It is definitely possible to make one's page private in MySpace as well - thanks, Dying4Benny.
Anne
--
Anne Collier
BlogSafety co-director

Nancy - have you considered reporting this to CEOP - Child Exploitation On-line Programme, which is run by the police so tht internet predators can be stopped? www.ceop.gov.uk I think it is important to feed back any incidents and I also beleive it important to educate our young people and children in using the internet and all mobile technologies safely and responsibly. This doesnt mean take everything away from them as they will just go elsewhere and do it and neither means let them do exactly what they want to do and know nothing about it as a parent.
There is tons of advice out on the internet for free about these issues - show your young people the sites geared to their age group. Let them form some opinions about how they intend to keep safe and what they would do if... www.childnet-int.org.uk; www.thinkuknow.co.uk (brill for teens!)www.netsmartzkids.org (younger children)www.internetsafetyzone.com (dif areas for children and an adult area for information) www.cyberquoll.com.au (older children into teens)
I realise this does not stop the use of sites like MySpace but may help some parents feel they can provide guidance and advice to their children.

Nancy, send me the URL of the profile and any other info you can provide - to anne@blogsafety.com, and I'll see what I can do. Thanks,
Anne
BlogSafety.com co-director

> > Like so many people are pointing out, this can be
> so
> > simple. We are the parents, we are in control, we
> set
> > the rules and guidelines, NOT the child. problem
> > is..their are to many parents who think like this
> > lady does, she sent this email to TheParentsEdge:
> >
> > Great site.
> >
> > Way to embitter kids into hating their parents and
> > rebelling even more,
> > idiots. You want parents to know their children's
> > passwords? You want
> > parents to keylog their children? How sick is
> that.
> > Do you let your children
> > read your mail and listen to your conversations?
> >
> > In ten years time, every child and teenager
> subjected
> > to this is will have
> > disowned their parents.
> >
> > Well done, smart idea.
> >
> > we wonder why we are having so many problems with
> > kids today, parents have forgotten their roles or
> > just plain refuse to parent.
> >
> > -Rich
> > > http://www.TheParentsEdge.com">TheParentsEdge.com
>
>
> ok see you kind of taken what i said and turned it
> into something different. when i said it was the
> parents fault for not taking control i didn't mean
> monitor every single action they do online and stand
> over their shoulder as they surf the net. i merely
> meant that maybe every once in a while just check up
> on them. i don't necassarily mean go through all of
> their e-mails. that's an invasion of space. it would
> be as if you statrted opening all of their other
> mail. parents should just every once in awhile check
> the history on the computer. if you see a site you
> think may be bad DON'T JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS!!! check
> it out fisrt. go there, surf around a little. then
> decide wether or not you want them on. if you don't
> then simply tell them not to visit the site.
>
> --
> Edited by AlBeRt_WeSkEr at 09/15/2006 8:53 PM

> Like so many people are pointing out, this can be so
> simple. We are the parents, we are in control, we set
> the rules and guidelines, NOT the child. problem
> is..their are to many parents who think like this
> lady does, she sent this email to TheParentsEdge:
>
> Great site.
>
> Way to embitter kids into hating their parents and
> rebelling even more,
> idiots. You want parents to know their children's
> passwords? You want
> parents to keylog their children? How sick is that.
> Do you let your children
> read your mail and listen to your conversations?
>
> In ten years time, every child and teenager subjected
> to this is will have
> disowned their parents.
>
> Well done, smart idea.
>
> we wonder why we are having so many problems with
> kids today, parents have forgotten their roles or
> just plain refuse to parent.
>
> -Rich
> TheParentsEdge.com

What gives you the idea that people like her are 'the problem?' Indeed her opinion differs from yours, but do you get what she's saying? Why trade our freedom online for a false sense of security in our parents? I don't tell my mother everything I do, all the conversations I have with people. Why should it be any different online?

Parents like this raise responsible, open-minded children. They've been taught the skills they need, given freedom, it's a good thing. Restricting a child, monitering them, they don't get to grow in the same way.

i agree with you. my original point was that i'm sick of hearing people complain "OMG MY CHILD HAS A MYSPACE OH NO WHAT DO I DO?" the answer is extremely simple. tell them they can keep the myspace just don't give away anything specific. if they refuse to let you check the myspace every once and awhile the answer is simple. you're the adult. you have control. warn them that if they don't let you check on their myspace that you will have to simply take control of the computer and put blocks on certain sights. when they complain simply say "you were warned". yes this seems harsh but that's too bad. kids get off too easy these days and heck i'm a kid. that's right i'll admit most kids get away with murder (not literally). besides in a few years they'll be in high school (which is rough). they can't go running and crying whenever something doesn't go there way so you might as well teach them that now.

> You can post personal information, you just have to
> be safe about it. Your state, your age, those things
> are fine, as they are VERY BROAD and it is pretty
> impossible to find someone based off of that.

you're wrong there. while yes it's improbable that you would be found based on state and age it is not impossible. the safest thing to do would be not to take chances.

listen i've been reading alot of these and the answer is extrmemly simple. DO NOT PUT PERSONAL INFORMATION ANYWHERE ON THE WEB! what is so hard about that? seriously if kids don't have the sense not to post personal info then maybe its the parents' fault for not bothering to warn them in the first place.