Kids' book takes on Web ethics

A Seminole couple donates 1,000 copies of their book to Pinellas schools.

By JULIANNE WU

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 20, 2001

SEMINOLE -- When their children discovered how to get someone else's password eight years ago, Winn Schwartau decided to write a kids' book on computer ethics.

In April of this year, he and his wife, Sherra, published Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids (and Parents and Teachers Who Haven't Got a Clue) through their company, Interpact Inc., which develops security awareness programs for private, public and governmental organizations.

The book came after input and many revisions from educators, lawyers, business professionals and even a few former hackers (not criminals).

The Schwartaus, Seminole residents since 1992, have donated 1,000 copies to the Pinellas County School District. There are seven other U.S. school districts also scheduled to use the book.

Judy Ambler, supervisor of instructional technology for Pinellas County schools, praised Schwartau's research.

"I think the book is outstanding and has great illustrations," she said. "It is done in a format that kids can understand and relate to. It's a wonderful resource."

Schwartau, 49, said he donated the books to Pinellas schools for several reasons. "First, our kids are receiving a tremendous education here. And the opportunities are endless for anyone who wants their kids to succeed."

Ashley Schwartau, 16, is a junior in the International Baccalaureate program at St. Petersburg High and Adam, 10, is a Seminole Middle School sixth-grader. Both attended Seminole Elementary School.

"Our family wanted to give something back to the community," said Mrs. Schwartau, 46. "We really believe in this subject."

Schwartau has written more than a dozen adult books on computer information and security, and a novel. He is considered a leading authority and has testified before Congress, advised committees and consulted as an expert witness in some trials.

He lectures throughout the world and appears regularly on American, European and Asian television shows, major television networks and cable stations including CNN, BBC and CNBC, and numerous radio shows nationwide. And he and Sherra founded NiceKids.net, a cyber-ethics Web site for kids, parents, families and teachers, as a follow-up to the book.

In the book's acknowledgements section, Schwartau explains why he wrote Internet and Computer Ethics for Kids, which has 40 chapters and humorous illustrations by D.L. Busch.

"As parents, we may wish to shield our offspring from things we find inappropriate or offensive," he wrote.

"While we tend to understand traditional ethics . . . in the physical world, new technologies have opened up a world of new and very gray areas. . . . We may not even know what the questions are, much less the answers."

Whether done innocently or maliciously, hackers, especially young people, have done considerable damage, he said.

"Teenagers have shut down airports and emergency 911 systems; manipulated the stock market for intense profit; triggered potential international incidents and have caused untold billions of dollars in damage every year," he wrote. In Chapter 4, Schwartau tells how he dabbled in phone hacking briefly as a teen in the 1960s.

Although the FBI came to his door and gave him a stern warning, he was not arrested, he said. "I learned my lesson."

"Instead of asking, do you know where your children are, we should ask parents, do you know what your child is doing with his or her computer," Schwartau said. The book ($15.95, Interpact Press) is available from Barnes & Noble Booksellers and Amazon.com.

- Information from Times files was used in this report.

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