Life in America: The Reagan Years, A Webography
Pornography and the Law: A Very Short Introduction
In the United States, distribution of "obscene" materials is a federal crime. The determination of what is obscene is up to a jury in a trial, which must apply the Miller test; however, due to the prominence of pornography in most communities most pornographic materials are not considered obscene by the Miller Test.
In 1967, Denmark decriminalized pornography with few adverse effects, and the following year, the United States Supreme Court held that people could view whatever they wished in the privacy of their own homes. These two developments contributed in part to Congress creating the President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography in 1968 to investigate the effects of obscenity and pornography on the people of the United States. Each member of the Commission was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In what became the most detailed and comprehensive investigation into pornography to date, the Commission in its final report found that pornography could not be shown to do harm to individuals or to society, and recommended the repeal of obscenity and pornography legislation as it related to adults. Released during the presidency of Richard Nixon, the report generated a brief bout of controversy but was ultimately ignored by the administration.
Attorney General for Ronald Reagan Edwin Meese also courted controversy when he appointed the "Meese Commission" to investigate pornography in the United States; their report, released in July 1986, was highly critical of pornography and itself became a target of widespread criticism. That year, Meese Commission officials contacted convenience store chains and succeeded in demanding that widespread men's magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse be removed from shelves, a ban which spread nationally until being quashed with a First Amendment admonishment against prior restraint by the D.C. Federal Court in Meese v. Playboy (639 F.Supp. 581).
In the United States in 2005, Attorney General Gonzales made obscenity and pornography a top prosecutorial priority of the Department of Justice.
The conservative religious organization Concerned Women for America polled every U.S. attorney’s office to find out what they planned to do about obscenity. Except for a handful of offices that didn’t return calls, not one said it had any inclination to pursue anything other than child obscenity cases.
Source: "Legal Objections to Pornography." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 5 Oct. 2010. Web. 5 Jan. 2011.
In 1967, Denmark decriminalized pornography with few adverse effects, and the following year, the United States Supreme Court held that people could view whatever they wished in the privacy of their own homes. These two developments contributed in part to Congress creating the President's Commission on Obscenity and Pornography in 1968 to investigate the effects of obscenity and pornography on the people of the United States. Each member of the Commission was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. In what became the most detailed and comprehensive investigation into pornography to date, the Commission in its final report found that pornography could not be shown to do harm to individuals or to society, and recommended the repeal of obscenity and pornography legislation as it related to adults. Released during the presidency of Richard Nixon, the report generated a brief bout of controversy but was ultimately ignored by the administration.
Attorney General for Ronald Reagan Edwin Meese also courted controversy when he appointed the "Meese Commission" to investigate pornography in the United States; their report, released in July 1986, was highly critical of pornography and itself became a target of widespread criticism. That year, Meese Commission officials contacted convenience store chains and succeeded in demanding that widespread men's magazines such as Playboy and Penthouse be removed from shelves, a ban which spread nationally until being quashed with a First Amendment admonishment against prior restraint by the D.C. Federal Court in Meese v. Playboy (639 F.Supp. 581).
In the United States in 2005, Attorney General Gonzales made obscenity and pornography a top prosecutorial priority of the Department of Justice.
The conservative religious organization Concerned Women for America polled every U.S. attorney’s office to find out what they planned to do about obscenity. Except for a handful of offices that didn’t return calls, not one said it had any inclination to pursue anything other than child obscenity cases.
Source: "Legal Objections to Pornography." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 5 Oct. 2010. Web. 5 Jan. 2011.
Web Resources about Pornography and the Law
Pornography @ Encyclopedia of Everday Law
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Summary: The article, Pornography, discusses many different aspects of pornography, specifically internet pornography, and its effects on the law. It’s intended to inform reader’s about the different aspects of pornography, especially aspects that concern child pornography, and how they affect the law. The article begins with providing background information on pornography and the law. Various court cases are mentioned, as well as some of the struggles law makers have had trying to outlaw and regulate internet pornography. The article is then broken down into four other sections including: “Federal Restrictions on Cyber Porn”, “State Laws”, “Additional Resources”, and “Organizations”. In the “Federal Restrictions on Cyber Porn” section on the article, child pornography is the central focus. It initially begins talking about when child pornography became an issue in the United States. It then continues to talk about the legal issues revolving around child pornography, including punishments for child pornography, as well as laws and provisions made by the federal government to protect against child pornography. Finally, it discusses filtering the internet in federally funded schools and libraries. The next section talks about how different states have chosen to handle pornography on the internet over the years and the difficulties they’ve had in trying to regulate and monitor internet pornography in regards to children. The final two sections simply list additional resources a reader can use to gain more information on the subject of internet pornography, and organizations that a reader can contact to receive more information as well.
Evaluation: This article is considered a reputable source. Though no where in the article does it say who wrote it, by clicking on the “Cite this Page” hyperlink, the citation appears and the author, Shirelle Phelps, are noted. However, there is a lack of credentials included in the article for Shirelle Phelps, which makes her credibility questionable. This article was found on a website entitled enotes.com. This website, and the material found on it, is considered credible and valid because it is a site that provides resources and information for teachers and schools. A reader can then safely assume that the information provided is correct since it is targeted towards educators. Throughout the article, the author not only provides many facts on the subject on internet pornography, but also includes citations to support them. The author includes citations from court cases and laws to support the claims she makes about internet pornography and the measures being taken to regulate pornography. One of the weakest aspects of this article and the website is the recency of the site. It has not been updated since it’s publication in 2003. However, even though it is not the most up to date article, it still provides a great deal of information on internet pornography and the law until 2003. The domain for this website is a .com. Initially, it may cause some readers to be skeptical of the credibility of this site. But, since it has an educational purpose, the fact that it has a .com URL becomes less skeptical. This article has many strong attributes. Primarily, all the information that is provided on internet pornography and it’s affects on children and child pornography. It gives many court cases and explanations of laws as examples and support for the topic. Also, it breaks up the article into different sections that helps keep the organize.
