Online Predators
We should talk, you and me.
I know that when you come here this isnt exactly what you want to read. Its not exactly what I want to write about either. But we live in a world where bad things can happen and sometimes its nice to minimize that risk.
I’m talking about online predators. Whats got me thinking about this? Well, I read an article today over at NBC4i.com and it had a lot of intersting things to say about those who Prey on those who use the internet, children in particular.
I’ll quote the article here but you should read the entire thing for yourself.
Basically these good policemen took some out of fighting crime and giving tickets to set some parents down and inform them that they’re idiots. “hey, ” they might have said “Letting your kid use the internet unsupervised might very well be pretty fucking stupid.” The parents responded with a , “WHA WHA WHAAAAa????” as if they’d had their head in the fucking sand for their childrens entire lifetime.
While the officer was posing as a 15 year old girl in a chat room, some pervert sent him a webcam pick of his genitallia. Now, ladies and gentlemen, this is fairly common place, I can assure you. It has nothing to do with the kinds of websites I run either. This is what your kids do on their IM’s and their chat rooms and there isnt a fucking thing the adult industry has to do with it. Its the nature of anonymous connections, plain and simple.
If I could do a single thing to stop it, I would.
Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to do me a small favor… as a blogger, as an adult webmaster, and as a friend. Please learn how to access your child’s instant messenger logs. Please learn the way they that ’speak’ and the slang that they use so you can understand it. Learn where they keep their hidden files on their PC. Learn what they’re doing, who they’re talking to, and who they see.
Invade their privacy. Protect them. Look, tens of thousands of kids talk on the internet each day and nothing happens. That’s true. I dont want to be a scare monger like fox news is. Your kid could very well spend the rest of his life chatting online and never meet one of these sickos.
Its true that they’re just as likely to run into one of these freaks walking down the street alone as they might on the internet. That’s true too.
But the fact remains you dont let them walk the streets alone all that often, do you? So why do you let them chat online every day unsupervised?
Even if you’re the kind of parent who says “i wont invade my kids privacy” or “I refuse to do that to my child” will you please, at least, take a moment to chat with them? Talk to them about the dangers? Show them this article? Let them know that sometimes meeting people online, and in real life, can be dangerous and they should always look for signs?
If you know nothing about the net and refuse to do those things I mentioned above, at least, sit down with them and let them know. 
Being a parent is hard. I know this. I’ve known more than my share of parents and I was once a son that gave his family a hard way to go. I cant tell you how to do your job as a parent.
Its just a subtle suggestion.
Now back to your reguarlly schedual porning.
March 24th, 2005 at 10:56 pm
[…] ey on those who use the internet, children in particular. You can read the entire article here, and I suggest you do if you are a parent. If you are a parent I have a couple tools to sug […]
March 30th, 2005 at 1:46 am
[…] t is my duty to protect my family from them, and yours as well. My friend Boogie posted an interesting article. I suggest you read it. You must do everything in you power to protect your […]
April 2nd, 2005 at 11:28 am
Hmm whilst that article is very worying, I think it is worth bareing in mind that using IM software etc… you can controle what you receve, for example MSN provides the user with a thumbnail image of what is being sent so you don’t have to receve an image you don’t want to, also webcams can be turned off. people aren’t forced to wach annother persons webcam. one aspect i think is important is the ability to teach people how to block people they don’t want to talk to.
Don’t get me wrong i think there is an issue here that needs addressing and its all part of the infancy of the technology and sociaty has to learn to use it
April 2nd, 2005 at 3:35 pm
Hey Amon. glad to see your comment.
I agree entirely. Its all about the aprent learning how to do the things you describe and make it a part of responsible parenting!
I also agree that a child looking for this kind of stuff is eventually going to find it, no matter how hard the parent tries. But for the kids who arent seeking it, its easy for a responsible parent to take some steps to prevent accidental exposure.