What are your thoughts on...

MattCameronKicksButt

markymark550 wrote:

I do think that since the internet offers more anonymity and the ability to hide part of your personality that you do need to be careful of who you want to meet in real life.

(Sorry to pick your post apart here). I was just thinking that anyone could hide part of their personality at anytime any place anyway so it doesn't make much difference.

markymark550 wrote:

With kids, I'm not sure exactly how I would handle it because I don't have any kids (yet). I think that when you go through the whole "don't talk to strangers" and "don't trust people that you don't know" experiences that you need/should incorporate the Internet as part of that. I would definitely use the site blockers for places that I know aren't appropriate.

just my $0.02

Unfortunately, the more I think about my son, the more I'm starting to worry a little about it. My initial thought was 'well, when he's seven and starts using the internet, it's not like he can be encouraged to hop on a bus and go see some stranger he could be writing to' and then I thought 'My God! The stranger could find out what school he goes to and meet him there'! I've only ever thought about my own protection on the net but not thought far enough head for my son yet. (That's why I sound so shocked).

I'm still not freaking out about it as much as some people do though.

meme

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

I'm still not freaking out about it as much as some people do though.

Well, freaking out is not that helpful anyway

I laugh when I hear self-righteous parents proudly proclaiming that they have myspace accounts so they can police their children. Surely the kids can't figure out a way to set up another account unbeknownst to their policing parents :rolleyes:. I do think it boils down to keeping an open relationship, raise your kids right etc. But yeah, I'm happy he's focused on sports right now

xavier mcdaniel

isn't this board some kind of social networking?

harmless_little_f***

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

(Sorry to pick your post apart here). I was just thinking that anyone could hide part of their personality at anytime any place anyway so it doesn't make much difference.

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

Unfortunately, the more I think about my son, the more I'm starting to worry a little about it. My initial thought was 'well, when he's seven and starts using the internet, it's not like he can be encouraged to hop on a bus and go see some stranger he could be writing to' and then I thought 'My God! The stranger could find out what school he goes to and meet him there'! I've only ever thought about my own protection on the net but not thought far enough head for my son yet. (That's why I sound so shocked).

I'm still not freaking out about it as much as some people do though.

I think what you said in the first part can be applied to the second part as well. Anyone who is anyone could find out where anyone lives/goes to school, anything, unfortunately.. the only reason we hear scare stories about the internet involving children and weirdos is because we're so interested in new technology. It makes a good story for us to sink our tabloid-obsessed teeth into. Old fashioned abductions, etc., just don't often sell newspapers, unless they're national news and big money goes behind rescue campaigns. There are weirdos interested in people in 'real life' too, and we probably meet them all the time. Even if I met a weirdo in a supermarket they could just as easily go into Google and find out who I am.

MattCameronKicksButt

meme wrote:

Well, freaking out is not that helpful anyway

I laugh when I hear self-righteous parents proudly proclaiming that they have myspace accounts so they can police their children. Surely the kids can't figure out a way to set up another account unbeknownst to their policing parents :rolleyes:. I do think it boils down to keeping an open relationship, raise your kids right etc. But yeah, I'm happy he's focused on sports right now

I guess it depends how old and mature they are. I wasn't really thinking of any person or circumstance specifically at the time. It's just everyone I know (with the exception of my best friend) don't use facebook or a forum of any sort and automatically think there's something dodgy about it. (I mean everyone that uses these sites, not just me).

meme

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

I guess it depends how old and mature they are. I wasn't really thinking of any person or circumstance specifically at the time. It's just everyone I know (with the exception of my best friend) don't use facebook or a forum of any sort and automatically think there's something dodgy about it. (I mean everyone that uses these sites, not just me).

Oh yeah, I'm married to a guy like that

MattCameronKicksButt

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

I think what you said in the first part can be applied to the second part as well. Anyone who is anyone could find out where anyone lives/goes to school, anything, unfortunately.. the only reason we hear scare stories about the internet involving children and weirdos is because we're so interested in new technology. It makes a good story for us to sink our tabloid-obsessed teeth into. Old fashioned abductions, etc., just don't often sell newspapers, unless they're national news and big money goes behind rescue campaigns. There are weirdos interested in people in 'real life' too, and we probably meet them all the time. Even if I met a weirdo in a supermarket they could just as easily go into Google and find out who I am.