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Summary: The article, Pornography, discusses many different aspects of pornography, specifically internet pornography, and its effects on the law. It’s intended to inform reader’s about the different aspects of pornography, especially aspects that concern child pornography, and how they affect the law. The article begins with providing background information on pornography and the law. Various court cases are mentioned, as well as some of the struggles law makers have had trying to outlaw and regulate internet pornography. The article is then broken down into four other sections including: “Federal Restrictions on Cyber Porn”, “State Laws”, “Additional Resources”, and “Organizations”. In the “Federal Restrictions on Cyber Porn” section on the article, child pornography is the central focus. It initially begins talking about when child pornography became an issue in the United States. It then continues to talk about the legal issues revolving around child pornography, including punishments for child pornography, as well as laws and provisions made by the federal government to protect against child pornography. Finally, it discusses filtering the internet in federally funded schools and libraries. The next section talks about how different states have chosen to handle pornography on the internet over the years and the difficulties they’ve had in trying to regulate and monitor internet pornography in regards to children. The final two sections simply list additional resources a reader can use to gain more information on the subject of internet pornography, and organizations that a reader can contact to receive more information as well.
Evaluation: This article is considered a reputable source. Though no where in the article does it say who wrote it, by clicking on the “Cite this Page” hyperlink, the citation appears and the author, Shirelle Phelps, are noted. However, there is a lack of credentials included in the article for Shirelle Phelps, which makes her credibility questionable. This article was found on a website entitled enotes.com. This website, and the material found on it, is considered credible and valid because it is a site that provides resources and information for teachers and schools. A reader can then safely assume that the information provided is correct since it is targeted towards educators. Throughout the article, the author not only provides many facts on the subject on internet pornography, but also includes citations to support them. The author includes citations from court cases and laws to support the claims she makes about internet pornography and the measures being taken to regulate pornography. One of the weakest aspects of this article and the website is the recency of the site. It has not been updated since it’s publication in 2003. However, even though it is not the most up to date article, it still provides a great deal of information on internet pornography and the law until 2003. The domain for this website is a .com. Initially, it may cause some readers to be skeptical of the credibility of this site. But, since it has an educational purpose, the fact that it has a .com URL becomes less skeptical. This article has many strong attributes. Primarily, all the information that is provided on internet pornography and it’s affects on children and child pornography. It gives many court cases and explanations of laws as examples and support for the topic. Also, it breaks up the article into different sections that helps keep the organize.
From Porn
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Summary: In the “From Porn” section of Utah’s Attorney General’s website, there are many sections that discuss pornography and the various aspects and dangers pornography poses. The first section is entitled “Dial-A-Porn”. In this section, several aspects, such as, what dial-a-porn is, the laws and legality associated with it, parental concerns with it, how citizens can protect their homes from the dial-a-porn, and finally, the inclusion of many different organizations and groups and their contact information for citizens to use should they have any questions regarding “dial-a-porn”. The next section is called “Duties of Ombudsman”. This section includes information on services for citizens, services for government entities, and how citizen complaints will be handled. The third section is the “Legal Guide to Protecting Children from Indecent Material”. It provides information on the title. This section specifically includes information regarding laws in Utah that are imposed “to assist in protecting children so they might grow “into free and independent well-developed men and citizens”. Specific laws, court cases, and examples are used and included throughout this section to help explain how Utah goes about protecting its children from pornography and other “harmful material”. The next section is called “Obscenity/ Pornographic Laws”. This section is very similar to a frequently asked questions section of a website. Answers to questions such as whether the first amendment permits pornography, and does the state have any control over what one views in their home, as well as many others, are included in this section. The fifth section is called “Parents Guide to Protecting Children on the Internet”. This section clearly spells out what parents can do to protect their young children from harmful websites. It explains why children need to be protected from the internet, and the dangers and harmful areas of the internet. Internet safety tips and tools, including safe search engines for children, are also included in this section and family friendly sites. The final two sections are entitled “Unsolicited Email” and “Unsolicited Mail”. In the Email section, information regarding Utah’s laws and unsolicited and sexually explicit emails, various definitions regarding these types of emails and spam, and how to handle unsolicited explicit and pornographic emails and spam. The “Unsolicited Mail” section, gives information on what one should do should they receive “obscene mail”, how to stop a company from sending it, and additional information regarding inappropriate material.
Evaluation: This website would be an excellent resource for someone to use to gain more information on pornography and the law. Though it focuses solely on the laws regarding pornography in Utah, the information is nonetheless still valid. The information provided gives both general information about pornography and the different aspects of it, as well as specific laws and regulations about pornography in the state of Utah. There are a number of strengths this website has that make it a reputable and credible site. Within the site, Mark Shurtleff, the person who the site is all about, has a biography included that contains his education, achievements, and contact information. The inclusion of these make him more credible. Though not necessarily a personal expert in the field of pornography, he has practiced law for many years, as well being the Attorney General for Utah since 2001, making him more than just knowledgable on the laws regarding pornography in Utah. The information provided is also supported by the number of other resources and citations included on the website. Shurtleff and his team that created the site provided many other organizations that people can contact that support what they say on their site. One of the few weak aspects of the site is the lack of indication of the most recent update in the “From Porn” section of the site. On the main page, the last time any part of the website had an update was in early March 2011, but there is no specification of when the “From Porn” section or any of the subsections were last updated or even created. However, the lack of currency, or at least the lack of indication of currency, is justified by the reputable source sponsoring the site and the domain in the URL. The site is sponsored by Mark Shurtleff, the Attorney General of Utah. His experience, knowledge, and education make his sponsorship of this site credible and valid. Also, the site’s domain URL is .gov which makes the site and the information it provides very credible and reliable. The purpose of this site is primarily to provide factual information to the people of Utah to inform them about their Attorney General and what he stands for and his beliefs, which include protecting people from the dangers of pornography. However, since he is a government official, there is likely to be some bias within the website to bring out the best in Shurtleff. Overall, this website is very reliable and credible, and one that is highly recommended to use for research.
