Nothing against JD (who has shown quite a few points in why IMVU is not and will not be "safe for minors"), but nothing is truly "100% safe", but IMVU could be doing things to make it more "safe" if they had the perogative to do so.

I would rather see that a server of IMVU be for "Adults Only" but IMVU has distinctly noted that they cannot and will not do so in the interest of "economics".

Oddly enough, some of us at the CCI have calculated that it would be far less "resource-tasking" to do the split-server and would discourage the types of fraud involved when a minor gets an Access Pass or when an adult tries to make themselves appear as though they are a minor.

But even this wouldn't make it "100%" safe, but would raise the safety factor of IMVU and possibly make it a more feasible solution than putting everyone on a single server.

I read every comment in this post, and I have to say that I’m feeling such disappointment and disgust.

I’ve been an IMVU user for nearly a year now, and I have made the informed choice to NOT let my daughter (she’s 13) get an account in IMVU.

As a mother and also a teacher I am most certainly not okay with “can’t guarantee the safety of children” on the internet. Can you imagine school districts and/or teachers saying to parents “Oh we’re sorry, we cannot guarantee that your child is safe at school!” That is just not acceptable, and the parents’ reactions would be something akin to what I’m reading in this thread.

If 100% isn’t possible, then what percentage will be suitable? Seventy-five percent? Fifty-nine? I’ve had my share of calling DCFS on students, and it’s not easy. I wonder what lawsuits would ensue if a minor is sent back to a home that’s 59 percent safe.

Every time IMVU is brought up in an education meeting there’s a collective cringe that goes around. It’s well-known that it’s not a safe haven for children. I’ve shared the experiences I’ve had in IMVU.

I have noticed that IMVU largely talks out of both sides of its mouth. They want their cake and eat it too. They’ve been caught many times with their proverbial pants down. I’ve seen the hypocrisy. As much as they deny it and claim a neutral stance, IMVU has its favorites. The rules are bent for those found in favor. I don’t lose sleep over it, but it’s a fact.

I have to wonder if IMVU will suffer the same fate as the Yahoo of old---the Yahoo that was successfully sued because it stood by and did nothing when people complained of stalkers and child safety. They were a day late and a dollar short in removing the dangerous user rooms that were exploiting children. If they had had the monitoring in the first place it most likely wouldn’t have come to a lawsuit. I think IMVU has an even bigger responsibility in that it has paying customers.

After reading the comments and scouring the accompanying links concerning the two developers (whom I have nothing against personally) who have circumvented the rating system, I have to say that if I were on a jury and they were in a real court---not some pseudo online kangaroo court held by the powers that be in IMVU (that’s like letting drug users be on a jury for a drug supplier)---I would have found them guilty. The evidence was overwhelming and damning. I did not buy the transparent “I can’t help what people do with my poses.” It brought back memories of Clinton’s pejorative “I did not have sex with that woman” statement. For once I’d like to see adults be adults and take responsibility of their actions especially when the proof supports the accusations.

I want to know why a group has been reported 9 times and nothing has been done---that’s sickening. IMVU is a business and it has a responsibility. Revenue is important to keep a business going, yes but ethics only made it stronger. A business is only as good as its weakest area, but there has to be consistency. Why is one staff member saying one thing and a second staff member saying another?

Here is one fine example of the hypocrisy concerning what is appropriate for the general audience (including minors) and what isn’t (I took this from a forum thread):

[quote]
This post I am making is not about a blog, but to show you how IMVU works. Below, is a advertisement from IMVU's own Power Earners Page:
http://www.imvu.com/catalog/web_info.php?section=Info&topic=powerearners
Now, a certain ad, is of an 'indian girl' with a Hookah pipe in the background. This ad is for General Audience to use on thier [sic] blog or website or wherever.
http://i112.photobucket.com/albums/n187/barefootin_2006/imvu2.jpg
I am and AP user, and I have read the ToS and I know, that a Hookah is an AP item. If a Hookah is an AP item, why can IMVU show it in a GA ad, directed at teens and GA?
By the way, I did ask if I can post a Hookah in my current avi, (not that I wanted to, but to prove a point)and was told no, as it is a AP item, and not for GA.
My point? IMVU can place a smoking device in a GA ad, but, I would be breaking the rules if I posted one in my avi pic for GA to see.
I do not agree with this ad being shown to teens, as i don't want them to think smoking anything is 'cool'. Teens do know what a Hookah is:
http://www.latinascontracancer.org/resorces/articals/HookedonHookah.htm
This is IMVU talking out of both sides of their mouth, saying, 'Do as I say, not as I do'.
Not trying to go off topic or hijack your thread, but I think this pertains somewhat to the topic.
Hipocricy. [sic]
[close quote]

I want it known that I’m not down on IMVU. I’ve enjoyed ---for the most part---aspects of IMVU, but I won’t pretend that it’s appropriate for minors. Absolutely not, and I defy anyone that says so.

