L’Observateur / May 3, 2000

Do we all need to get wired? Congressman Billy Tauzin thinks so, and he urged at a recent luncheon that schools, businesses and private citizens get on the internet and join the global community.

With the internet so prevalent in the public eye Louisiana remains one of the least-wired states, as only Mississippi and Arkansas have fewer internet connections.

Tauzin declared every business and every household should be internet- connected. With cheaper computers and virtually free access, computersare increasingly important to everyone, in everything from education to shopping to daily management.

While this all sounds good, the internet still has weaknesses.

As of yet, no means has been developed to tax transactions on the internet.

While more and more shopping goes online, sales taxes are not collected and this will have an adverse effect on local government, law enforcement and schools.

While shopping is quick, convenient and offers mind-boggling variety on the internet, it is increasingly easy to steal credit card information. This opensup everything from fraudulent purchases to identity theft.

While more and more children are gaining access to the internet, more and more sexual predators are gaining access to children, coaxing them into encounters which will wreck their lives.

While juvenile pranksters will always be with us, more and more of them are internet-savvy. A recent example of this was a 14-year-old who for a timetotally wrecked eBay, Amazon.com and CNN’s computer system. Imagine thehavoc which could be caused by terrorists with something to gain by devastating a society overly dependent on computers.

While the spectre of this was brought up during the Y2K scare, little has been done to insure adequate power supply. Power failures can completelyderail activities urged onto the internet, a weakness known to terrorists.

While many positive strides in social justice have been made in the past 50 years, much of those advances have been crippled by the access to the internet by various hate groups, espousing their hurtful beliefs and poisoning our society.

While children are gaining incredible hand-eye coordination through their increasing use of computers, more are also developing carpel-tunnel syndrome and spending too much time with their computers, failing to exercise their bodies, imaginations and social skills.

While Congressman Tauzin is correct in saying Louisiana needs to become more linked with the rest of the world through the power and influence of the internet, he could be more mindful of the possible consequences when a society becomes too weak in body, mind and spirit.

– L’Observateur

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