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Summary: In the “From Porn” section of Utah’s Attorney General’s website, there are many sections that discuss pornography and the various aspects and dangers pornography poses. The first section is entitled “Dial-A-Porn”. In this section, several aspects, such as, what dial-a-porn is, the laws and legality associated with it, parental concerns with it, how citizens can protect their homes from the dial-a-porn, and finally, the inclusion of many different organizations and groups and their contact information for citizens to use should they have any questions regarding “dial-a-porn”. The next section is called “Duties of Ombudsman”. This section includes information on services for citizens, services for government entities, and how citizen complaints will be handled. The third section is the “Legal Guide to Protecting Children from Indecent Material”. It provides information on the title. This section specifically includes information regarding laws in Utah that are imposed “to assist in protecting children so they might grow “into free and independent well-developed men and citizens”. Specific laws, court cases, and examples are used and included throughout this section to help explain how Utah goes about protecting its children from pornography and other “harmful material”. The next section is called “Obscenity/ Pornographic Laws”. This section is very similar to a frequently asked questions section of a website. Answers to questions such as whether the first amendment permits pornography, and does the state have any control over what one views in their home, as well as many others, are included in this section. The fifth section is called “Parents Guide to Protecting Children on the Internet”. This section clearly spells out what parents can do to protect their young children from harmful websites. It explains why children need to be protected from the internet, and the dangers and harmful areas of the internet. Internet safety tips and tools, including safe search engines for children, are also included in this section and family friendly sites. The final two sections are entitled “Unsolicited Email” and “Unsolicited Mail”. In the Email section, information regarding Utah’s laws and unsolicited and sexually explicit emails, various definitions regarding these types of emails and spam, and how to handle unsolicited explicit and pornographic emails and spam. The “Unsolicited Mail” section, gives information on what one should do should they receive “obscene mail”, how to stop a company from sending it, and additional information regarding inappropriate material.
Evaluation: This website would be an excellent resource for someone to use to gain more information on pornography and the law. Though it focuses solely on the laws regarding pornography in Utah, the information is nonetheless still valid. The information provided gives both general information about pornography and the different aspects of it, as well as specific laws and regulations about pornography in the state of Utah. There are a number of strengths this website has that make it a reputable and credible site. Within the site, Mark Shurtleff, the person who the site is all about, has a biography included that contains his education, achievements, and contact information. The inclusion of these make him more credible. Though not necessarily a personal expert in the field of pornography, he has practiced law for many years, as well being the Attorney General for Utah since 2001, making him more than just knowledgable on the laws regarding pornography in Utah. The information provided is also supported by the number of other resources and citations included on the website. Shurtleff and his team that created the site provided many other organizations that people can contact that support what they say on their site. One of the few weak aspects of the site is the lack of indication of the most recent update in the “From Porn” section of the site. On the main page, the last time any part of the website had an update was in early March 2011, but there is no specification of when the “From Porn” section or any of the subsections were last updated or even created. However, the lack of currency, or at least the lack of indication of currency, is justified by the reputable source sponsoring the site and the domain in the URL. The site is sponsored by Mark Shurtleff, the Attorney General of Utah. His experience, knowledge, and education make his sponsorship of this site credible and valid. Also, the site’s domain URL is .gov which makes the site and the information it provides very credible and reliable. The purpose of this site is primarily to provide factual information to the people of Utah to inform them about their Attorney General and what he stands for and his beliefs, which include protecting people from the dangers of pornography. However, since he is a government official, there is likely to be some bias within the website to bring out the best in Shurtleff. Overall, this website is very reliable and credible, and one that is highly recommended to use for research.
Child Pornography
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Summary: This website simply provides blunt information about child pornography. It, like many of the other websites, is broken up into sections, eight sections exactly. The first section is just an introduction, talking about the basics of child pornography. The second section discusses how the First Amendment is involved in child pornography. It says, in short, that unlike adult pornography, child pornography is generally not protected under the First Amendment. Some material that could be considered child pornography is protected, but most is not. The next section is called “Federal Statutes”. This section spells out the laws and legal aspects of child pornography, including what exactly child pornography is defined as, and what is considered child pornography. This section also includes what one should do if they are prosecuted for child pornography. This next section, entitled “Sexually Explicit Conduct”, talks about just that, what exactly sexually explicit conduct is. It also mentions a landmark court case, United States v Knox. The fifth section talks about this court case. In this case, a man was charged with child pornography. The specific area that was in question was whether “lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area” by minors actually occurred. It was eventually decided by the court that there was lascivious exhibition by minors in the film in question. The next section posses questions with either no answers at all or very ambiguous answers. The seventh section is the conclusion. It sums up the webpage, basically saying people should play safe rather than be sorry later when it comes to child pornography. The final section just provides links to other websites that people can use to gain more information on the subject of child pornography.
Evaluation: This website has many strong qualities, though there are a few weak aspects to it as well. It is weak in that it fails to include a specific author of the webpage. This could cause for a reader to be skeptical of the information. However, the author later provides a number of links to other resources, and citations to court cases and legal documents to help support what they are saying. Also, to help validate the webpage, the information is found on a website who’s purpose is to provide people with information about laws regarding websites and the internet without any bias including. Another strong aspect about this site that makes it reputable and worthy of being used for research purposes is the currency of the website. It was last updated less than a year ago, in 2010, making the information extremely current and something people could use for research. The domain for the URL is .com, which could also result in some skeptics, but, again, since the purpose of the site is to simply inform and there is no pop-ups or items attempted to be sold on the site, this webpage becomes much more reputable and cite worthy. This site offers a great deal of information that is very credible and valid. It is a highly recommended source for one to use for both personal reasons to gain more information on the laws regarding child pornography, as well as for research purposes.
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Summary: This website simply provides blunt information about child pornography. It, like many of the other websites, is broken up into sections, eight sections exactly. The first section is just an introduction, talking about the basics of child pornography. The second section discusses how the First Amendment is involved in child pornography. It says, in short, that unlike adult pornography, child pornography is generally not protected under the First Amendment. Some material that could be considered child pornography is protected, but most is not. The next section is called “Federal Statutes”. This section spells out the laws and legal aspects of child pornography, including what exactly child pornography is defined as, and what is considered child pornography. This section also includes what one should do if they are prosecuted for child pornography. This next section, entitled “Sexually Explicit Conduct”, talks about just that, what exactly sexually explicit conduct is. It also mentions a landmark court case, United States v Knox. The fifth section talks about this court case. In this case, a man was charged with child pornography. The specific area that was in question was whether “lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area” by minors actually occurred. It was eventually decided by the court that there was lascivious exhibition by minors in the film in question. The next section posses questions with either no answers at all or very ambiguous answers. The seventh section is the conclusion. It sums up the webpage, basically saying people should play safe rather than be sorry later when it comes to child pornography. The final section just provides links to other websites that people can use to gain more information on the subject of child pornography.
