Myspace.com - Anyone Belong?

[Jonathan Randall]

Myspace.com - Anyone Belong? Opinions? I just noticed that several respected members of MT have pages on Myspace.com. Any folks here have a page? Please list it - if you don't mind. What are your thoughts on Myspace?

 

[Carol]

Had my site up for roughly about a week or so.

It's fairly easy to set up. A colleague and I have been having a blast playing around with it (when we should be working...SHHH!!!!)

Love to have you as a friend Jonathan, if you start a page of your own.

Well...I hope I have you as a friend anyway whether or not you start a page of your own

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Had my site up for roughly about a week or so.

It's fairly easy to set up. A colleague and I have been having a blast playing around with it (when we should be working...SHHH!!!!)

Love to have you as a friend Jonathan, if you start a page of your own.

Well...I hope I have you as a friend anyway whether or not you start a page of your own

Actually...

Check your site and recent friends.

 

[Carol]

artyon: artyon: '

 

[Makalakumu]

I've got a page. I mainly use it to host videos until I get my school website up. I think its fine, but you have to be skeptical of EVERYTHING on there. For instance, I get some friend requests that link me to webcam women or porn. Myspace shouldn't be played around with by kids. I've seen some 16 year olds on there and I think that may be pushing it depending on how mature they are.

The other thing is that right now, for kids in high school, myspace is the cool thing to do. HS Kids are setting up pages left and right. Things like this may be the wave of the future.

 

[michaeledward]

Very Dangerous and Bad!!!

Massachusetts recently floated the idea of restricting access to any persons under the age of 18. I fully support it.

I am certain that most parents have no idea what their children are doing on MySpace.

My wife and I joked (only half-heartedly) about starting a company that a) gives parents the tools to and b) teaches parents how to monitor computer access and record all the computer activities of children without their knowledge.

 

[Jonathan Randall]

Very Dangerous and Bad!!!

Massachusetts recently floated the idea of restricting access to any persons under the age of 18. I fully support it.

I am certain that most parents have no idea what their children are doing on MySpace.

My wife and I joked (only half-heartedly) about starting a company that a) gives parents the tools to and b) teaches parents how to monitor computer access and record all the computer activities of children without their knowledge.

Very dangerous and bad for adults or minors, or both? Please clarify. I agree wholeheartedly that parents should restrict and monitor their children's Internet experience, but consenting adults are different. Agree?

 

[evenflow1121]

I was on it for a while, but it became too addictive and took too much of my time so I decided to quit. However, it was a lot of fun. I ran into a lot of friends from college and highschool there alike.

 

[michaeledward]

Very dangerous and bad for adults or minors, or both? Please clarify. I agree wholeheartedly that parents should restrict and monitor their children's Internet experience, but consenting adults are different. Agree?

Once a person is past eightteen .... it is no concern of mine.

We haven't seen Dateline doing expose's on adults meeting for sex from online meetings .... although I'm sure that's happening too.

That it is owned by Rupert Murdoch, also just sort of sticks in my craw.

 

[theletch1]

Seems like everytime I turn around I'm hearing another story where a child of twelve or so was abducted, raped and so forth by someone they met on myspace. The recent attempted highschool killing spree in the mid-west was discussed by the attackers on myspace. I'm one of the folks that think that that site needs some sort of age verification before allowing anyone to be a part of it.

 

[Makalakumu]

In a way, everything is dangerous. Why should myspace be any different? It's easy to get caught up in the "culture of fear" that our society promotes.

 

[Bob Hubbard]

I've got accounts on myspace, livejournal, deviant art and model mayhem.
I pop in occasionally, but really find them more annoying than useful.

 

[BrandiJo]

i have a myspace, i dunno if its bad...you just have to be careful with the information you put out there. but you can find me at www.myspace.com/jojbrandi if ya would like

 

[Rich Parsons]

Very Dangerous and Bad!!!

Massachusetts recently floated the idea of restricting access to any persons under the age of 18. I fully support it.

I am certain that most parents have no idea what their children are doing on MySpace.

My wife and I joked (only half-heartedly) about starting a company that a) gives parents the tools to and b) teaches parents how to monitor computer access and record all the computer activities of children without their knowledge.

MichaelEdward,

I think the internet is a bad place for children no matter what the site.

If you can make a go at your start up that would be good. I wish you the best.


As to my thoughts on it, it is ok. IT can be a way to meet people and or find bands and such.

I have not been spammed by their site, so I will say they are true towards their wards on Privacy for e-mails.

 

[mantis]

MichaelEdward,

I think the internet is a bad place for children no matter what the site.

If you can make a go at your start up that would be good. I wish you the best.


As to my thoughts on it, it is ok. IT can be a way to meet people and or find bands and such.

I have not been spammed by their site, so I will say they are true towards their wards on Privacy for e-mails.

i agree. the internet requires parental control that is just not feasible. it does make parents job very difficult.
even if the sites are 100% clean and innocent and all that kids tend to get addicted to the internet.
besides, there are these sites with cartoons or flashes and stuffy, but the content is horrible. those sites seem to spread very quickly.

as for adults people have to knock some sense into their own heads. they have to realize that the internet has bad and good, and the person on the other side of the monitor could potentially be a dangerous person. when i read those rape stories through myspace on CNN i was thinking why would that girl go there to start with!?

 

[michaeledward]

I met my wife online about 12 years ago ... it was the Compuserve service back then ... so I know what benefits can come as well as the addictive nature of being online.

The real challenge with younger persons, is that it allows them to cast the net wider for validations of their thoughts and feelings. And, once they have found a community that is accepting of a thought or feeling, there is a natural amplification of those thoughts and feelings.

Now, this could be a good thing, or it could be a bad thing. What I tend to observe is the negative behaviors; eating disorders, self-destructive behaviors, substance use issues, sexual braggadocio. When these behaviors are amplified, it is obviously a bad thing.

Back in the pre-internet, pre-cell phone age, there was a level of ostricization if a child felt that purging a meal was appropropriate. Now they can find folks who will re-inforce that behavior and argue that it is appropriate. And all this can take place without any adult supervision.

Much as the bicycle changed societies throughout the world, the internet is doing the same to a much greater degree.

For example .. this person is very dear to me. She is currently 18 years old, but this page existed much like this prior to her 18th birthday.

www.myspace.com/luvnjumpn

 

[Jonathan]

I'm on as hkcavalier... it's not a bad place, per se, but be careful you don't get wrapped up in the... um... seedier things that can be found there.

 

[patroldawg27]

I'm on it. I think the sites o.k for adults but not necessarily for children. It's helped greatly in tracking down old military buddies.

 

[beau_safken]

Well its more or less a resource for getting old friends together and see how they are doing. I sure wouldn't suggest it for anything other than getting friends together.

I know people that date off that thing...and man that has to be a scary idea...

 

[Shodan]

I agree.......for kids- it's not good at all- too easy for things to go wrong. For adults who use it responsibly, it can be great. I've found some old school buddies on there and pretty much know everyone on my friends list. I do get the odd bizarre message though which bugs me, but it can be easily deleted and ignored. I'm www.myspace.com/taradactyl27 if you want to drop by and say "Hello".