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One Newspaper Actually Tells Parents To Chill Out Over MySpace

Overhype

from the but-does-that-sell-papers? dept

Tue, Feb 21st 2006 11:51am — Mike Masnick
While we've been pointing out all the scare stories being written up in the media about MySpace, it would appear that at least one newspaper isn't playing along. Petrea Mitchell writes in to let us know that the Oregonian actually had a much more balanced article about kids online (which was apparently a cover story, above the fold in the paper edition), which basically says what many of us have been saying all along: the internet and these services aren't the problem. Parents need to relax, but also to prepare their kids for basic online life. As MIT Prof Henry Jenkins (whose reasonable views on these things we've discussed before) notes: "Being a good parent is being aware of what kids are doing online, engaging in their activities, understanding the value of those activities, and helping them acquire skills that will allow safer participation in those activities." With so much fear mongering going on, it's nice to see a more reasonable article get published.
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27 Comments

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  • identicon
    To all the kids., 21 Feb 2006 @ 11:56am

    Myspace sux

    Myspace is so ad filled, and shitty, havent you looked in to blogspot.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      urajackass, 21 Feb 2006 @ 1:09pm

      Re: Myspace sux

      you suck ya jackass

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      andrew, 21 Feb 2006 @ 1:18pm

      Re: Myspace sux

      I agree, MySpace is the crappiest online rag to hit the internet. Its really crappy.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        dataguy, 21 Feb 2006 @ 1:42pm

        Re: Myspace sux

        I like being able to read the comments, on Techdirt, hoping to gain some insight from hearing other opinions. That doesn't always happen but it's a generally useful activity. However, lately the amount of "noise" (over-reactions like urajackass') in the "signal" seems of have increased noticeably.

        I don't have any suggestions for a solution, other than to highlight the obvious. As the site gets more popular, the problem is likely to get worse. It's gotten to the point that I scan the comments at Digg less and less. It would be nice if there were some way to nip this in the bud here at Techdirt. (hopefully without getting as complex as the modding at Slashdot)

        For all the hotheads that may be reading this - no one cares if a post pisses you off. Either add to the discussion or move on to the next post.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Josh Erickson, 21 Feb 2006 @ 1:44pm

        Re: Myspace sux

        It's not so much about MySpace sucking or not. It's that there are those out there outright lying and fear mongering, trying to lay blame on those it doesn't belong to.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

        • identicon
          curtis, 7 Nov 2007 @ 5:15am

          Re: Re: Myspace sux

          myspace is bad if you make it bad. if you talk to ppl you dont know thats your problem. just set your profile to private and dont talk to ppl you dont know. and just for the record, just about all websites have sexual predators, not just myspace.

          [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Michael Sievers, 21 Feb 2006 @ 4:57pm

        Re: Myspace sux

        That may be, but it does have over 56 million users..

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Anonymous Coward, 7 Nov 2007 @ 5:13am

        Re: Re: Myspace sux

        myspace isnt bad, its bad if you make it bad. just dont talk to ppl you dont know. and if you do thats your problem. predators are on just about every website. so why stop one when if you have to stop all of them.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      DC, 23 Feb 2006 @ 3:17pm

      Re: Myspace sux

      EveryonesSpace.com is better

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    foo, 21 Feb 2006 @ 12:30pm

    MySpace Information you need to know

    http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Bloggers_investigate_social_networking_websites
    http://www.intermixed up.com/
    Read these 2 links very carefully

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Paul, 21 Feb 2006 @ 1:43pm

    No Subject Given

    I remember back in the day, Geocities started springing up.. Myspace is pretty much what Geocities wanted to be, they just didn't know it yet..

    I hope Myspace soon suffers the same fate as Geocities.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    lancetx, 21 Feb 2006 @ 1:49pm

    Other Papers

    Our paper actually included a bit of a blast against the sensational reporting related to myspace as well. Although it was not first page, but in the entertainment section

    http://getout.amarillo.com/content/outfront/021006_breathless.shtml

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    MySpace, 21 Feb 2006 @ 1:52pm

    Why use MySpace?

    There are plenty of other good and free blog services available besides MySpace.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      me, 21 Feb 2006 @ 2:26pm

      Re: Why use MySpace?

