If you want a taco just ask

Define filtering for me, please?

According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, filtering is "to remove by means of a filter". Ok... I guess that can be helpful. I couldn't figure that out myself and never mind that all they did was use the root of the word in its definition... It takes skill and true word craft to be one of the leaders in dictionary publication, am i right? Fine.

Dictionary.com says that a filter is "any substance, as cloth, paper, porous porcelain, or a layer of charcoal or sand, through which liquid or gas is passed to remove suspended impurities or to recover solids." since I don't believe this can truly apply, I'll take it that they more likely meant "to act as a filter for; to slow or partially obstruct the passage of".

Finally there is the urban dictionary, with their own definition of "drinking an alcoholic beverage through a prostitute's used (and still warm) underwear." Ok. Fine.

...At least that one was specific.

So CIPA wants to filter in schools. I believe that regardless of which definition of 'filtering' we should follow, we should look at the idea with caution. The last thing we want our young and impressionable students doing is drinking alcohol or getting too friendly with prostitutes. The last thing we'd want our government to do is to start 'filtering' content.

One has to ask, where does filtering end and censorship begin? I'm sure that the censorship in China is also being done just to protect the overly curious minds in that country. Filtering, as we may call it, has power. If i shield something from someone, they do not know its relevance and therefore they do not develop interest and they do not ever inquire. Isn't it possible then for our future children to be restrained in the questions they ask based on what they have or have not been allowed to be exposed to. We can protect them from content such as prostitutes and pornos. But anything else, including facebook which in today's new media fronteir is almost a hub of information itself, is just... well... dirty.


Filter.

Bookface

I'm not trying to be overly clever with the title; not that I could. You see, the fact of the matter is that facebook is a major part of the lives of countless college students.  Countless? Well, maybe not. I'm sure Mark Zuckerberg has and often rejoices as he counts the numbers but that is beyond my point. Facebook was created around the college student demographic. It started off on a college campus and from there it grew to what it is today. Walk into just about any dorm, or dare I say classroom, today and you're sure to find someone either updating their status or checking words with friends. 

Is it surprising that we, college students have taken so much pleasure in a service that puts an entire network at our hands? That encourages it? That makes being more social as easy as a click here or there? And what about friendships? Facebook reminds me of everyone's birthday, and all i have to do is like their posts to still be considered a friend, right? If we don't have to worry about socializing, we can focus on more important things... Bookfacing. I'm not talking about hitting the books (with our face) like any studious student should be, though.... I'm talking about memes.