Re: thoughts on myspace
 

Alright, so rip a page out of Neopets. They have you sign up by age. If your folks want to let you onto the more interactive parts of the site (like the message boards and what not), you print off a permission form from the site, have them sign it, and fax or mail it in. Then they know for fact that your folks said it's alright for you to get on that particular web site.

Is it a hassle? Yes. Is it feasible? Yes. Would I let my kids join a site requiring that sort of disclaimer? Well, ask me when I have 'em.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

How do they know what your parents signature looks like? What's to keep someone from printing the form, signing their parents name and sending it in?

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

In the digital age these complications will continue to plaque us. I have been studying Information Public Policy for over four years now. There is no way to verify the identity on an open user forum such as mySpace. The only way in which to control the demons that roam these areas are by the common ethics we live by in our society. However, if you are too naive to know, many individuals do not follow the ethics that one should know along the evolving Information Highway. Should areas such as mySpace or any public forum be allowed in a school, no. Should children be allowed to have computers that are unmonitored by adults, no. However, the world does not revolve in that way, individuals do not follow in an ethical demeanor that was in existence years ago. In result Information Public Policy has now become a part of our society, and the government must evolve and take action to protect the unknowing.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

I'm still waiting to hear a real point to MySpace aside of meeting people you don't already know....
In order to create a MySpace you need an e-mail adress, so why not use that to share pictures and communicate with friends?

No, it's not all MySpace's fault, but niether is it the victims fault. Sure, predators would still get to their victims without MySpace, but you cannot deny that MySpace makes it ALOT easier...

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

I think it's a bit of a two-way street. There are people posting pictures of them, making themselves out to be older and slutty, for lack of a better term. And then there are the people that go on and seek out users like that. Like you said, MySpace makes it a lot easier for predators to find victims. It brings together these two types of people. Being over the internet does not make it easy for people to know who to trust and who not to trust.

Bottom line is, I tend to stay away from MySpace. A few of my friends have them, but it's not for me. There's way too much drama, IMO, with "friending" people and not friending people.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

These, to me, do not read as tales of caution, but of assignments of blame. A crime is never a 'two-way street,' no matter how morally or ethically bankrupt you may consider the victim to be.

I know I'm probably preaching to the choir, but maybe some others might consider that no matter how 'slutty' or 'sexy' someone appears to be, they do not deserve to be victimized. Ever.

There are probably equally as many posts that are correctly citing poor parenting and misunderstanding the dangers of the internet, to be fair, but I'm a bit surprised and upset to see at all that people think that these kids -- no matter how provacative they claim to be, they're still kids, after all -- have any role in the mania of criminals.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

The only reason it makes it easier then aim or yim is because it is the hot topic right now.

I remember back when msn was all over the news and aim was all over the news, people were saying the same thing.
What, people have forgotten about that now?
Yes.
Why?
Because now they have something else to complain about.
Yes kid are getting kidnapped and raped and stuff from myspace.
But so are kids on aim, yim msn yahoo games msn games xanga blackplanet mihente asian avenue livejournal facebook all of them.

I print it off, sign it myself and then send it in. There goes that idea.
They don't know my parents signature.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

When I said that it was a "two-way street," I did not mean that they deserved to be victimized. Rather, I was saying that MySpace makes it a lot easier for people to be found and a lot of it has to do with a lack of judgement. I think that a lot of the news recently about attacks has really just opened people's eyes. Maybe now they will be more careful about the content of their MySpaces. For example, I was perusing a friend's MySpace once and came across another girl's MySpace whom I know. The text that appeared above her picture (slightly provocative, but not too bad) was "Wanna fcuk wit me?" Posting things like that is not really helping them to stay away from the predators.

All I'm saying is that if some of the MySpace users were more educated on the danger of posting provocative pictures on the internet, it would really help them to not become a victim. It's almost like someone hanging around in a bad neighborhood. Just because they're there doesn't mean they deserve to be attacked, but by hanging around there, they increase their chances of it.

