By Jonathan Gray
The super fast Ethernet connections here on campus are not being used for educational purposes, according to a new study released by The Louisville Cardinal.
According to the study, 79% of campus residents, who have a much faster connection to the World Wide Web than most computer users, have downloaded “non-educational materials” at least 10 times in the past month.
“Non-educational materials” can range from .mp3 music files to various types of pornography.
“There’s nothing to limit what and how much you download,” says Phillip Usher, a junior English major.
Usher continued, “There’s a world of bootlegged music and hardcore pornography out there, and the call is just too great to resist.”
He added, “At this point though, I’m desensitized to the porn, and with 1,000 songs downloaded, my musical cravings are pretty much met.”
Although Napster and other .mp3 downloading programs have been shut down by artists’ groups, the main concern is the downloading of pornography from the Internet.
Many people on campus say that pornography is degrading to women and tends to damage viewers’ ability to commit to long term relationships because they put unattainable goals on their partners.
Usher defends himself, saying, “Although I wish I was dating a porn star, I realize that real women simply can’t subject themselves to that. Porn stars aren’t human, they’re machines and they get paid very well, so I’m just glad they’re making movies and not living off welfare.”
Bridget Hanover, a senior philosophy major and resident feminist, maintains that ideas such as Usher’s show the problem with people who view pornography.
“The problem with porn is just what he [Usher] said. The people watching forget that they are human beings with emotions and real life problems, not just pieces of meat.”
Those polled who avoid watching pornography usually cited religious beliefs as their reason. Freshman graphic design major Sam Russell said “I’m a pretty devout Catholic, so I think it would be immoral of me to watch pornography. It not only degrades women, but leads to lustful thoughts.”
Sophomore electrical engineering major Tom Mahoney, who is also Catholic, said that despite his religious convictions, the temptation is sometimes more than he can resist. “I decided I should give up porno for Lent. It was porn or bubble gum, and I thought that I couldn’t ever go 40 days without my bubble gum.”
Mahoney explained how he strayed from his path. “I was doing really, really well until I got bored one night. My computer beckoned me from afar, I just couldn’t say no to the temptation… to punish myself afterwards, I decided to not chew any bubble gum. That worked out, and boy, am I glad that Easter has come and gone.”
This is not to say that the Ethernet is used for purely evil means. Usher said, “I really do get a lot of it [research] done. It’s just too bad that porn is always out there, tempting me.”
