The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, December 05, 2000, Image 15

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    , December 5, 2000
Page 7B “
JS^
THE BATTALION
-lUj' ^ -mm
ine price of communal living?
t looks be.. JL Cy
bwdown ofResNet due to lack of courtesy; network is a shared resource
1
ga
' their
I with sir
-'^claimed, |
o power it
nnersaid
< less than
the fir'll jH s any-
spread: ■ one
Bed to
e a 56K
Hm to
■load
t prc\::.Bwhile
what the tniltaneous-
e in hoi: suiting the
itches nfBknows, Internet connection
ie solan ^ed can be fickle.
)romise i I Recently, several Texas A&M
movers udents have complained about
and stead CM connections from on-cam-
s sickle iBomputers.
r es,”1ai5.|While the University’s net-
flight. B is light years faster than
56K modem, it still is capa-
Bf transferring only a fi-
# ite amount of data at any
dven time.
V lit response to complaints
B on-campus students
aoiit slow ResNet performance,
OTtpiting and Information
Bees (CIS) has distributed a
iemo asking ResNet users to
their use of the network.
the other side of campus.
Nonetheless, students should
still have that respect for each
other.
Tom Putnam, director of
CIS, said A&M has a
problem with
several on-
students sharing their MP3 collec
tions on programs like Napster.
Putnam said MP3 servers con
stitute
However, it is the virtue these
students should adhere to. A&M’s
ResNet was not designed for
dozens of students to run multi
gig servers daily, especially while
others are undoubtedly running
similar, but smaller
servers.
tig
rdiac sm
fthelyle
B/hile the issue here is a prob-
m child of new technology, its
jftion lies in old-fashioned
o close ti
so bloodci
adily."
/ at the
| yf'f yDjtimon courtesy.
11 ' .'ResNet users need to under-
! ^ ' land they are dealing with a
i " 111 frBed resource and respect oth-
'P® 1 '■frights to use that service.
^ -jv er(Bn-campus residential life is
, 1 uilt;around the principle of mu-
1 tal respect — the unspoken, but
id fie wlB rst0()c1 ’ t )U ^ er t * lut keeps
'l ]|s ', I opmmates from trashing each
, ither’s sides of the room, and
1 imltimt ( i e q Lientiall y keeps every-
vk refusi 10 ^ 8 tempers at ease.
Blsually roommates are able to
Bkoul their squabbles just by
■fling to each other.
, Blowever, when it comes to on-
Bpus Internet access, overlook-
ng i hat respect can be easier.
Bfter all, an individual who
Bs bandwidth by running multi-
tie Napster connections all day
' Bs not have to face the students
ho cannot check their email on
campus stu-
dents who serve,
that is, make huge
amounts of data available
for outside users to download.
Putnam said there are several
dozen students that serve more
than two gigabytes of data every
day.
He said twd typd's df'data are
clogging ResNet’s bandwidth.
Students offering streaming
video from their computers to
outside downloaders are taking
the biggest toll on ResNet’s per
formance.
The second resource drain is
the largest
number of stu
dent-run servers on campus.
Moderation is not a trait peo
ple often exhibit while using Nap
ster or any tile-sharing program.
ResNet was
created students to conduct online
business pertaining to their school
work.
While nobody expects students
to use the network only for down
loading notes and conducting re
search, blatant and frivolous dis
proportionate use deserves
punishment.
A memo by the Student Con
flict Resolution Services stated
that A&M takes the abuse of
computing resources seriously.
Every semester, ResNet users
have had their Internet access
rightfully cut off for misusing on-
campus computers, even if it is
their personal computers.
'Putnam said that, in the past,
offenses worthy of blocking a
user’s access to the network have
included running FTP servers
that create holes in the Universi
ty’s firewall and breaking Uni
versity rules by, for example,
sending harassing messages over
the Internet.
Putnam’s memo said that
heavy-bandwidth users will be
warned before action is taken
against them, and if their
computers continue to exceed
set data transfer limits, they
will be blocked from using
ResNet.
CIS should continue its strict
enforcement of Student Life
rules and shut down students
who hog network bandwidth and
slow down other students’ Inter
net access.
Living on-campus depends
upon residents exhibiting com
mon courtesy and trying not to
step on one another’s toes.
When students share an on-
campus computer network, mu
tual respect and mod
eration would keep
users from forc
ing CIS to
rightfully cut
off their Internet
access and would allow
the network to run at peak perfor
mance for all students.
Eric Dickens is a senior
English major.
R stronger standard
Ml
Motorcycles more dangerous; licensing should be harder
uni \ otorcycles
are too
danger-
pus. I have heard sto
les of terrible motorcy
cle accidents and do not
iant to be involved in
me. Those motorcycles
B too risky to ride.”
■ Anyone who has
owned or driven a motorcycle probably has
tieard these words.
■ In the grand scheme of things, they are
true. Motorcycles are riskier to drive than
cars or trucks.
■ To reduce this risk, Texas needs to in-
pease the licensing requirements for oper
ating a motorcycle.
■ The licensing process should put more
Bnphasis on education by requiring a mo-
jorcycle driver safety course.
IB According to reports, for every mile dri-.
!ven on a motorcycle, a motorcycle driver is
;15 times more likely to be in an accident
| than if they were driving a car.
I This difference in risk exists because of
; ;the functional differences between a car
! 'and a motorcycle.
1 Cars have four wheels for stability and
impact bars in the doors to offer all-around
protection for the driver and passengers.
Motorcycles sacrifice these amenities
for better maneuverability and gas
mileage and the experience of riding clos
er to nature.
Adding doors and wheels to a motorcy
cle in the name of safety would violate the
very nature of a motorcycle.
