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To Protect The Little Children

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Just read this - who believe it's a move to protect kids?? Perhaps protect themselves from being sued .. or maybe because they're not making money from it.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3133192.stm

MSN is closing all its chatrooms in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and most of Asia from 14 October, and changing the way others are operated globally.

"As a responsible leader we feel it necessary to make these changes because online chat services are increasingly being misused," it said.

Children's charities welcomed the move as "momentous" and said they saw it as a big step towards protecting young web users, but some have criticised the decision.

Abusive contact

Internet service provider Lycos has branded the action as "irresponsible" and fear children will move to other unmoderated chatrooms on the net.

Some have suggested that MSN may have economic reasons for closing down their chatrooms.

Chatroom closure draws fire
MSN UK's Matt Whittingham told BBC News Online it was not a decision they had taken lightly.

"We have been concerned about chatrooms for a while and reached a stage where we were no longer prepared to put up with inappropriate communication," he said.

The only chat service available to MSN users in the UK will be the free instant messaging service, MSN Messenger, which is not so open and gives people more control over who they talk to.

Chatrooms on MSN's other global sites will either be supervised - or moderated - by an adult 24 hours a day, or will be on a credit card subscription-basis only.

It means no free, unmoderated chatrooms will exist anymore on any of MSN's global network of sites.

There has been growing concern among experts that the anonymity of net chat means young people are being targeted by adults pretending to be children.

HAVE YOUR SAY
This extreme policy seems like an exercise in futility

Adam Issa, UK


Send us your comments
"We have seen cases where under-16s have been approached by people pretending to be same age, but who are grown adults trying to solicit young people for abusive contact," Mr Whittingham explained.

He added that, although most messages in chatrooms were not inappropriate, a "small minority" had spoilt chat for people of all ages.

People have also been increasingly targeted by spammers posting hundreds of messages and inappropriate web addresses to chatrooms.

Many have been "mining" rooms for data, finding out users' e-mail addresses to build spam lists.

Instant control?

MSN has acknowledged that some chatters will not be happy about the move.

"We regret responsible users will be affected by this move, but we looked at this very carefully and on balance to safeguard customer interests," said Mr Whittingham.

CHATROOMS AND CHILDREN
One in five children aged nine to 16 regularly use chatrooms
More than half have engaged in sex chat
A quarter have received requests to meet face-to-face
One in 10 had met face-to-face
Source: Cyberspace Research Centre, July 2003
By only making instant messaging available, chatters will be able to restrict and control who they talk to because they can only chat to people on their "buddy lists".

People need to ask permission to be a "buddy" and they need to know the user's e-mail address to make a request, which means most children only have "buddies" who they know outside the internet.

They will also continue to make MSN Messenger free to users.

Mr Whittingham said all net services offering chatrooms should continue to look at how they can safeguard everyone on the internet, ensuring young people and parents stick to common sense advice.

This means never giving out personal information online, and never arranging to see someone they have met online in the real world.

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Ah, our good old friends Micro$o£t.

    Fair enough them closing the free MSN chatrooms if theyre not making money, M$ is a business like any other, but they should at least be honest about it.

    On another note, I wonder how long it will be before MSN Messenger becomes a subscription service?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Sorry mate I didn't read all that. But I have heard and seen all about it.

    I don't honestly think it will help. Its going to cause alot more problems with all the children going into adult chat rooms which will make more and more men or women start doing it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They're already stopping other people using MSN's channel thing at the same time I think, so programs like Trillian and other MSn compatble programs won't work only MSN 6 unless these other companies pay Microsoft a Licence.