I keep a LiveJournal. While it's not the same as MySpace, there is still the option to post personal info and/or pictures. I'm careful to never post any pictures of me, and any time I post anything that might contain some information about where I live, I filter it so only people that I know in real life can read it. I take the precautions to make sure that random internet strangers can't find me.

But I agree with you, no one deserves to be victimized.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

I remember when I had a neopets site, and I was under 13 and you needed the slip. I don't think many 13 year olds have access to a Fax machine with out their parents permission/assistance, and how many 13 year olds carry stamps these days?

Yeah it's impossible to tell if the signature is legit, but it would also help to keep kids safe.

I still, don't think myspace is a good place for anyone under 18. Allot of teenagers do stupid things, and myspace could just be another opportunity for them (us) to do something stupid.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

An opinion about Myspace from a myspace convert:

Its wonderful. It is basically the real world in a nutshell, so I can stay the wonderful person I believe I am, hold my morals, and network with many of my classmates/friends I've made over the years in school and otherwise (37 and counting).

Just like the real world, there are the idiots and the intellects, and both are given a lot of power to do their will. I just try to avoid the idiots, and if anything, if they send me something potentially graphic, they'll get a very frank and friendly response from me that is about 1 paragraph long and basically says "No. Thank You."

As far as the potential banning of the site as it is, that can't happen. There just has to be regulation on the part of the members and the folks running the site. What bothers me is that no one has started a virtual committee on the networking site to resolve this issue. IOW, there could be a virtual government that could be built, and hey, no hanging chads or fillibusters!

Other than that, I also find it to be a wonderful CSS/Html playground. :cool:

-Joe

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

That's perfectly true. Our school's webfilter blocks myspace.com, but if you walk into any computer classroom, there are at least 5 kids logged into myspace. Luckily, Chiefdelphi isn't blocked. :)

For my thoughts on myspace though, it's just one of those things that works in theory, but in all reality, can turn out to be somewhat of a problem.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

It is only a problem because of people.
People are the reason why myspace is "bad" not myspace.
Myspace if just like the rest of the internet, a place for porn and perverts.
Anything on the internet is bad, bad because you can get kidnapped by anyone who wants to find you bad enough.

If a kid really wanted to go get stamps, they could.
"Hey teacher, in one of my social studies classes we are sending letters to our government, can i have a stamp?"
"There you go, run off and play little girl/boy."
That is just one way to get stamps.
A 16 year old girl wants to get on the site, they get in their car and drive to the post office.
Boom, stamp there.
And 18 years old?
If you are saying that only 17 and younger get kidnapped you are very mistaken.
Yes there is a lot more kids that get kidnapped, thats why they call it kidnapped, but you don't think adults do either?
I think it happens more then you think.
Look at down in Aruba, that one girl that got kidnapped.
There is many ways around that, it is still not as safe as you think it is.
Sorry if i seem mean or anything, but i have a very strong opinion about this.

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

Is it easy to get around, you bet just select the 18 n over(I remember doing that when i was in elementary school)

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

You know what, my mom had a conversation with me about myspace. She's not all that strict, and a little bit crazy, but I still remember what she said. She said, that if a parent has raised their kid up right, then maybe that kid wwouldn't be dumb enough to act like a prostitute, meet people online, or post their names and address. I have to agree with her, kids these days are insane and a lot of their parents dont care or know about their myspaces...I was watching Dr.Phil and they had a whole thing about this, and he suggesteed having parents be able to track a kids myspace and keep an eye on them, this is a good idea as long as it doesnt invade privacy to much...Some people, bright, intelligent people, should be able to have the freedom to use myspace because we're not dumb enough to post stupid things and lie about our ages, whereas others should probably be monitored by parents, maybe everyone should just be monitored! Maybe Myspace isn't really all that great, what happened to simply TALKING to your friends rather than POSTING to your friends, Im starting to notice that most people accept people that request "friendship", that they see everyday, call them instead or something!

Re: thoughts on myspace
 

There's a saying about how locks only keep the innocent out, those who really want to break in will. Not EVERY little kid will go out and bother to do these things. Right there you can possibly save many.

And are you saying that only poorly parented children who act like "whores" for lack of a better term get kidnapped? Then you are sorely mistaken as well...