The House of Representatives has already passed what I prefer to call the “Dopey” Act. The government will place a ban on all social networking sites to protect children from online predators. We covered this a few days ago. Throwing out the baby with the bathwater is the aphorism that comes to mind. “Unconstitutional” is a more political reaction.
Groveling for votes from the morality crowd probably is the root of this legislation — but, politicians rarely suffer from underestimating the credulity of American voters.
A group of Myspace users has started a petition campaign to gather a million signatures to present to Congress. A constitutional effort that impresses an old cynic like me.
Click on the note to go to their website.
The links may not show. Their website is being blown away with the response!
Looks like their servers are getting thumped! Slooow.
I just love the whole “power of the purse” justification Congress uses for everything it tries to shove down the throats of the state and local governments. Just more proof that federal taxes are way too high, and that the states should probably be taxing a bit more.
This is another example of exactly how out of touch the elected politicians are in this country. A typical knee-jerk reaction that solves absolutely nothing.
How do they define social networking sites? That’s the common phrase used to describe such sites as MySpace atm. However, in it’s essence, this blog could be refered to as a social networking site. Any BBS could be refered to as such as well. Where there is more than one person allowed to converse on a subject…..technically they are socially networking.
This idea shows a lack of knowledge about the internet. Does this bill start from Alaska? If you want to stop social networking to “protect the children” you might as well ban all non-commercial uses of the internet. Let’s see how many votes that gets you.
And yet, if something like this wasn’t happening, you’d blame the News Corp./GOP conspiracy.
This is a non-story. MySpace is a passing fad, and in two years won’t mean a damn thing to the engine that keeps it running: Teenage hype.
James, the story isn’t MySpace, the story is Congress and their willingness to regulate the wrong things.
How is Congress regulating the wrong things news?
MySpace is what’s moving the story forward.
Can anyone tell me why chatrooms should be allowed in public libraries? In my opinion, it’s just a waste of everyone’s time. Maybe I’m the only one who still does research in my local library, but it’s a real pain when I’m waiting for a computer and everyone is sitting in a chat room shooting the bull.
I see james has added mind-reading to his crystal ball act. Can we expect levitation next? 🙂
Mike (#2), I agree. And for SN, that is the point I was attempting to make on the previous posting on this topic…
Online petitions work!
#5 – 6 – 7 –
Yes James, MySpace is probably just the flavor of the moment.
But what MySpace does isn’t. Since the days of Prodigy, CompuServe, and AOL… Since BBSes… Since The Well… Since Usenet, which predates all of those… We’ve had virtual communities from which evolved social networking.
This is about the ability of people like you and me to freely assemble in a virtual space and communicate, and the ability of new and established companies to build business models around facilitating that communication.
If you can’t see it from the liberal viewpoint which is that communication and a platform for free expression is our right, then look at it from the conservative view and let the market dictate the success or failure of social networking. Sometimes that are issues where we all have common ground to agree, and this is one one of those.
#8 – The reason chat should be allowed in the library is because it isn’t just your library, or mine, or the kid using chat. I agree its annoying when you have real work to do, but it isn’t my place to impose my values on the other patrons of the library. Maybe if ALL of us were less selfish, that kid wouldn’t tie up the machine so long BSing about the new 50 Cent album, and you wouldn’t begrudge him the opportunity to connect with kids his age about whatever interests kids his age.
You know, social networking isn’t just 14 year olds listing their favorite bands and posting faux soft-core pics. Its used by civic and political groups. AIDS awareness, environmental groups, church youth ministries, struggling local bands, the local food co-op, business associations, etc, so-on, and so forth… all use the technologies behind MySpace to get their message out there, and I for one think that is very valuable.
One thing is for certain, sexual predators is a red herring.
My public library doesn’t allow IMing or chat rooms on its systems, and the kids just play MMORPGs … and hog the computers for people like me who just want to browse the news and hit DU 🙂 Stupid law – sad thing is the un-technology-savvy government MAY (I think it unlikely) be able to fake the un-technology-savvy public into going along with them … who says ignorance is bliss?
Why not just ban children from the internet? Or ban the internet entirely?
Maybe we could just ban the government.
Freedom brings crime, crime brings fear, fear brings facism.
We are at war with Eurasia, we have always been at war with Eurasia. Bring anyone who says otherwise to the Ministry of Love.
You know how much cost to get this kind of bill rolling? Another example of Your tax dollars working FOR you.