How does PICS-based filtering differ from stand-alone systems?
Stand-alone filtering products generally include lists of sites to be filtered and explicit filtering criteria. Purchasers of these products are tied to the filtering decisions made by the software vendor. PICS-based software uses an alternative approach based on distributed sharing of ratings information. Instead of using blocking lists or keyword searches, programs that use PICS use standardized “ratings systems” to determine which sites should be blocked. Available from software vendors or from Internet sites, these ratings systems are be used to describe the content of Internet sites (see question 3.7 for a description of how PICS works in practice). Users of PICS-based software are usually given the ability to choose which ratings system they would like to use. As an open standard, PICS can be used for a wide range of applications. In addition to providing a means for blocking content deemed unsuitable for children, PICS might also be used for describing content in terms of its ed
