://www.nationalacademies.org>), which include
the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Engineering,
and the Institute of Medicine.  The National Academies were created by
congressional charter to advise the nation on matters of public policy that
involve science and technology.  The NRC - a non-profit organization -
works outside the framework of government to ensure independent
advice to the government through the use of committees composed of the
nation's top scientists, engineers, and other experts -- all of whom serve
pro bono in the national interest to examine specific topics and issues.
Within the NRC, this project is being undertaken by the Computer
Science and Telecommunications Board
(<http://www4.nas.edu/cpsma/cstbweb.nsf> or equivalently,
<http://www.cstb.org>) in cooperation with the NRC's Board on Children,
Youth, and Families
(<http://www4.nationalacademies.org/cbsse/bocyfweb.nsf>).

For this project, a broad range of perspectives is required on the
committee.  Experts are sought in


Developmental psychology
E-commerce
Image recognition
Internet business
K-12 education
Law
Library science
Networking technologies
Public safety
Religion and ethics
Sociology


Committee membership will be based on personal expertise and a
dedication to drawing conclusions based on the analysis of data and
information, and not on satisfying requirements for political
representativeness.  And, while it seeks nominations from a wide variety
of sources, the National Research Council reserves the exclusive right to
determine the membership of the committee.

In accordance with NRC policy for all of its studies, committee members
will also be vetted for both bias and direct financial conflicts of interest,
both in selecting the members initially and also by the committee itself in
closed session, when it meets for the first time.

Committee members should be

*    willing and able to work collegially with other committee members
of differing perspectives to reach consensus on information-based
analysis.  They should have a demonstrated ability to consider opposing
views carefully and respectfully, and be willing and able to act as an
individual rather than a representative of any organization or movement.

*    sufficiently senior in their fields to warrant broad respect for their
intellect, fairness, and stature.

*    able to put in the time needed on this project (perhaps 6 meetings,
each of 2-3 days, over the course of two years, plus inter-meeting work
such as reading and commenting on report draft materials).

During the course of the project, the study committee expects to hear
from many other individuals through panel briefings, testimony, white
papers and other channels for input.  See the project website for more
details.

A good illustration of the kinds of persons sought for this project is
provided by the committee assembled in 1994-1996 to study national
cryptography policy, another highly controversial area.  The committee
was chaired by a former Deputy Secretary of State, and included (among
others) a former Deputy Director of the National Security Agency, a
former Attorney General of the United States, a former Deputy Attorney
General, the inventor of public-key cryptography, the director of research
and development for the Digital Equipment Corporation, and the creator
of Lotus Notes.  Persons of comparable stature are sought for this project
as well.  (This report can be found at
<http://books.nap.edu/catalog/5131.html>.)

Please forward nominations (self-nominations acceptable) to
ITAS () NAS EDU.   Submitted nominations should include contact
information, biographies (including relevant published works, public
statements, and current or former positions of relevance), and indications
of relevant expertise and the perspective on the subject that the nominee
will bring.  The "subject" line of the e-mail should say "committee
nomination."  While nominations may be submitted at any time,
nominations received after March 10, 2000, or without the information
described above, may not be fully considered.

More information about the project can be found at
<http://www.nationalacademies.org/itas> or equivalently,
<http://www.itasnrc.org>.