EuroISPA supporting safe use of a rich and vibrant Internet
Not so long ago, finding information about other countries, their sites of renown and unique life styles or just trying to find where in a town a given street is located, necessitated a trip to libraries, embassies, travel agents and more. In recent years the Internet has changed all that. More precisely it’s the World Wide Web that has brought previously distant places right in to the home.
This simple but brilliant invention has allowed anyone, everywhere to open their world to everyone around the globe. Providing information, some factual, some fictitious, some anecdotal, some fantasy, some just a picture of an interesting place near their home or encountered while on holiday. But always it is there for everyone to reach. All this combines to shrink the world into a miniscule place. A world where a few paces of your fingers walking over the keyboard can bring you across more borders in 10 seconds than a supersonic jet could ever hope to bring you across in a thousand times that time.
The Web brings to us a wealth of wonderful information. It can open our minds to other countries, cultures and ways of living. This can also expose us to other norms, customs and ways of doing things. Some we may find interesting, some bizarre, some we may find offensive to our way of thinking. Travellers of the real world have learned to take precautions, especially when crossing far-away borders. This includes packing suitable clothes, getting inoculations against diseases, buying traveller’s cheques, carrying insect repellent and other means to keep themselves safe in unfamiliar places.
Similarly, we must teach our children to prepare themselves for the virtual world of abundant and diverse information. They must develop life skills that prepare them for strange encounters and make the right decisions to stay safe as they cross borders of experiences brought into their homes over their Internet connection. Developing this awareness amongst adults and children alike is the essence of Safer Internet day.
EuroISPA http://www.euroispa.org brings together ISP industry associations across European borders. Through our members we support many activities that assist to educate and promote safe and fulfilling use of the Internet while maintaining the freedom of expression (within the laws of the host country) that allows the Internet to be the rich, fascinating and growing resource it is today.
Paul Durrant (ISPA Ireland) ISPAI www.hotline.ie
EuroISPA Council Member