      True, but MySpace makes stalking so much easier. :)

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        curtis, 7 Nov 2007 @ 5:16am

        Re: Re: Why use MySpace?

        myspace is bad if you make it bad. if you talk to ppl you dont know thats your problem. just set your profile to private and dont talk to ppl you dont know. and just for the record, just about all websites have sexual predators, not just myspace.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    anon, 21 Feb 2006 @ 1:53pm

    wow

    i guess it finally boils down to this, People will bitch and complain about anything that makes them not have to be the parents their parents were. in other words quit bitching about how Myspace sux and start gettin off the internet and throw a damn baseball around...better yet go for a walk with your kids as they see ur insight it will teach them without knowing they are being taught!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      michaelkad, 21 Feb 2006 @ 2:10pm

      Re: wow

      throw a baseball around? what a moron. how americana can you get? take a walk with your kids? how quaint, i would rather dine on cat poop than take a walk with my kids..

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

      • identicon
        Hong, 21 Feb 2006 @ 3:19pm

        Re: wow

        I seriously hope you don't actually have kids. If you do, please let someone else care for them that actually might put forth some amount of effort and love.

        [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Master stghm, 21 Feb 2006 @ 3:37pm

    Yo man

    I use the MySpace and I'm still here. I haven't been sexually abused. I haven't! Honest!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Feb 2006 @ 3:48pm

    Arguing how crappy Myspace is...

    I tried to make my argument to another web developer (yes, he's more skilled than I am (hes been at it longer, I'm just starting out)) as to why Myspace is horrible - one of his arguments was "If it sucks so bad, why was it just bought out by one of the largest news corporations in the states?" though I didnt get around to telling him this part of it but: after reading so many comments on Techdirt and Slashdot about how much it sucks, and that the only reason it got bought out is because it's so popular with teenagers, who its targeted at.

    -----

    However, I did mention and try to argue that as many requests for help getting javascripts to work on Myspace on the web-design/dev coding forum I frequent (dynamicdrive.com), which was ignored

    also, I mentioned that virtually every page you find on it looks like total shit, its as if nobody ever heard of using tables for layout with relative 100% width attributes - he tried showing me a few pages that did look nice, but thats only about 10 out of a thousand, and most of em are for rock bands that 1) realize Myspace is popular with teenagers that browse nothing but myspace, and 2) are so cheap as to go for a free host like myspace - and yet again these arguements were ignored...

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

    • identicon
      curtis, 7 Nov 2007 @ 5:16am

      Re: Arguing how crappy Myspace is...

      myspace is bad if you make it bad. if you talk to ppl you dont know thats your problem. just set your profile to private and dont talk to ppl you dont know. and just for the record, just about all websites have sexual predators, not just myspace.

      [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 21 Feb 2006 @ 4:59pm

    No Subject Given

    All I have to say is that it doesn't take alot of booze to get a 19-year-old chick REALLY drunk!

    Thanks MySpace!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    annonymouse, 9 May 2006 @ 5:09pm

    myspace has become a nice tool for law enforcement, it has become one of the largest databases of ppl, they've caught several ppl who were not misusing myspace but were burglars or something else but had a myspace account and the police were able to enter the info about the person into myspace and they found the person and caught him. but overall everyone is making too big of a deal about myspace, both the ppl who dont like it and say it is dangerous. and the ppl who r addicted to myspace.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Anton, 10 May 2006 @ 11:03am

    You got to be kidding me....

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    Rachaels sexy, 29 Nov 2006 @ 6:17pm

    myspace

    im a 15 year old kid and i like using myspace...it gives kids and teens a chance to excaspe the SHIT u parents kepp puttin on us..yea aim is the same way...pediphiles and shit like that..i dont seee u bitchin about AIM so parents...get the poles out of your asses and shut up...your sayin how much it sucks??!! make an account...i highly doubt ur opinion will stay. its a great way to keep in touch with far away people, ith out running up your fone bill...so messege to all SHUT THE FUCK UP!! MYSPACE IS THE SHITT!!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    yomama, 10 Dec 2006 @ 3:55pm

    i luv myspace

    myspace iz the BEST!!!

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]

  • identicon
    curtis, 7 Nov 2007 @ 5:11am

    myspace isnt bad

    myspace is bad olny if you make it bad. if you talk to ppl online and you dont know them thasts your problem. i met my wife on myspace about 3 years ago. but if you dont want myspace predetors getting to you. just set your profile to private and dont talk to ppl you dont know.

    [ link to this | view in chronology ]


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