Yeah, I agree but your opinion might be a little biased though, Mark?

markymark550

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

(Sorry to pick your post apart here). I was just thinking that anyone could hide part of their personality at anytime any place anyway so it doesn't make much difference.



Unfortunately, the more I think about my son, the more I'm starting to worry a little about it. My initial thought was 'well, when he's seven and starts using the internet, it's not like he can be encouraged to hop on a bus and go see some stranger he could be writing to' and then I thought 'My God! The stranger could find out what school he goes to and meet him there'! I've only ever thought about my own protection on the net but not thought far enough head for my son yet. (That's why I sound so shocked).

I'm still not freaking out about it as much as some people do though.

True. It is easy hide part of your personality in person. However, because a conversation online is a username, text, and maybe some smileys, it's way easier to conceal things. In person, if you pay close enough attention, you can learn a lot about someone just by looking at their eyes, listening to the tone of their voice, looking for/at nervous habits -- all of which you can't get online.

For kids, it's like I said before, I haven't really had to cross that bridge yet, so I have no idea how it will be if I ever get there. I do think that meme (and others) are correct when they say it's all about how you raise your child.

thunderDAN

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

Social networking and having pen pals over the web? I've given out my number a couple of times and my address to one other person. I can honestly say that I trust the people I've talked to over the web. Okay, I know I'm not 14 anymore and I'm big enough to make my own decisions so I guess it's a bit different but I'm still a small woman who doesn't really know who she's talking to. My argument is though, isnt it the same in real life? You could be talking to someone on a bus that sounds equally as nice, build up a friendship and then, whatever. :(
I was just listening to a discussion about it on the TV. So anyway, that topic on the show finished, they cut to a commercial break and the first advert they showed was about child abuse! Children being abused by family members and such.

I can't work out if I'm being naive or if it's a generation thing and just a common misconcept that the internet is really more dangerous than the real world. Speaking of a generation thing, I was talking to my mum about some of the CD's and DVD's that people had sent me the other day and the only thing she wanted to know was if I had a webcam. I just said, no, why would I want a webcam?

Are you worried about your kids (quite possibly) talking to people over the web either now or when they get older?

I've had people from this board call me before, that is about as far as I've gone. For some reason though I trust this board to have decent people on it so I had no problem giving my number out. I'm not really into webcamming and stuff like that, but posting on here is about the most networking I do.

MattCameronKicksButt

meme wrote:

Oh yeah, I'm married to a guy like that

I hope you have a place where you can quickly hide that camera then.

Collin

I love strangers! Even virtual ones.

harmless_little_f***

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

Yeah, I agree but your opinion might be a little biased though, Mark?

Maybe.. but you said it yourself. You agree. Don't you know that I only walk into your threads because I know you'll agree with me? I'm scared of the others. That Sian-of-the-Dead is a livewire.

harmless_little_f***

Collin wrote:

I love strangers! Even virtual ones.

'Everybody loves somebody sometimes.......'

meme

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

I hope you have a place where you can quickly hide that camera then.

Ah! Well, PJ messageboarding is as far as I go. And he's blind

harmless_little_f***

meme wrote:

Ah! Well, PJ messageboarding is as far as I go. And he's blind

Yeah, that's the way to do it. Victimise the blind. :rolleyes:

Sorry, I mean 'Yay, victimise the blind'!

MattCameronKicksButt

Thank GOD you saw that as a joke!

harmless_little_f***

MattCameronKicksButt wrote:

Thank GOD you saw that as a joke!

Hopefully I'll be able to say the same thing to meme. *waits anxiously*

Collin

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

'Everybody loves somebody sometimes.......'

I love everybody all the time.

meme

harmless_little_f*** wrote:

Hopefully I'll be able to say the same thing to meme. *waits anxiously*

ahah, well if you knew us you'd know he is not the victim

harmless_little_f***

Collin wrote:

I love everybody all the time.

Everyone deserves a fair chance. Hey aren't you the guy who's started up that chatroom befriending scheme? Revolutionary idea, if I do say so myself.