Evaluation: This website has many strong qualities, though there are a few weak aspects to it as well. It is weak in that it fails to include a specific author of the webpage. This could cause for a reader to be skeptical of the information. However, the author later provides a number of links to other resources, and citations to court cases and legal documents to help support what they are saying. Also, to help validate the webpage, the information is found on a website who’s purpose is to provide people with information about laws regarding websites and the internet without any bias including. Another strong aspect about this site that makes it reputable and worthy of being used for research purposes is the currency of the website. It was last updated less than a year ago, in 2010, making the information extremely current and something people could use for research. The domain for the URL is .com, which could also result in some skeptics, but, again, since the purpose of the site is to simply inform and there is no pop-ups or items attempted to be sold on the site, this webpage becomes much more reputable and cite worthy. This site offers a great deal of information that is very credible and valid. It is a highly recommended source for one to use for both personal reasons to gain more information on the laws regarding child pornography, as well as for research purposes.
"State Law Blocks Out Kiddie Porn"
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Summary: The article, “State Law Blocks Out Kiddie Porn” is, in short, about a law passed in 2003 in Pennsylvania blocking internet users in Pennsylvania from entering child pornography sites. Despite how this sounds like such a landmark movement against child pornography, some people in Pennsylvania were less than thrilled with the new law. The people against it fear that the law could “inadvertently help traffickers...” of child pornography because law makers and enforcers would no longer have to monitor it so closely and it would eventually come to an “out of sight out of mind” type of thing. The article also mentions how many people question whether it is even possible to block only people who live in Pennsylvania to child pornography websites. It says that over four hundred and twenty-three websites have been blocked and websites that do not comply with the new law can face up to five thousand dollar fine. Those who are question the strength of the new law want to know exactly which website have been blocked so they can determine two things. One, whether these sites are accessible outside Pennsylvania, and two, whether sites that are not pornographic or pornography related are blocked as well. Some people have completely different views. The article quotes a man named Gary Kreman, a member of ASACP, who disagree, saying that he doesn’t believe the block will work, and that “both police and pedophiles will still be able to access kiddie porn easily”, and that these blocks will not put out the child pornography industry. The ambiguity of the term “child pornography” is mentioned as a possible problem with prosecuting people who commit it. Nonetheless, it is still debatable whether the blocks will be a success or not.
Evaluation: This article is highly recommended for use for both personal gain in knowledge, as well as research and academic purposes. The strengths outweigh the weaknesses by leaps and bounds. The weaknesses solely include the fact that no credentials are included to validate the author, and the fact that though there is a great deal of factual information within the article, it is not entirely bias free. It seems to favor the people who feel that the blocks will not be successful in ending child pornography. However, since the article is found on Wired.com, a website that is a part of Conde Nast Publishing, a company that publishes other reputable sources such as The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, the fact that credentials are not included can be overlooked due to the credibility of the publisher. Besides the credibility and good reputation of the publishing company of the site, there are many other strengths. The author cites and quotes several other sources and people to get her point across in the article, which gives the article validity and makes it reputable. However, this article is several years old. It was published in 2003, making it less than current. However, the information is still valid and brings an interesting perspective to the subject of internet child pornography. Though the domain for the URL is a .com, it is again, published on a website that has a highly reputable publisher. This article, though slightly outdated, showcases a different aspect of the laws regarding pornography, specifically, internet child pornography, and would be a good source to use for any purpose.
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Summary: The article, “State Law Blocks Out Kiddie Porn” is, in short, about a law passed in 2003 in Pennsylvania blocking internet users in Pennsylvania from entering child pornography sites. Despite how this sounds like such a landmark movement against child pornography, some people in Pennsylvania were less than thrilled with the new law. The people against it fear that the law could “inadvertently help traffickers...” of child pornography because law makers and enforcers would no longer have to monitor it so closely and it would eventually come to an “out of sight out of mind” type of thing. The article also mentions how many people question whether it is even possible to block only people who live in Pennsylvania to child pornography websites. It says that over four hundred and twenty-three websites have been blocked and websites that do not comply with the new law can face up to five thousand dollar fine. Those who are question the strength of the new law want to know exactly which website have been blocked so they can determine two things. One, whether these sites are accessible outside Pennsylvania, and two, whether sites that are not pornographic or pornography related are blocked as well. Some people have completely different views. The article quotes a man named Gary Kreman, a member of ASACP, who disagree, saying that he doesn’t believe the block will work, and that “both police and pedophiles will still be able to access kiddie porn easily”, and that these blocks will not put out the child pornography industry. The ambiguity of the term “child pornography” is mentioned as a possible problem with prosecuting people who commit it. Nonetheless, it is still debatable whether the blocks will be a success or not.
Evaluation: This article is highly recommended for use for both personal gain in knowledge, as well as research and academic purposes. The strengths outweigh the weaknesses by leaps and bounds. The weaknesses solely include the fact that no credentials are included to validate the author, and the fact that though there is a great deal of factual information within the article, it is not entirely bias free. It seems to favor the people who feel that the blocks will not be successful in ending child pornography. However, since the article is found on Wired.com, a website that is a part of Conde Nast Publishing, a company that publishes other reputable sources such as The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, and Vogue, the fact that credentials are not included can be overlooked due to the credibility of the publisher. Besides the credibility and good reputation of the publishing company of the site, there are many other strengths. The author cites and quotes several other sources and people to get her point across in the article, which gives the article validity and makes it reputable. However, this article is several years old. It was published in 2003, making it less than current. However, the information is still valid and brings an interesting perspective to the subject of internet child pornography. Though the domain for the URL is a .com, it is again, published on a website that has a highly reputable publisher. This article, though slightly outdated, showcases a different aspect of the laws regarding pornography, specifically, internet child pornography, and would be a good source to use for any purpose.
The Pornography Plague
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Summary: The article, The Pornography Plague, has all the aspects that make a reputable, credible article. An article worthy of being used for academic purposes. It is broken up into several different sections, sources are cited, credentials about the author, and information about the organization sponsoring the article. The first section is simply an introduction to pornography. It includes what pornography is, and how big of a threat it is on society. The next section is entitled “Definitions”. In this section, only two terms are defined: what pornography is, and the definition of obscenity. The author, Kerby Anderson, includes government officials and court cases to properly define these two terms. The next section describes all the different types of pornography. According to Anderson, there are six different types of pornography, each individually has its own paragraph dedicated to throughly explaining what it is. The fourth section talks about the different psychological effects of pornography. Anderson cites many different psychologists and studies to help throughly explain the potential psychological effects pornography may have on an individual. It specifically focuses on the violent effects that pornography can cause, and a person’s sexual beliefs and practices. The next section briefly talks about the possible social effects pornography can have on people. According to the author, it has been difficult to define specific social effects of pornography due to the number of theories out there. The author cite various credible people and their theories of possible social effects of pornography. “Censorship and Freedom of Speech” is the title of the next section. This section mentions many different landmark court cases to describe the different laws and legal actions that have been implemented over the years. The next section discusses how pornography is viewed from a Biblical perspective. Quotations from The Bible are included to help explain how pornography is viewed from a biblical perspective. In short, the Anderson says that The Bible condemns premarital sex and the “misuse of sex”, which the author considers pornography to be.The final section has seven different steps people must do in order to combat pornography. The steps are all fairly simple, and Anderson seems to strongly believe that each must be properly completed in order to fully and properly put an end to pornography.
