The recent CDA decision pointed out some of the problems involved in rating Net content. For example, the court spent a lot of time talking about Cyber Patrol software and the CyberNOT list "containing approximately 7000 sites in twelve categories. The software is designed to enable parents to selectively block access to any or all of the twelve CyberNOT categories simply by checking boxes in the Cyber Patrol Headquarters (the Cyber Patrol program manager). These categories are:" Violence/Profanity: Extreme cruelty, physical or emotional acts against any animal or person which are primarily intended to hurt or inflict pain. Obscene words, phrases, and profanity defined as text that uses George Carlin's seven censored words more often than once every fifty messages or pages. Violence against plants is OK, however. Likewise Cypherpunks which probably meets the 1 bad word per 50 messages standard. I wonder if they use Carlin's original or updated 7 Words. Partial Nudity: Full or partial exposure of the human anatomy except when exposing genitalia. Nudity: Any exposure of the human genitalia. Only in pictures. Text-only full-frontal nudity is OK. Looks like baby pictures are out though. Sexual Acts (graphic or text): Pictures or text exposing anyone or anything involved in explicit sexual acts and lewd and lascivious behavior, including masturbation, copulation, pedophilia, intimacy and involving nude or partially nude people in heterosexual, bisexual, lesbian or homosexual encounters. Also includes phone sex ads, dating services, adult personals, CD-ROM and videos. Bestiality is not covered though. Gross Depictions (graphic or text): Pictures or descriptive text of anyone or anything which are crudely vulgar, deficient in civility or behavior, or showing scatological impropriety. Includes such depictions as maiming, bloody figures, indecent depiction of bodily functions. There goes all of Pop Culture. Certainly deficient in behavior. Racism/Ethnic Impropriety: Prejudice or discrimination against any race or ethnic culture. Ethnic or racist jokes and slurs. Any text that elevates one race over another. Luckily, all other forms of discrimination are OK. Women, crips, queers, Jews, and old folk watch out. How politically incorrect of Cyber Patrol. Satanic/Cult: Worship of the devil; affinity for evil, wickedness. Sects or groups that potentially coerce individuals to grow, and keep, membership. Does that include evangelicals? They're not Satanic but they certainly encourage membership growth. Some evangelicals can be quite coercive. And why Satanists? Don't we have freedom of religion in this country? Remember, the Supremes *did* throw out the Hialeah Sanitaria Animal Sacrifice Ordinance. Drugs/Drug Culture: Topics dealing with the use of illegal drugs for entertainment. This would exclude current illegal drugs used for medicinal purposes (e.g., drugs used to treat victims of AIDS). Includes substances used for other than their primary purpose to alter the individual's state of mind such as glue sniffing. I'm glad my drug pages are limited to the non-entertaining uses of illegal drugs. Purely analgesic purposes only. Militant/Extremist: Extremely aggressive and combative behaviors, radicalism, advocacy of extreme political measures. Topics include extreme political groups that advocate violence as a means to achieve their goal. There goes www.whitehouse.gov. They certainly "advocate violence as a means to achieve their goal." Pretty aggressive and combative as well. Radical. Advocate extreme political measures. Gambling: Of or relating to lotteries, casinos, betting, numbers games, on-line sports or financial betting including non-monetary dares. There goes www.wsj.com. *All* financial betting. Questionable/Illegal: Material or activities of a dubious nature which may be illegal in any or all jurisdictions, such as illegal business schemes, chain letters, software piracy, and copyright infringement. Which jurisdictions -- Singapore? Do they mean just US jurisdictions or all jurisdictions. Is offshore banking dubious? It's not illegal. Alcohol, Beer & Wine: Material pertaining to the sale or consumption of alcoholic beverages. Also includes sites and information relating to tobacco products. Poor Joe Camel. If Health Nazis are bad for adults, why are they good for children? Note guns aren't on the banned list so www.nra.org is safe for the kiddies. DCF