State Politicians Continue Meaningless Grandstanding Against MySpace
from the nice-try dept
For quite some time now, the press has had fun hyping up the supposed "threat" of MySpace, when the reality is that most kids recognize the risks involved in talking to strangers online and can handle themselves on a site like MySpace. Of course, that doesn't stop politicians from grandstanding over the issue -- even to the point of Connecticut's Attorney General claiming that he has jurisdiction over the entire site because it can be viewed in the state. Well, that same Attorney General, along with the AGs of six other states are now demanding that MySpace hand over the names of sexual predators who are registered users of the site. This seems to assume that MySpace actually knows what convicted sex offenders are members of the site, which seems highly unlikely. It's also not clear what the AGs would do with this data once they had it, but that probably doesn't matter as much as making a big stand so they can make sure their re-election campaigns show they were standing up against online predators. That must be good for a few votes here or there -- even if it has nothing to do with actually protecting children online.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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As an old fart on the Internet
A real and slightly intelligent predator will steal someone else's identity, like the child porn ring bust that proved to be mostly stolen identities.
I heard on Indie1031.com radio stream that the states expect exact addresses of the predators. Try getting that from your web log...
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Re: As an old fart on the Internet
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Re: Re: As an old fart on the Internet
Or, the predator is proxying through your hacked system.
Or, the predator is using a onion proxy system.
Or, there are many other ways to hide your address.
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Good to see politions have their priorities right.
Surely all they need is a low cost campaign to say to kids "Hey, don't give out details online, it's stupid, you will get raped!" and the problem will be mostly solved.
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And MySpace know they are sex offenders how?
Maybe they should just put a radio button on teh sign-up page reading "Are you a registered sex offender? Yes/No", and point out that that is the best they can do.
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And, we'll probably end up getting another "Shaq Raid":
http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20061023/123049.shtml
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umm
If a sex offender is using his real name (the only way MySpace could actually find him), how is that dangerous?
Wouldn't itbe more useful to just look for older people with young kids as their friends?
Not all sex offenders are going to repeat.
If they've been released from prison, why can't they have a myspace account? We don't ban them from going to the mall, or the movies.
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Re: umm
Not really, my ex has about 24 people on her friends list, 20 of them kids under 16. aka her kids,her step kids, her neices/nephews and so on
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What're ya gonna do
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Re: What're ya gonna do
responsible parenting? this is america, we don't do that sort of thing here.
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It's not all bad
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Re: It's not all bad
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Re: Re: As an old fart on the Internet
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They think they know because...
I'm not saying they have the authority to do anything about it, but if the con's terms of release state that they are not allowed contact with children and they are actively trolling for such. I say bust the punk and put him/her back where he/she belongs.
http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/05/attorneys_gener.html
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grandstanding
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Re: grandstanding
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And for this reason alone this should NOT be done, there is absolutely no way to effectively police things like MySpace to catch all pedo's and anyone with a drop of IT know how and two brain cells know this.
Anything MySpace or the authorities could do would just be wall papering in an attempt to generate a feeling of security, a false sense of security that the dangerous pedos could then take advantage of while only “catching” innocent people and harmless “registered sex offenders” (like the 17 year olds who had sex with a 16 year old once...years ago)
False security is 10000 times worse than no security
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Give it Up
Home schooled kids, ah well they are on their own. I have no sympathy for home schooled kids.
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Re: Give it Up
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the next logical step?
politicians will create a new domain for them, like,
.xxx for porn content,
.kid for secure "children-safe" content,
...what shall it be? hmmm.
how about .ped?
"These social networking sites are a treasure trove for these sexual predators," Roy Cooper, attorney general for North Carolina, said Monday. "Sexual predators can groom dozens of children at once in order to find the one to lure for their sexual interests."
"grooming" - poor choice of words, Mr. AG. Sickening.
For some reason, the name "Foley" keeps coming to mind...
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Re: the next logical step?