Evaluation: This article truly has all the aspects a source should have in order to be considered excellent. The only weak aspects of this article is the slight bias found in it, and the lack of recency. It was last updated in July 2002, nearly nine years ago. Nonetheless though, the information regarding the court cases is still valid, as well as the Biblical perspective. Since it is as old as it is, the definitions of terms, such as what exactly constitutes obscenity or pornography may have changed, as well as the laws and legal rights of the FCC. The bias is not extremely obvious, but at the end of the article, the credentials of the author are included, and the reader discovers that the author is president of Probe Ministries, a non-profit ministry, and therefore believes in the Biblical perspective that pornography, is, in short, bad. However, despite these two aspects, the article is very credible and reliable. For example, the author’s credential’s are included, and despite being a part of a religious organization who is strongly against pornography, Kerby Anderson has several degrees from very reputable schools, including an M.F.S from Yale University, and is a nationally syndicated columnist. Probe Ministries, who’s credentials are also included, is the sponsor of the site. It is a known organization, with a credible reputation. So, even though the domain for the URL is a .com, the fact that it is sponsored by a reputable organization validates it. The site has notes with resources that readers can use to gain more information on the subject, the article includes quotes and citations from reliable people, court cases, and legal documents, and, finally, though is a slight bias, it’s purposes is to solely inform. All of these aspects together make this a very reliable source to use.
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Summary: The article, The Pornography Plague, has all the aspects that make a reputable, credible article. An article worthy of being used for academic purposes. It is broken up into several different sections, sources are cited, credentials about the author, and information about the organization sponsoring the article. The first section is simply an introduction to pornography. It includes what pornography is, and how big of a threat it is on society. The next section is entitled “Definitions”. In this section, only two terms are defined: what pornography is, and the definition of obscenity. The author, Kerby Anderson, includes government officials and court cases to properly define these two terms. The next section describes all the different types of pornography. According to Anderson, there are six different types of pornography, each individually has its own paragraph dedicated to throughly explaining what it is. The fourth section talks about the different psychological effects of pornography. Anderson cites many different psychologists and studies to help throughly explain the potential psychological effects pornography may have on an individual. It specifically focuses on the violent effects that pornography can cause, and a person’s sexual beliefs and practices. The next section briefly talks about the possible social effects pornography can have on people. According to the author, it has been difficult to define specific social effects of pornography due to the number of theories out there. The author cite various credible people and their theories of possible social effects of pornography. “Censorship and Freedom of Speech” is the title of the next section. This section mentions many different landmark court cases to describe the different laws and legal actions that have been implemented over the years. The next section discusses how pornography is viewed from a Biblical perspective. Quotations from The Bible are included to help explain how pornography is viewed from a biblical perspective. In short, the Anderson says that The Bible condemns premarital sex and the “misuse of sex”, which the author considers pornography to be.The final section has seven different steps people must do in order to combat pornography. The steps are all fairly simple, and Anderson seems to strongly believe that each must be properly completed in order to fully and properly put an end to pornography.
Evaluation: This article truly has all the aspects a source should have in order to be considered excellent. The only weak aspects of this article is the slight bias found in it, and the lack of recency. It was last updated in July 2002, nearly nine years ago. Nonetheless though, the information regarding the court cases is still valid, as well as the Biblical perspective. Since it is as old as it is, the definitions of terms, such as what exactly constitutes obscenity or pornography may have changed, as well as the laws and legal rights of the FCC. The bias is not extremely obvious, but at the end of the article, the credentials of the author are included, and the reader discovers that the author is president of Probe Ministries, a non-profit ministry, and therefore believes in the Biblical perspective that pornography, is, in short, bad. However, despite these two aspects, the article is very credible and reliable. For example, the author’s credential’s are included, and despite being a part of a religious organization who is strongly against pornography, Kerby Anderson has several degrees from very reputable schools, including an M.F.S from Yale University, and is a nationally syndicated columnist. Probe Ministries, who’s credentials are also included, is the sponsor of the site. It is a known organization, with a credible reputation. So, even though the domain for the URL is a .com, the fact that it is sponsored by a reputable organization validates it. The site has notes with resources that readers can use to gain more information on the subject, the article includes quotes and citations from reliable people, court cases, and legal documents, and, finally, though is a slight bias, it’s purposes is to solely inform. All of these aspects together make this a very reliable source to use.
"Justices Uphold Child Porn Law"
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Summary: The article, “Justices Uphold Child Porn Law” discusses a law created in 2008 due to the court case, United States versus Williams. The law created says that “people who peddle or seek child pornography”, whether it actually exists, will be punished. The article presents both proponents of the new law, as well as people who are wary about it. According to Robert Barnes, the author, the majority of people are proponents of the law. Most people feel that this law will be extremely helpful in finding traffickers of online child pornography and putting an end to it. However, those few who are not fully supportive of the new law fear that the ambiguity of what is considered peddling or seeking child pornography could get unsuspecting people into trouble. Others believe that the new law restricts the Freedom of Speech. Court Justices say though that the law will not infringe upon the Freedom of Speech, and that people who truly not seeking or peddling child pornography, like grandparents sending photos of their grandchildren in a bed, will not be subject to prosecution. Nonetheless, there are still quite a few people wary of how the government will be able to know who is sincerely peddling or seeking child pornography and how the law will really affect the First Amendment.
Evaluation: This article is a very good source to use for academic purposes. Though there are a few weak aspects to it, overall, it is very strong and it’s strengths compensate for the few weak parts in it. For example, the article has an author listed, but credentials are not included. However, the article is found on The Washington Post website. It can then be assumed that since this article is found on a very credible and reputable website, that despite the lack of credentials included for the author, the author must be very credible and reliable. Another weakness of the article is the lack of recency. This article was published in May of 2008, nearly three years ago. Since then, things regarding the law that was created, such as the specific definition of what constitutes child pornography, could have been changed. However, the information about the law at the time of publication, people’s reaction to it, and the court case mentioned throughout the article are all factual. Besides though the purpose to provide factual information and that the article is found on a very credible website, there are a number of other strengths about this article. Other strengths include sources being cited throughout the article and the lack of bias in the article. The author includes quotations from many people in the article to support both sides of the argument that he presents. Also, the author is able to provide information for both sides of the argument without presenting any personal bias on the matter. This article is very strong and provides a great deal of information that can be used for both personal knowledge or academic purposes.