Motorcycles
are also riskier
because of driver
education. The
more educated
and knowledge
able motorcycle
drivers are, the
lesk likely they
are to put them
selves in danger
ous situations.
Jackie Vaughn,
an instructor for the Course for Motorcycle
Riders, said, “Superior riders never get
themselves into situations requiring superi
or skills.”
To obtain a motorcycle license in Texas,
one must pass a short multiple-choice
exam on general motorcycle riding tech
niques and a driving test.
Texas needs to increase the li
censing requirements for oper
ating a motorcycle. The licens
ing process should put more
emphasis on education by re
quiring a motorcycle driver
safety course.
The driving test can be waived by tak
ing a Texas Department of Public Safety-
approved basic motorcycle operator train
ing course.
One of these courses is the Course for
Motorcycle Riders. The class offers
classroom and riding instruction over a
weekend.
Students in the course need no experi
ence at all in rid
ing a motorcycle
and need to bring
protective gear.
The course
demonstrates all
types of environ
ments riders will
encounter while
driving in hopes
that being ex
posed to these
techniques will
make them safer drivers.
Rather than making this course act sole
ly as a waiver for the driving portion of the
license test, it should be a requirement.
When 15-year-olds first get their
instructional permits to drive cars, the
purpose is to allow them to become
accustomed to driving with experi
enced drivers with them.
Most teen-agers are capable of passing
the driving portion to get their licenses
when they first get their instruction per
mits. The purpose of driver’s education and
instruction permits is to let them gain expe
rience during that year.
Beginning motorcyclists do not have
this option. They miss out on gaining that
experience.
Likewise, they may be able to pass the
driving test but not possess the experience
or knowledge to be safe drivers.
The National Highway and Traffic Safe
ty Association Website says a motorcycle
license is “the only method state licensing
agencies have to ensure they (drivers) have
the knowledge and skill needed to safely
and skillfully operate a motorcycle.”
A motorcycle-driving test or written test
cannot test every situation a driver will en
counter on a motorcycle.
In this light, a driver safety course, in
addition to driving and written tests, should
be required to educate drivers and reduce
motorcycle accidents.
Reid Bader is a junior
political science major.
NteUxtevlil'i
The Battalion encourages letters to the editor. Letters must be
300 words or less and include the author’s name, class and phone
number.
The opinion editor reserves the right to edit letters for length, style,
and accuracy.
Letters may be submitted in person at 014 Reed McDonald with
a valid student ID.
Letters may also be mailed to:
The Battalion - Mail Call
014 Reed McDonald
Texas A&M University
1111TAMU
College Station, Texas 77843
Campus Mail: 1111
Fax: (979) 84S2647
E-mail: battletters@hotmall.com
Columns and letters appearing in The Battalion express the
opinion of the authors only.
They do not necessarily reflect the opinion of other Battal
ion staff members, the Texas A&M student body, regents, ad
ministrators, faculty or staff.
Misleading
R rating confusing to
parents, a poor standard
W hen the film
Erin Brock-
ovich came out
last year, it was given
an R rating. Children
under the age of 17
could not see it unless
accompanied by an
adult — at least, that is
what the law says
should happen.
The movie is the true story of a coura
geous woman who fought for a small
community that was lied to by a company
that polluted its water.
The film teaches a lesson about having
the courage to stand up against something
that is wrong.
But, unless accompanied by an adult,
children under 17 were not allowed to see
it or learn this lesson.
Parents have the right to decide what
movies are appropriate for their children,
but the current R rating does not allow
them to make an educated decision.
The rating system grouping movies
with foul language, sex and violence in
the same rating, does not provide a fair re
flection of all films in this category.
Christopher Stern of the Washington
Post said Erin Brockovich, “a likely
contender for best picture, got an R rat
ing strictly for language.”
Because the film included some bad
words, many young viewers missed an in
credible story.
There was no way for adults to know
exactly what they were (or were not) per
mitting their children to see unless they
had previously seen the film.
Recently, movie studios and theater
owners have taken a look at changing the
32-year-old rating system to provide par
ents with better information about movie
content. .
The new system would identify R-rat-
ed movies that are given the rating based
solely on their language.
The new system not only would allow
parents to have a better understanding of
the ratings given to specific films, but it
would help them explain the basis behind
what movies their children are permitted
to see.
The supporters of the new ratings are
not saying it is OK for all teens to see cer
tain R-rated films, but that there should be
a better way to distinguish what is being
restricted.
Parents have the right to
decide what movies are
E ropriate for their chil-
}, but the current R
rating does not allow
them to make an educat
ed decision.
Many parents may choose to let their
children see certain R-rated films, but not
others, and that is their right.
But making the decision is the hardest
part right now.
Children should be permitted to see
films that their parents deem appropriate
based on the subjects, not solely on the
children’s ages.
Some 15-year-olds are probably not
ready for certain films, but many are ma
ture enough, and only their parents can
gauge this level of development.
The president of the Motion Picture
Association of America, Jack Valenti, said
the rating system has been changed only a
few times, most recently when the X rat
ing was changed to NC-17. -
Valenti said he has heard from several
groups who support a change.
In the 32 years the current ratings have
been in use, movies have changed — it is
time that the rating system be altered to fit
these changes.
There are movies that include a great
deal of meaningless violence inappropri
ate for children to see, but there are also
films that tell stories of inspirational peo
ple like Erin Brockovich.
There must be a way to differentiate
between these two.
Unfortunately, there are parents who do
not pay attention to what their children
watch, and these kids have seen even the
worst R-rated films.
A new rating system would call atten
tion to what certain films are really about
and then parents be able to take a stronger
stand on what they allow their children to
watch.
Melissa Bedsole is a junior
psychology major.
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