    They say this is a move to improve security and help prevent viruses being sent via te MSN Messenger system.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    They are going to change it so you have to suscribe to it and pay through your credit card. They believe if they do that then it will stop it all. :rolleyes:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Oi Diamond! Make your own threads and out them in the right boards! :mad:
    :D
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by VinylVicky
    Oi Diamond! Make your own threads and out them in the right boards! :mad:
    :D

    Just because yours got so little response! :D:p
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    i wouldnt use msn messenger if they asked everyone to pay for it :no:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by *MadinthenuT*
    They are going to change it so you have to suscribe to it and pay through your credit card. They believe if they do that then it will stop it all. :rolleyes:
    :( I thought about putting it in here and getting a better response. Diamond always puts things in the wrong forums. Next time I shall and then there will be no stopping me mwuauauauauhahahahahahahahhahahha *evil face*


    :D :P
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What I want to know is who protects teenagers from money grabbing companies?

    has anyone noticed on MSN 6 there's a new feature to have your own character, BUT to use it you got to pay like £1.50p by sending an SMS to a premium SMS Number?

    They know teenagers don't have credit cards so they're using mobile phones, etc to extract payment from them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by DiamondGeezer
    What I want to know is who protects teenagers from money grabbing companies?

    has anyone noticed on MSN 6 there's a new feature to have your own character, BUT to use it you got to pay like £1.50p by sending an SMS to a premium SMS Number?

    They know teenagers don't have credit cards so they're using mobile phones, etc to extract payment from them.

    Lmao, my point excactly!

    I made a wee man all up then ask me for 1 fuckin 50!!!!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by *MadinthenuT*
    Lmao, my point excactly!

    I made a wee man all up then ask me for 1 fuckin 50!!!!!

    Yeah I made a little dude as well , then when I finished it asked for money!!

    They should be upfront about the money aspect form the beginning but really I don't see why they are doing it - they must make money from the advertsising bar. I have no problems with ad sponsored software like that if it's done in a way that doesn't intrude too much.

    BTW just thought you could always deisgn the little man again and do a screen capture and just save it as a JPEG!!!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by DiamondGeezer

    BTW just thought you could always deisgn the little man again and do a screen capture and just save it as a JPEG!!!

    Brilliant Idea.

    I am away to do it. :D;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by BritJames
    It is becoming so in the USA.
    they are only completely stopping in Europe and parts of Asia.

    They know where the money is & who would pay.

    I think they have made a good step though - as their chats were very easily accessible, and with MSN being the default web page for most pc's; it is open to alot of children - other chats aren't AS easy to find.

    that is why they are being applauded I do believe
    james ...you came over all roy cropper like then!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    CHATROOMS AND CHILDREN
    One in five children aged nine to 16 regularly use chatrooms
    More than half have engaged in sex chat
    A quarter have received requests to meet face-to-face
    One in 10 had met face-to-face

    One in ten had met face-to-face?!? I seriously do not believe that statistic. Unless maybe it's just talking about Americans, or something. Anyway, yeah, I think they've got that one wrong.

    The statistics aren't very clear either... does it mean that one in ten of those quarter who had received requests to meet face to face, or does it mean one in ten of children aged nine to 16 who regularly use chat rooms?

    *frowns*
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    lil kazzy - I think it means 1 in 10 of all the kids who use it, not just the quarter who've had requests to meet up.

    I don't really give two shits about it all, I NEVER use MSN chat it's a waste of time. It doesn't affect me.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Using my SN in vain J? lol ;)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I don't think they should close down chatrooms, there are geninue people out there who want to use the rooms to make friends and talk to people, what about them?

    Msn should just watch the chatrooms alot more, there's still going to be paedo's around the internet only in different chatrooms, the only thing this is doing is chasing the perv's to some other rooms around the web.

    But at least it's a step forward in the fight against dirty bastards.
    I don't use chatrooms, there's too much bullshit in them.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    :mad: Now I won't be able to go on the city chats and argue with Americans when i'm bored:(
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We used to have some laughs in MSN chatrooms and NO im not telling you my old name I used to use, you might be one of the people I got kicked out of the room by. It was all just a bit of fun and we used to play a game called "see who gets kicked first", so anyway we would all join a certain room and once everyone was there it was a race to get kicked first lol.......aahhhh them were the days :lol:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    yea...all just a bit of a laugh but some people don't use them that way.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by Shogun
    yea...all just a bit of a laugh but some people don't use them that way.

    I never go into chat rooms now, too many idiots get in.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Originally posted by BeckyBoo
    I never go into chat rooms now, too many idiots get in.

    exactly.
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