The porn dilemma

But the problem with filtering software in Taiwan, many say, is a language barrier. According to Chang Shi-chiang (張世強), who runs a computer software outlet in Taipei, although there are filtering programs available in Chinese the person administering it must have a knowledge of the material they want blocked, and a street-savvy vocabulary.

"Most filters use a database of sites that are known to be objectionable. But new sites are created every day -- thousands of them," Chang said. "The second layer of protection is to enter a list of keywords. If one of those words appears on the page, it will be blocked. But most parents don't know what words to enter."

"Some people ask me if I have a list I could give them," he said. "I don't dare hand out such a list."

A parent himself, Chang points out that all the popular Web browsers have history modes that allow users to see every site visited in the past week or more, something he checks regularly with his own kids.

"You can't build fences everywhere," he said. "My teenagers know where they're not supposed to go and they know I'll find out if they do." Asked if he thought ISPs should be held more accountable for what users post on their sites, he compared the service they offer to the services offered by phone companies.

"If we didn't have phones in our homes, we wouldn't be interrupted during dinner by people trying to sell us things," he said jokingly. "ISPs are responsible only for setting the rules. It's up to the rest of us to abide by them."

The owner of the adult movie theater, who asked not to be named, said he'd like to see a return to the days when the adult movie industry was more of an industry, before video and the Internet put theaters like his out of business. His reasons may be the practical considerations of a businessman, but he mentions another factor for preferring the way things used to be.

"You used to only be able to watch adult movies in adult movie theaters," he said. "I'd have young boys from the neighborhood trying to sneak in through the back door and if I caught them at it too often I'd tell their parents. Now that you can get adult movies on the Internet, I don't have boys trying to sneak a peek. Now they sneak a peek on their parents' computer."

Though he said he was relieved at no longer having to police his theater for wayward teens, he expressed sympathy for parents who likely aren't aware of what their children are viewing on the Internet.

"I hear of girls who try to meet men over the Internet for sex," he said. "They're not looking for a boyfriend; they want to make money!" For his part, Chang looks at the problem from a different perspective.

"Your kids are going to see things you wish they wouldn't have," he said. "Maybe the real problem isn't that they're seeing it, but that we parents don't know how to talk to them about what they see."