- From: Jim Miller <jmiller@martigny.ai.mit.edu>
- Date: Thu, 05 Oct 1995 18:04:31 EDT
- To: pics-info@w3.org
The PICS steering committee has drafted a Statement of Principles, included below, that summarizes their work and beliefs. At this time they are asking for additional companies who share these goals to join in the effort. In particular, PICS plans a major press conference on October 30 at Internet World in Boston. The deadline for inclusion in this press conference is 5pm EDT Friday October 6, 1995, although this may be extended because of delays in readying the statement of principles. If your company would like to be included in this press release and/or display the PICS logo at their booth at Internet World you should: 1) Review this statement of principles. 2) If you are in agreement, you must send a letter on company letterhead (fax or USPS only) to the PICS spokesman: Mr. Albert Vezza Associate Director MIT Lab for Computer Science 545 Technology Square Cambridge, MA 02139 fax: (617)258-8682 3) The letter must explain that you agree with the PICS statement of principles, provide a contact name, address, and telephone number. In addition, a fax number and email address would be helpful. This contact person should be able to make the formal decision for your company on inclusion in this and other press events. 4) If you wish to allow the use of your corporate logo, you should send a URL with a GIF image of the logo for use in press materials. The preferred size is 48x48 pixels. ================ PICS Statement of Principles ================ PICS is a cross-industry working group whose goal is to facilitate the development of technologies to give users of interactive media, such as the Internet, control over the kinds of material to which they and their children have access. PICS members believe that individuals, groups and businesses should have easy access to the widest possible range of content selection products, and a diversity of voluntary rating systems. In order to advance its goals, PICS will devise a set of standards that facilitate the following: * Self-rating: enable content providers to voluntarily label the content they create and distribute. * Third-party rating: enable multiple, independent labeling services to associate additional labels with content created and distributed by others. Services may devise their own labeling systems, and the same content may receive different labels from different services. * Ease-of-use: enable parents and teachers to use ratings and labels from a diversity of sources to control the information that children under their supervision receive. PICS members believe that an open labeling platform which incorporates these features provides the best way to preserve and enhance the vibrancy and diversity of the Internet. Easy access to technology which enables first- and third-party rating of content will give users maximum control over the content they receive without requiring new restrictions on content providers. Membership in PICS includes a broad cross-section of companies from the computer, communications, and content industries, as well as trade associations and public interest groups. PICS member will deploy products and services based on these standards. ------- End of Forwarded Message
Received on Thursday, 5 October 1995 18:04:47 UTC