"These social networking sites are a treasure trove for these sexual predators," Roy Cooper, attorney general for North Carolina, said Monday. "Sexual predators can groom dozens of children at once in order to find the one to lure for their sexual interests."
What scares me about that statement is that he says it as if bars, parks, schools, clubs, and real phyical gatherings of people are now sex offender proof.
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Re: Re: the next logical step?
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Re: Re: Re: the next logical step?
Fake ID's ftw. :P
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Witch Hunts
I wonder how much MySpace will have to pay for the lawsuit for the first innocent person that they label as a "predator?" I wonder what the ratio is of predators named "John Smith" to other people named "John Smith"? And how many "John Smiths" might be registered on MySpace by now?
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sexual predators?
The easiest way to deal with this is to get your kids off the F'ing computer all day. And if you do allow your kid full access to the web, enjoy all the nasty and dirty things they can get into.
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How does this really hurt?
Is it really that terrible to try and patch up all of the loopholes that allow people to destroy other people's lives?
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Re: How does this really hurt?
Is it really that terrible to try and patch up all of the loopholes that allow people to destroy other people's lives?
Yes. It's called Darwin Theory. If there is parent out there dumb enough to let their kid use the internet unsupervised and they are lured out of the house by a predator...that is simply weeding out the gene pool of those people smart enough NOT to do those things.
A properly educated child would never dream of meeting anybody they met online without their parents or an entire group of friends around.
What you are talking about is denying those sexual offenders who have changed, or were indicted for different reasons other than child misconduct a chance to use MySpace to keep in contact with friends and family. Since when did the USA decided to crack down on an entire group of people to actually catch 1 guilty person (just pretend with me here ;) )
Next, all computer geeks will come under scrutiny to catch the hackers among us.
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Government
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What?
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my space
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Looking for TRUTH?
Politicians and Law Enforcement with the help of victims advocate groups has lied to the public.
The reason victim’s advocates continue their style of activity is they are cashing in.
Encouraging the infliction of pain and suffering rather than peace is a destructive activity use by theses activist.
Requiring the breakup of families is extending entitlements which can only fail everyone.
Our nations entitled have no room left for those that can not afford to buy justice.
See how children as young as 3 year old children have been placed on the registry.
How citizens are held indefinitely after their sentence has been served.
See it now on You Tube at
http://www.youtube.com/profile_videos?user=evil9999999999999999
Webmaster@theevilnextdoor.com
Fax:818.237.5599
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Threats
Michelle B.
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Re: Threats
www.myspace.com/78094881
add me and we can chat later
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Re: Threats
www.myspace.com/78094881
add me and we can chat later
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politicians always politicking
www.myspace.com/78094881
holler at your boi
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who is kidding who?
This is the human equation.
People change day to day. Things change, steal rusts while conceited blows away, but the energy that makes us who we are moves through us as we experience our lives.
Governments, Advocates, Churches, and Media put pressure on sex offenders who are struggling daily to make a way for their families.
These groups are one in the same who have created the realm of secrecy and oppress for gain.
To be ashamed of being a flawed human who makes mistakes, is the responsibility of the person/group/s allowing laws of decimation which is abuse.
Inflicting pain on any person who has been betrayed by that societies recklessness to hide the truth because of its own shame is the ultimate in irresponsibility.
By continuing to advocate lifetime sentences, separation, eradication, concerning sexual offenses is recognition of the breakdown of group/s and any system/s which supports this human rights abuse .
There can be no justice where the responsible party is the society which refuses acceptance of its error.
Thinking that labeling anyone concerning life and death decisions with regard to sexual offenses has no validity.
The stigma/demonization/and continuance of the myth is perpetrated by the group/s and any system/s that makes people suffer for a belief that has only for centuries hidden its own truth.
Please take time to write those who can change our laws.
What ever we do we do to ourselves as money and power leads us by the ring in our nose rendering us unable to hear or see beyond the sound of our own greed.
Mr. & Mrs. Keith Richard Radford Jr.
http://www.SOSunite.com
http://www.youtube.com/sosunite
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