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Edited by JD at 01/26/2008 10:47 PM

i used IMVU and found it quite thrilling. it's easy to make friends there. honestly when ur a 15 yr old psychic who has seen and communicated with ghosts u don't make many friends. im shunned by my classmates and others at school because of my visions, reading other peoples thoughts, and seeing/communicating with ghosts. IMVU allowed me to make many new friends. im actually engaged to one of my closest friends who didn't care what i was or what i've seen (fyi my fiance and i were friends when we were 8). if u want an easy way to make friends use IMVU.

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Edited by Ice Princess at 01/26/2008 5:03 AM

Forgottengargoyle has several good points, but I think chatting and texting are not in and of themselves that bad for youngsters. We are going into a real time version of what once was the main form of communication, the written word. The use or abuse of the written word is really up to the individual. I've met some very well spoken and erudite young people, and some older people who are garbled or all 133t speak. Communication is important, and long distance communication has been pervasive since instant response has become expected since the creation of the telephone.

Chat programs and the like allow kids to connect and relate with people who share similar interests, and is especially beneficial to those who are isolated by physical circumstances, or social ones. Text and IM are genies that won't be going back into the bottle, barring some huge disaster that takes out tech on a global scale. Now as in the past what best improves a child is education and experiences that are well supervised by a parent or teacher who has the best interest of the child at heart.



mcx

On the surface, IMVU discourages such actions, but once you start seeing what is actually going on... you'll see that they are encouraging such behaviour without going 'public' with it.

Best advice, Detective, would be to go in and spend a little time there. Listen to Access Pass Members, or watch those who 'advertise' as holding one.

And I'm sorry I'm a bit late with coming back as I'm doing maintenance on my laptop.

I'll be sure to mention the webcam faking to the teens i speak to. Many of them are relying on webcams as verification of who they speak to. I've been trying to talk them out of it, because webcamming usually requires exchanging personal email addresses and such, but they insist that it's safer than assuming the other Avatar is the age and gender they say they are.

About the comment about the abuse reports and how many of them lead to police reports... In all my research, i have heard of one man that was arrested for attempting to lure a minor on IMVU. How many others have been reported to authorities by IMVU... we'd have to ask them.

This past week, in one of the Ageplay groups, i found a 13 yr old girl who was VERY sexually aggressive with the older men in the group, her homepage has real pictures of herself in her underwear, and her "special someone" was listed as her REAL LIFE MOMMY and best F*** BUDDY EVER! Of course, i had to visit her "MOM's" page, and i left her message asking about this, her mom had multiple TOS violations on her page as well, so i reported her to IMVU. This woman's explanation for why her own daughter calls her "F*** buddy" is because she took it upon herself to teach her daughter about different sexual activities and show her how to do things.

I was instantly on the phone with the Canadian Cyber TipLine, seeing as both users were listed as Canadians, as am i... i was told that this particular situation called for an investigation. I was justified in calling.

However, throughout the phone call i expressed my concerns about many other users who shamelessly communicate with sexually outgoing teenagers, and i was reminded that the law doesn't cover "cyber chats" and that i can only report someone if i have some kind of proof that contact has been made or attempted in real life.

It's my belief that the law needs to catch up to the cyber age. These perverts are getting their hands caught in the virtual teen cookie jar, yet they can get away with it.

I can't stress it enough. Parents demand your children's passwords and watch what they do. Don't let them have a computer and a webcam in their bedrooms. Seriously. They might get mad at you, but it's better than the alternative isn't it????

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Edited by MissVera82 at 01/22/2008 9:04 PM

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Edited by MissVera82 at 01/22/2008 9:06 PM

Aye, I forgot to address that point. There is software out there that allows you to pre-record something, or even put a video and broadcast it as " real-time " across a web cam. Believe it or not, this is what usually happens on many adult sites. The person you think you're watching is either a: Not there and its prerecorded b: them as they say they are or c: not them at all.

The software can be found in freeware, shareware, and purchased software.

The point - you can't trust webcams, voice chat, or avatars. In fact, I spent a decade in Yahoo chat and as an adult I have met others and I relied on webcams, voice, and phone before ever meeting anyone or even attending a chat party to hang out offline with people. The bottom line is, there are no guarantees.