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Summary: The article, “Justices Uphold Child Porn Law” discusses a law created in 2008 due to the court case, United States versus Williams. The law created says that “people who peddle or seek child pornography”, whether it actually exists, will be punished. The article presents both proponents of the new law, as well as people who are wary about it. According to Robert Barnes, the author, the majority of people are proponents of the law. Most people feel that this law will be extremely helpful in finding traffickers of online child pornography and putting an end to it. However, those few who are not fully supportive of the new law fear that the ambiguity of what is considered peddling or seeking child pornography could get unsuspecting people into trouble. Others believe that the new law restricts the Freedom of Speech. Court Justices say though that the law will not infringe upon the Freedom of Speech, and that people who truly not seeking or peddling child pornography, like grandparents sending photos of their grandchildren in a bed, will not be subject to prosecution. Nonetheless, there are still quite a few people wary of how the government will be able to know who is sincerely peddling or seeking child pornography and how the law will really affect the First Amendment.
Evaluation: This article is a very good source to use for academic purposes. Though there are a few weak aspects to it, overall, it is very strong and it’s strengths compensate for the few weak parts in it. For example, the article has an author listed, but credentials are not included. However, the article is found on The Washington Post website. It can then be assumed that since this article is found on a very credible and reputable website, that despite the lack of credentials included for the author, the author must be very credible and reliable. Another weakness of the article is the lack of recency. This article was published in May of 2008, nearly three years ago. Since then, things regarding the law that was created, such as the specific definition of what constitutes child pornography, could have been changed. However, the information about the law at the time of publication, people’s reaction to it, and the court case mentioned throughout the article are all factual. Besides though the purpose to provide factual information and that the article is found on a very credible website, there are a number of other strengths about this article. Other strengths include sources being cited throughout the article and the lack of bias in the article. The author includes quotations from many people in the article to support both sides of the argument that he presents. Also, the author is able to provide information for both sides of the argument without presenting any personal bias on the matter. This article is very strong and provides a great deal of information that can be used for both personal knowledge or academic purposes.
Shouse Law Group
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Summary: The Shouse Law Group website has a page dedicated to giving information regarding being accused and prosecuted for child pornography. It begins with a brief introduction of what child pornography is and what happens if one is convicted of child pornography. Seven different sections regarding child pornography and being accused of it are also included.The first question posed is “How Does California Define Child Pornography?” It defines child pornography in California, and where one can find this definition in legal documents. It then specifies what sexual conduct is, as well as including what a person can be prosecuted for involving child pornography and citing the Penal Codes where they can be found. The next question asked is “How Does the Prosecutor Prove that I am Guilty of an Offense Involving Child Pornography?” In this section, it says that there are two things a prosecutor must prove to convict an individual: that a person knowingly committed child pornography and that the person knew that the people involved were under eighteen. It continues saying that besides these two facts, to prove a person is guilty of child pornography, it depends on the specific allegations. The next section provides information on internet sting operations. It says that these operations are “on the rise” and one of the most popular ways to find people committing child pornography offenses. This section also talks about “peer to peer” sharing, or when people “eliminate an Internet server and directly link their computers together’, search warrants, and sexting, or when people send sexual messages to one another. The next question asks about the possible defenses to child pornography charges. The site lists several different ways people can combat these charges, including: claiming entrapment, illegal search and seizure, innocence, inapplicable content, age issues, false accusations, and psychological addiction. The next section talks about punishments for being convicted of child pornography. The site says that the exact punishment depends on what exactly you’re being charged of, your criminal history, and whether it’s a state or federal crime that’s been committed. The next section talks about child pornography and related offenses. In this section, examples of offenses and descriptions of them, are included. The final section compares Nevada’s child pornography laws with California’s. There is not much difference, only that the sentencing is much tougher. Additional resources, legal references, and contact information are all included at the end of the article.
Evaluation: This website is considered an excellent source for a variety of reasons. The weakest aspect of this site is the lack of author identification. We, as the reader, know that the Shouse Law Group has published this article, but there is no specification of who actually wrote the article and their credentials. However, since this article is found on a website that is sponsored by a reputable organization, the Shouse Law Group, a reader can assume that a lawyer who is an expert on the topic has written the webpage. The author uses a number of sources to support what they are saying. They cite penal codes and use other legal references, all of which are cited at the end of the webpage, strengthening the validity of the webpage. Also, the cite’s purpose is to provide factual and helpful information regarding child pornography, so even though the domain for the URL is a .com, the fact that it is sponsored by a reputable business and is only trying to provide the facts on child pornography, the skepticism that often comes along with a .com can be overlooked. Finally, the cite has been updated within the last year, making the information provided on it very recent, and strengthening this site even more.
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Summary: The Shouse Law Group website has a page dedicated to giving information regarding being accused and prosecuted for child pornography. It begins with a brief introduction of what child pornography is and what happens if one is convicted of child pornography. Seven different sections regarding child pornography and being accused of it are also included.The first question posed is “How Does California Define Child Pornography?” It defines child pornography in California, and where one can find this definition in legal documents. It then specifies what sexual conduct is, as well as including what a person can be prosecuted for involving child pornography and citing the Penal Codes where they can be found. The next question asked is “How Does the Prosecutor Prove that I am Guilty of an Offense Involving Child Pornography?” In this section, it says that there are two things a prosecutor must prove to convict an individual: that a person knowingly committed child pornography and that the person knew that the people involved were under eighteen. It continues saying that besides these two facts, to prove a person is guilty of child pornography, it depends on the specific allegations. The next section provides information on internet sting operations. It says that these operations are “on the rise” and one of the most popular ways to find people committing child pornography offenses. This section also talks about “peer to peer” sharing, or when people “eliminate an Internet server and directly link their computers together’, search warrants, and sexting, or when people send sexual messages to one another. The next question asks about the possible defenses to child pornography charges. The site lists several different ways people can combat these charges, including: claiming entrapment, illegal search and seizure, innocence, inapplicable content, age issues, false accusations, and psychological addiction. The next section talks about punishments for being convicted of child pornography. The site says that the exact punishment depends on what exactly you’re being charged of, your criminal history, and whether it’s a state or federal crime that’s been committed. The next section talks about child pornography and related offenses. In this section, examples of offenses and descriptions of them, are included. The final section compares Nevada’s child pornography laws with California’s. There is not much difference, only that the sentencing is much tougher. Additional resources, legal references, and contact information are all included at the end of the article.
