If you found kids playing alone, and a dirty old man in a dirty old mac watching them with his hands in his pockets, what would be the quickest way to safeguard the kids?

1) stay there and make sure the old guy doesn't get up to anything dodgy?
 or
2) turn the kids out onto the street with the dirty old man?

Why is "closing down chatrooms" something that people accept will help save kids from dirty old men? or is something else going on here?

As most other people probably did aswell, the minute I read msn's idea about closing down the chat rooms for the saftey of the children, I immediatley thought "Oh yeah you really care about the kids. How long will it be before charges start to hit us" of course they said they will continue not charging for im services and I quote "For now". I cant believe they think that people dont see through their rubbish. Or perhaps they do and just dont care.

To be honest. This new thing with them isnt a surprise and I guess most of us are used to their disgusting ways of doing buiseness. But when they bring children into as their excuse I think it is an absolutley disgrace and they have shown their true colours. Like has been said. If they really cared they would do something to solve the problem not just pass it on to someone else. Which is exactly what they have done. Because they dont the responsibilty of knowing someone has met through they chat room. If a child is getting bullied at school. Should the school fix the problem or expell the child so it can continue to get bullied somewhere else. Microsoft have done the latter in this case.

And everyone knows it, well done micro$oft

Edited by author 09-25-2003 05:21 PM
I don't know how many people are aware but MSN Messenger dropped their banned word list about 6 months ago, so whereas before it was not possible to directly swear (most words anyway) you can now tell anyone you want to 'F**k off' using your display name. Obviously you still can't use MSN or Microsoft. If they're so bothered about rude language then why not keep it banned across the board?

Of course everyone can find ways of presenting the words by using alternative characters but at least put up a fight!

Cheers for the article

Microsoft is being purely self-serving, as usual. It must remain in the parents realm to oversee their children's computer habits. Parents must remain vigilant and aware of changing things on the internet. The ultimate responsibility for a child's protection are the parents.

*From:* <nick at webthing.com>



You seem to have missed the motivation that immediately sprang to my mind.

IRC is a powerful means of communication, used widely by the Open Source community. This - above all Linux - is MS's great enemy. But IRC is of course internet chat. The "chat is evil" FUD is aimed squarely at the open source community.

I work from home myself, in remote West Devon. My only regular contact with professional colleagues is over the 'net, notably in relevant Apache and W3C channels. If MS - with the mainstream media - can demonise internet chat, they could make life that bit harder for people like me.

Please - informed journalists such as yourself need to get the message across that kiddie-protection is a bandwagon-of-mass-FUD.

 Your article, while knocking down their pretensions with reference to history, also concentrates on precisely the subject they _want_ to plant in the public mind!

kids shouldn't use bad language - its not a class thing - you are talking tosh. fact of the matter is - if you let them get away with all this - starting from naughty words - what do you end up with? today. that is your source of crime - people who do not care - who think kids have more authority than they have earned.

"Justin" <clopper at totalise.co.uk>

Justin, thanks for writing - but where on earth did you get the idea that closing chat rooms will stop kids from using foul language?

If you check my piece, you'll notice that I suggested that Microsoft should moderate its chat rooms. If they did that, do you think it would increase the bad language, or reduce it?

By the way, I think MSN had something over 1,000 different chatrooms. The bulk of them are special interest things with academics discussing zoology, office workers keeping in touch, neighbourhood meetings being planned. Not just kids swearing...

I think M$ wants the kids to use MSN Messenger to chat with their friends instead of Chat Rooms as Messenger allows greater control over who can talk with you. Just my thoughts when I read the articles in the Aussie newspapers...

i think this matter truley discusess the matter of gay rights on im. I mean i love im but also i think that it's not gay enough you guys no what i mean right? or are you all up against me??!!?? as my family ok i really need to take all of my 14 meds tty gay guys lata. ta ta:)
 P.S. Don't forget the gay under ground meeting the 25th ok tata

Who was that masked man, anyhow?

I need to know if any body could teach me anything about zoology