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BY MAIL: P O Box 3159,
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IN PERSON: Suite 300, EMU
Internet requires safe surfing
■ OUR OPINION:
Cyberspace
patrons must
approach the new
world with caution
It’s a common fact that the Inter
net is full of idiots. Anybody
who has spent time on the
World Wide Web can attest to
this. Conspiracies,
claims and stupid
obsessions clog
every word search f
we try. Web pages f
detailing movie «'
stars’ every life de- f
tail (and usually “ex- f
elusive” nude pho
tographs) are too many
to count. Societal and
government theories abound. In our
usual search for the legitimate, we
continually run into rambling
blather.
To prove our point, we recent
ly looked for the ridiculous in
cyberspace instead of letting it
find us. Using key words like
“bombs” and “conspiracy,” we
came across many deceiving
pages with seemingly harmless
labels like “pyrotechnics” and
“fireworks.”
After a bit of probing, we found
detailed instructions on the cre
ation of all sorts of explosives.
And “conspiracy” unearthed a
treasure trove of ideas as well.
The Great Pyramids, Bible, Mars
and even the Internet itself all fac
tored into their own sordid plots.
These pages, complete with the
usual links to X-Files and Dungeons
& Dragons sites, aren’t afraid to pre
sent their opinions — no matter how
CHRIS HUTCHINSON/Emerald
warped those views are.
But it is where these sites turn
from opinion and claim to be fact
that things can go horribly wrong.
Just ask Pierre Salinger.
A former ABC News Correspon
dent and press secretary to President
Kennedy, Salinger came across a In
ternet posting about a “hot”
theory regarding the July
17 TWA Flight 800
crash. After an
nouncing his
findings in a
Nov. 7
speech in
Paris, the
former newsman
was alerted by the FBI
that the document was
,: actually a random post
il ing by a 66-year old re
*/ tiree in Florida with
absolutely no validity
whatsoever.
For Salinger, a respect
ed journalist,
the document’s_
theory of a mid
air collision be
tween the flight
and a B-2 bomber
was too much to re
sist. It seemed too
juicy, too possible
and too real not to be
true.
Salinger’s experi
ence isn’t unusual.
Seeing words in print can be a
temptation for assumed truth in all
of us. And the Internet, the site of the
most available information, is also
the least reliable. No major restric
tions on content exist yet, and the
authors of questionable material
have no obligation to reveal their
identity.
Sharon Lopatka, an Internet junkie
from Maryland, carried on an inti
mate on-line conversation about sex
and death with fellow cyber-resident
Robert Glass. When the couple final
ly met face to face in October after
months of shadowy communication,
Lopatka didn’t make it out alive.
Two weeks later, police found her
body in a shallow grave in Glass’s
yard and he was named the prime
suspect.
We can learn from Lopatka’s mis
take. We can recognize the Internet
is a place for those who are afraid to
meet real people and reveal them
selves in the process. And we can
learn from Salinger. We can see the
Internet is a place for cowards
— and those too lazy to seek gen
^ uine publication for their
“works.”
No matter how idiotic much
of the Internet’s content may
be, it has a right to be there.
But it doesn’t require nor does
it necessarily deserve our re
spect. The Internet is a
! ""'-v.. privilege we all have.
And its influence will
be hard to avoid in the
future. But using its resources
doesn’t mean we forget its many
faults.
This editorial represents the
opinion of the Emerald editorial
board.
LETTERS POLICY
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to print all letters containing comments
on topics of interest to the University
community.
Letters to the editor must be limited to
no more than 250 words, legible, signed
and the identification of the writer must be
verified when the letter is submitted.
The Emerald reserves the right to edit
any letter for length or style.
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day during the school year and Tuesday and Thursday during the sum
mer by the Oregon Daily Emerald Publishing Co. Inc., at the University
of Oregon. Eugene. Oregon. A member of the Associated Press, the
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300 of the Erb Memorial Union. The Emerald is private property The
unlawful removal or use of papers is prosecutable by law
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LETTERS
Innocent alumni
I was apprehensive about returning to
campus because of some not too happy
memories. Nonetheless, I looked forward to
visiting some favorite campus haunts dur
ing mine and my husband’s homecoming
visit with my step-son. As we walked on
campus, I was overjoyed to find an Emerald
still intact. I took it to Rennie's Landing, as I
had many years ago, and anticipated a good
cup of coffee, greasy hashbrowns and eggs
and reading the ODE. Those fond memo
ries were soon squelched as I read the Emer
ald's editorial on Homecoming [ODE, Nov.
8).
The editors were referring to me, an
alumnae, in numerous ways. Homecoming
was an event interested in pleasing those
“aging alumni and parents who write the
checks.” The Duck Party was “a great ex
cuse for alumni to get uncontrollably intox
icated.” The Fun Run was a “scary” event
watching “large groups of 50 and 60- year
olds ‘powerwalking’...students just would
n’t want anyone to keel over.”
Where is all this animosity coming from?
I’m only 34 years old; 1 don’t drink alcohol;
I don’t powerwalk or run, and I feel quite
comfortable finding my own entertain
ment. Is it so bad that a University where I
spent seven years of my life and thousands
of dollars invites me back to enjoy a week
end?
You asked, “What ever happened to pa
rades, bonfires and true school spirit?” Yet
you also mentioned the under-25 students
“don’t care and probably never will”? If
you don’t care, then what are you com
plaining about? If you do care, quit com
plaining and do something about it but
don’t attack me.
Kate Newton
Alumnae
Don’t forget
Can it be that the Emerald has already for
gotten the lessons of intolerance from last
week? How are students supposed to take
your publication seriously when, a week af
ter your last bout of ignorance and apology,
you publish an asinine column by Brian Di
amond on affirmative action?
Diamond claims the main “flaw” in affir
mative action is that it “leaves many white
males feeling cheated by the system and
even more resentful” and this ultimately is
counter-productive for women and minori
ties. So, the inference is that not only is af
firmative action flawed because white men
don’t like it, but women and minorities
should feel bad that they have offended
white men by standing up for their rights.
It seems that if white men are feeling bigot
ed, Diamond expects those affected by that
bigotry to recant their bid for equality. I’m
glad to say that I can’t follow that logic.
Diamond also says that approximately 50
percent of female-headed households live
below the poverty line, while “African
Americans and Hispanics are doing a little
better.” I’d like to remind Diamond there
are women of color who are female heads
of households, and that your biased data
doesn’t represent the overlapping identi
ties.
How can such skewed data be meaning
ful? Diamond bases his column on biased
statistics and faulty logic, which in turn in
validate the conclusion he draws from
them. While classism is often ignored as an
oppressive reality, addressing only class is
sues would ignore the reality of racism and
sexism in this country.
Tracy Scham
Religious Studies
To Russell
Donnelly:
Now that the
University physi
cist is $5 million
richer after receiv
ing a grant to de
velop his “cryo
stat,” the
University is better
off as well. A
stronger scientific
reputation and
good public rela
tions are already
becoming a reality
for the University’s
science depart
ment. And stu
dents may also
benefit from Don
nelly’s experimen
tal helium device.
With more revenue
and prestige, better
faculty and funds
will come our way
— and not just in
the science depart
ment.
To Gov. John
Kitzhaber:
His vow to keep
higher education
funding at near the
same rate amid
Measure 47 is gal
lant and appreciat
ed. Now his new
task force and
rhetoric must be
come action. The
State Legislature
won’t be easy to
work with. And
he, like all of us,
has one thing
against him al
ready: reality. The
money will be
hard to find — but
not impossible.