Evaluation: This website is considered an excellent source for a variety of reasons. The weakest aspect of this site is the lack of author identification. We, as the reader, know that the Shouse Law Group has published this article, but there is no specification of who actually wrote the article and their credentials. However, since this article is found on a website that is sponsored by a reputable organization, the Shouse Law Group, a reader can assume that a lawyer who is an expert on the topic has written the webpage. The author uses a number of sources to support what they are saying. They cite penal codes and use other legal references, all of which are cited at the end of the webpage, strengthening the validity of the webpage. Also, the cite’s purpose is to provide factual and helpful information regarding child pornography, so even though the domain for the URL is a .com, the fact that it is sponsored by a reputable business and is only trying to provide the facts on child pornography, the skepticism that often comes along with a .com can be overlooked. Finally, the cite has been updated within the last year, making the information provided on it very recent, and strengthening this site even more.
Legal Directories: Child Pornography
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Summary: This website provides a great deal of information about child pornography and the laws that concern it. The first part of the website talks about what specifically constitutes child pornography, what things are considered exceptions to child pornography, and punishments for being convicted of a child pornography offense. The next section has all the different laws against child pornography and the protection of child. The name of the law is included, as is as brief description of the law. These laws mention are: the Child Online Protection Act, the exact definition of Child Pornography, the Children’s Internet Protection Act, the Communications Decency Act, the description of Pedophilia and the law, the Protection Act of 2003, and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. The next section is called “US Federal Child Pornography Statutes” and includes six different statutes related to protecting child. For each statute, there is a brief description of it. A few European and other International laws and how they chose to handle child pornography are included in the next two sections. Similarly to the child pornography and protection laws in the US, there is a brief description of each of the laws. The next section includes information on many different organizations who’s purpose to to protect child, specifically from child pornography. Other resources, such as related publications, articles, attorneys, and law guides are found at the end of the webpage. This webpage provides a lot of information of child pornography and the laws that surround it.
Evaluation: This website provides a great deal of information. However, despite all the information that is provided, there are a few weaknesses. Overall, these weaknesses do not deter from the overall credibility of the webpage. The biggest weakness is that the author of the webpage is not identified. This can cause concern because as the reader, one does not know how much knowledge or expertise the author has on the subject, making their credibility questionable. However, almost all the information the author provides has other reliable sources cited that support it, making the information more credible. Another strength of the webpage is that the purpose of the site is to solely provide factual information. There is no bias present within the site, which makes it an even more credible, seeing as no specific services or goods are being promoted. Also, the site has been updated within the past year, making the information very recent, increasing the strength of the webpage. But, by far the biggest strength of the webpage is the fact that there is not only a description of the various laws, organizations, and other resources, but the fact that the names of the laws, organizations, and resources are hyperlinks that go to other sites that then give more information on that specific issue shows that the author has done their research and wants to provide the reader with as much information as possible. This website has so much great information on it and would be a great resource to use under any circumstances.
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Summary: This website provides a great deal of information about child pornography and the laws that concern it. The first part of the website talks about what specifically constitutes child pornography, what things are considered exceptions to child pornography, and punishments for being convicted of a child pornography offense. The next section has all the different laws against child pornography and the protection of child. The name of the law is included, as is as brief description of the law. These laws mention are: the Child Online Protection Act, the exact definition of Child Pornography, the Children’s Internet Protection Act, the Communications Decency Act, the description of Pedophilia and the law, the Protection Act of 2003, and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section. The next section is called “US Federal Child Pornography Statutes” and includes six different statutes related to protecting child. For each statute, there is a brief description of it. A few European and other International laws and how they chose to handle child pornography are included in the next two sections. Similarly to the child pornography and protection laws in the US, there is a brief description of each of the laws. The next section includes information on many different organizations who’s purpose to to protect child, specifically from child pornography. Other resources, such as related publications, articles, attorneys, and law guides are found at the end of the webpage. This webpage provides a lot of information of child pornography and the laws that surround it.
Evaluation: This website provides a great deal of information. However, despite all the information that is provided, there are a few weaknesses. Overall, these weaknesses do not deter from the overall credibility of the webpage. The biggest weakness is that the author of the webpage is not identified. This can cause concern because as the reader, one does not know how much knowledge or expertise the author has on the subject, making their credibility questionable. However, almost all the information the author provides has other reliable sources cited that support it, making the information more credible. Another strength of the webpage is that the purpose of the site is to solely provide factual information. There is no bias present within the site, which makes it an even more credible, seeing as no specific services or goods are being promoted. Also, the site has been updated within the past year, making the information very recent, increasing the strength of the webpage. But, by far the biggest strength of the webpage is the fact that there is not only a description of the various laws, organizations, and other resources, but the fact that the names of the laws, organizations, and resources are hyperlinks that go to other sites that then give more information on that specific issue shows that the author has done their research and wants to provide the reader with as much information as possible. This website has so much great information on it and would be a great resource to use under any circumstances.
"Supreme Court Lets Internet Porn Law Die"
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Summary: The article, “Supreme Court lets Internet porn law die” is about the Supreme Court deciding to “let a ten year old anti-pornography law die.” According to David Savage, the author, it was struck down due to free speech infringement. People in favor of allowing the law to die felt that the law was not successful in keeping pornography out of the hands of children on the internet, and that software filters should be installed on computers to prevent child from getting ahold of pornographic material. In 2004, the law was first sent to the Supreme Court for violating the First Amendment. It was eventually sent to the appeals court in Pennsylvania where it was determined that it was unconstitutional, and supporting the software filters. The article mentions several times how the Bush administration felt that letting the law die was, in short, a mistake. The article quotes the Bush administration, saying that by killing the law it leaves “millions of children unprotected from the harmful effects of the enormous amounts of pornography.” As the article continues, it explains how the Supreme Court Justices each voted in regard of either killing the law or letting it continue. The last few paragraphs of the article discuss various other acts that have been enacted over the years to create more fair environments based on sex.
