If anyone wasn't paranoid about their kids being on the internet...

**draggar** · 12-04-2008, 06:18 AM

The local morning show I listen to has officially scare me - and I don't even have kids.

Two days ago they decided to see how hard it is for a child to get in contact with a predator. They have one of their younger members (low 20s and "hip") act as a 14 year old girl.

Let's just say within 30 minutes he was contacted by someone and on the second day of chatting he has set up a "date" with the "girl" including some interesting things he said in chat.

They got contacted by someone who is on the police force (and an avid listener) and wants to hook them up with a detective for this.

If anyone was against using key loggers on their childrens' PCs before should support them now.

**Carter** · 12-04-2008, 06:51 AM

The kids it's better don't surf the web without parents near.
It's full of idiots/criminals/crazy people on the web.

**draggar** · 12-04-2008, 06:53 AM

Exactly - I miss the old days when you could post your personal information (name, age, address, phone number) and only the people it was intended for would write it down.

The internet has become extremely immature and dangerous. Even MUDs now have gone immature.

**Carter** · 12-04-2008, 07:01 AM

Originally Posted by draggar

Exactly - I miss the old days when you could post your personal information (name, age, address, phone number) and only the people it was intended for would write it down.

The internet has become extremely immature and dangerous. Even MUDs now have gone immature.

And sites like Facebook are dangerous too...

**draggar** · 12-04-2008, 07:09 AM

I think the killing blow, or one of the major factors, to the "mature internet" was AOL. Before that you didn't have many choices and the most common way of connecting was still though Telnet (and who knows how to use that?).

Facebook and MySpace are just keeping it immature.

**Carter** · 12-04-2008, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by draggar

I think the killing blow, or one of the major factors, to the "mature internet" was AOL. Before that you didn't have many choices and the most common way of connecting was still though Telnet (and who knows how to use that?).

Facebook and MySpace are just keeping it immature.

Sure, I agree with you.
The problem are the search engine also...you can set up filters on your family pc but porn is everywhere on the net...you click a family site and you can be redirect to a Jenna Jameson movie.

The tv is a shame too...but on Internet you can meet "real" dangerous people.

So my suggestion is: for Christmas buy some books for your childrens.
Read a book open the mind.

**draggar** · 12-04-2008, 07:30 AM

What is a b....

booooooooooooooo

booo-ook?

(Yes, I do read, BTW).

**thevirtual** · 12-04-2008, 07:30 AM

Originally Posted by Carter

Sure, I agree with you.
The problem are the search engine also...you can set up filters on your family pc but porn is everywhere on the net...you click a family site and you can be redirect to a Jenna Jameson movie.

The tv is a shame too...but on Internet you can meet "real" dangerous people.

So my suggestion is: for Christmas buy some books for your childrens.
Read a book open the mind.

I agree. Well said.

**diecipher** · 12-04-2008, 08:46 AM

I have always installed keyloggers on all PC's in the house that children have access to.

Sorry, but the last thing I'm going to be is that parent on CNN saying "ummm, I don't know how she meet that man, I thought she was using the internets for homework!"

**Stian** · 12-04-2008, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by diecipher

I have always installed keyloggers on all PC's in the house that children have access to.

Sorry, but the last thing I'm going to be is that parent on CNN saying "ummm, I don't know how she meet that man, I thought she was using the internets for homework!"

I guess that's okay if your kids are 6-10 or younger.

**draggar** · 12-04-2008, 08:52 AM

Originally Posted by pcproffenno

I guess that's okay if your kids are 6-10 or younger.

Things get very dangerous when they hit 12-16 because they're at that age thinking that they're an adult and will actively seek out people over the internet making a pedophile's job much easier.

Don't get me wrong, 6-10 years of age on the internet unsupervised is not safe but at least at those ages they aren't actively seeking "older attention".

**diecipher** · 12-04-2008, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by pcproffenno

I guess that's okay if your kids are 6-10 or younger.

IMO, it's ok if they are in my house using my stuff and are underage.

**DomainsInc** · 12-04-2008, 10:33 AM

Originally Posted by diecipher

IMO, it's ok if they are in my house using my stuff and are underage.

I hope your kids know that they are being watched. It would be a huge trust issue should they find out. Its no different than reading their diary.

**Banned: theinvestor** · 12-04-2008, 10:44 AM

Might as well put a chip in your kid and record their every move.

If you want to parent correctly you should try educating your kids. Rather than allowing them to make mistakes and logging them. That is a very poor method.

**Seraphim** · 12-04-2008, 10:46 AM

About 10 years ago or so, I used to play Age Of Empires online over at the Zone.com. That place was absolutely crawling with pedophiles at the time. You'd be in the middle of plotting military strategy with a few units, and a message would pop up asking you some creepy stuff. I don't have kids, but if I did I would never let them surf the net without me being present. Dangerous place.

**Banned: theinvestor** · 12-04-2008, 10:53 AM

I still don't understand why a 6 year old would be surfing the net.

Kids should only be using the internet for information and always under supervision.

If they are playing games they do not even need the internet, there are ways to block certain content efficiently.

If that's how schools operate then that's how you should operate in your own home.

**Donald Aquilano** · 12-04-2008, 01:26 PM

It all comes down to parental responsibility. To many children have parents that are just as immature as they are.

**fab** · 12-04-2008, 01:55 PM

I used to chat as well. Lots of interesting and weird people out there. I was on the other side of this once. I thought I could use this to help promote my web-sites. Some teenage girl got online with me, so I tried asking if she could look at some of my sites, and asked her friends as well. I asked some questions, like where she goes to school, and she started getting worried. I told her it really doesn't matter to me, just trying to make conversation.

**diecipher** · 12-04-2008, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by DomainsInc

I hope your kids know that they are being watched. It would be a huge trust issue should they find out. Its no different than reading their diary.

It's a lot different then reading a diary. The diary isn't going to come to the house and disappear with a child. It's a solo activity.

I could care less if my kid trusts me or not. I'm not trying to be their best friend, I'm making sure that I do what I can under my roof to keep them safe.

**DomainsInc** · 12-04-2008, 03:09 PM

Originally Posted by diecipher

It's a lot different then reading a diary. The diary isn't going to come to the house and disappear with a child. It's a solo activity.

I could care less if my kid trusts me or not. I'm not trying to be their best friend, I'm making sure that I do what I can under my roof to keep them safe.

My point is kids do a lot more than just chat with strangers online. Listening in to private conversations between friends and all sorts of other things, if they don't know they are being monitored and then find out, they will never come to you with their problems. There has to be trust between child and parent. If you just want to play police officer, your kid is gonna rebel big time.