Evaluation: This article offers quite a bit of information, and, overall, has many strong attributes. Its biggest strengths include the fact that it is found on the Los Angeles Times website, a very reputable source, and that the author, David Savage, cites a number of reliable sources, including the Bush administration, Supreme Court Justices, and several laws and acts. One weak aspect is that, although there is an author, his credentials are not included. However, contact information for Savage is provided, and the fact that the article is found on such a reputable website, one can assume that Savage is a reliable author. Another weak aspect is the recency of the article. It is not extremely old, just over two years old. But, in that time, things regarding this law being killed or other aspects could have changed. Despite this weakness, other strengths include the article being fact based, with little to no bias being present, and, even though the website’s URL is a .com, the website has a very strong, credible reputation. A final aspect of the article that could be considered weak are the last few paragraphs of the article. The paragraphs talk about other laws and acts that have be implamented over the years to make equality for people in regards towards gender. They have little to do with the main subject of the article, and seem to just be filler.
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Summary: The article, “Supreme Court lets Internet porn law die” is about the Supreme Court deciding to “let a ten year old anti-pornography law die.” According to David Savage, the author, it was struck down due to free speech infringement. People in favor of allowing the law to die felt that the law was not successful in keeping pornography out of the hands of children on the internet, and that software filters should be installed on computers to prevent child from getting ahold of pornographic material. In 2004, the law was first sent to the Supreme Court for violating the First Amendment. It was eventually sent to the appeals court in Pennsylvania where it was determined that it was unconstitutional, and supporting the software filters. The article mentions several times how the Bush administration felt that letting the law die was, in short, a mistake. The article quotes the Bush administration, saying that by killing the law it leaves “millions of children unprotected from the harmful effects of the enormous amounts of pornography.” As the article continues, it explains how the Supreme Court Justices each voted in regard of either killing the law or letting it continue. The last few paragraphs of the article discuss various other acts that have been enacted over the years to create more fair environments based on sex.
Evaluation: This article offers quite a bit of information, and, overall, has many strong attributes. Its biggest strengths include the fact that it is found on the Los Angeles Times website, a very reputable source, and that the author, David Savage, cites a number of reliable sources, including the Bush administration, Supreme Court Justices, and several laws and acts. One weak aspect is that, although there is an author, his credentials are not included. However, contact information for Savage is provided, and the fact that the article is found on such a reputable website, one can assume that Savage is a reliable author. Another weak aspect is the recency of the article. It is not extremely old, just over two years old. But, in that time, things regarding this law being killed or other aspects could have changed. Despite this weakness, other strengths include the article being fact based, with little to no bias being present, and, even though the website’s URL is a .com, the website has a very strong, credible reputation. A final aspect of the article that could be considered weak are the last few paragraphs of the article. The paragraphs talk about other laws and acts that have be implamented over the years to make equality for people in regards towards gender. They have little to do with the main subject of the article, and seem to just be filler.
Pornography, Obscenity, and the Law
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Summary: The webpage, Pornography, Obscenity and the Law is a rather short webpage, but discusses many different aspects of pornography and obscenity, and how each relates to the law. The major part of the law that this webpage talks about is pornography and obscenity, and its relation to the First Amendment. According to the webpage, the First Amendment does cover adult pornography, but does not include child pornography or obscenity. The webpage then continues to explain what exactly pornography is. It then continues into explaining how and when it “crosses the line”. According to the author of the webpage, pornography loses its First Amendment protection when it becomes child pornography or it is considered obscene by either state or federal definition. It then goes into describing what exactly is considered obscene and what exactly is considered child pornography. In the final section, possible questions for an attorney are posed. Despite the short length of this webpage, a lot of information is provided, and done so in a very understandable and brief manner. Related websites and resources are also included should a reader have more questions on the topic of pornography, child pornography, obscenity, and the laws regarding each.
Evaluation: There are many strong attributes about this webpage, but the weakest aspect is the unidentified author. This does hurt the credibility of the webpage, but can be overlooked due to credibility of the website. Information regarding the website can be found at the bottom of the page, under the “About Us” link. Contact information, as well as brief history of the sponsor is included, making the site much more credible. Another strength is that is has been updated within the past year. Because of this, the information is as recent as it could possibly be, strengthening the credibility of this as a valid source even more. Also, its purpose is to simply provide factual information. Not to promote a product or service, but to just inform people. This, again, also gives the article strength. The fact that all the information is relevant to each other, and that the author stays on topic throughout the entire webpage shows that the author is not trying to distract a reader from possible misleading information or incorrect information. This article, though short and brief, would be a great starting point for anyone doing research on the topic of pornography and the law. Though it does not go into great detail about anything, it provides a great starting point and gives a reader at least a basic knowledge on the subject.
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Summary: The webpage, Pornography, Obscenity and the Law is a rather short webpage, but discusses many different aspects of pornography and obscenity, and how each relates to the law. The major part of the law that this webpage talks about is pornography and obscenity, and its relation to the First Amendment. According to the webpage, the First Amendment does cover adult pornography, but does not include child pornography or obscenity. The webpage then continues to explain what exactly pornography is. It then continues into explaining how and when it “crosses the line”. According to the author of the webpage, pornography loses its First Amendment protection when it becomes child pornography or it is considered obscene by either state or federal definition. It then goes into describing what exactly is considered obscene and what exactly is considered child pornography. In the final section, possible questions for an attorney are posed. Despite the short length of this webpage, a lot of information is provided, and done so in a very understandable and brief manner. Related websites and resources are also included should a reader have more questions on the topic of pornography, child pornography, obscenity, and the laws regarding each.
Evaluation: There are many strong attributes about this webpage, but the weakest aspect is the unidentified author. This does hurt the credibility of the webpage, but can be overlooked due to credibility of the website. Information regarding the website can be found at the bottom of the page, under the “About Us” link. Contact information, as well as brief history of the sponsor is included, making the site much more credible. Another strength is that is has been updated within the past year. Because of this, the information is as recent as it could possibly be, strengthening the credibility of this as a valid source even more. Also, its purpose is to simply provide factual information. Not to promote a product or service, but to just inform people. This, again, also gives the article strength. The fact that all the information is relevant to each other, and that the author stays on topic throughout the entire webpage shows that the author is not trying to distract a reader from possible misleading information or incorrect information. This article, though short and brief, would be a great starting point for anyone doing research on the topic of pornography and the law. Though it does not go into great detail about anything, it provides a great starting point and gives a reader at least a basic knowledge on the subject.
Content created by Kelci Eby.
