MSN chatroom shut down!

[Minerva]

Most of us woke up to the news of Microsoft shut down it's chatroom to prevent paedophiles from chatting up under age kids.

Is this the way to go? Will ICQ chatroom the next?

I'm not fully woken up to think yet, other than to create a new thread here.

[Sojourner]

Well, it's their business. If they want to shut it down, let them. Just more room for the competition.

[Xandax]

After what I've read, it will not be shut down - just become subscripted, so you have to pay to use.


Unfortunally - because there are creeps around and kids that due to age aren't aware of the dangers, such things will flourish.

I've not used MSN so I don't know of its likeness with ICQ, so whether or not it will happen there based on the likeness with MSN I don't know.

[Georgi]

Quote:

Originally posted by Xandax After what I've read, it will not be shut down - just become subscripted, so you have to pay to use.

That is what caught my ear in the interviews I heard earlier... "When access is free, anybody can get in." Nothing was mentioned about charging for chatrooms, but we all know how Microsoft feel about giving people services for free. This is a great excuse for starting to charge, in the interest of public safety. How benevolent.

I don't think anyone else is going to follow suit, to be honest. The number of genuine users of things like ICQ is way more than the number of perverts. Personally I've never used MSN chatrooms, so I couldn't care less.

It's unlikely to make a difference to paedophiles either - they'll just find another forum where they can prey on kids. The only way to make a difference is to teach kids about the possible dangers, and what precautions to take... much like that great "Stranger Danger" campaign in my youth, warning kids not to talk to people on the streets. There's always going to be another chatroom.

BTW guys, they were also advising people not to go off and meet people they've met online IRL. I hope everyone is taking note.

[dragon wench]

I echo Georgi's sentiments. And honestly... how on earth is this going to stop perverts? I doubt MS will make it *that* expensive, why wouldn't the creeps pay too? Okay, it might make it somewhat easier to trace these people but it is not that difficult to provide a fake address

They are constantly trying to encourage you to download their subscribe version, my hotmail account is always receiving email from them on the subject. I'm guessing that people weren't biting, so this is how they are forcing the issue Do they really think this appearance of "altruism" is going to con people into believing that Bill is yet again doing his part for humanity?

[Lazarus]

Never use the chat rooms, myself, so while I won’t miss the service, I do think it is unfortunate to see it go – it’s sad to see any form of communication shut down or made more difficult to participate in.

I do have a bit different view of the reasons behind the change, though. I guess most people here view it as a way for the company to make money, but I doubt they will make much (or any) on it – there are/will be way too many free alternatives. So, I sorta take them at their “benevolent” and “altruistic” word when they say they are doing it to keep kids from bad things … but I think the real reason they want to keep the kids from bad things is to keep their butts from getting sued. America is litigation-happy, and corporations are everyone’s favorite target. Say some kid does get tracked down and abused through a chat room – don’t you think the parents of said kid would much rather jump on the chat room host (MS or whoever), rather than take a good hard look at why their kid was there in the first place, and why they (the parents) didn’t have enough awareness to know of it and stop or monitor it? Sue MS and make a couple million bucks, or admit we failed in our child-rearing – which do you think the average person would choose?

[Xandax]

Quote:

Originally posted by dragon wench I echo Georgi's sentiments. And honestly... how on earth is this going to stop perverts? I doubt MS will make it *that* expensive, why wouldn't the creeps pay too? Okay, it might make it somewhat easier to trace these people but it is not that difficult to provide a fake address <snip>

Difference is it you need to pay, it will most likely be by creditcard (Visa, MC, AE or something), wich makes it rather easy to block and/or track somebody down

[Xandax]

Quote:

Originally posted by Georgi That is what caught my ear in the interviews I heard earlier... "When access is free, anybody can get in." Nothing was mentioned about charging for chatrooms, but we all know how Microsoft feel about giving people services for free. This is a great excuse for starting to charge, in the interest of public safety. How benevolent. <snip>

The news bullitin I've read on danish medias (might be wrong) says that the chatrooms in USA, Canada, Brasilen, Japan, Australien og New Zealand would continue but either become pay2use or supervised ....

Dunno if it is right though - just what it says on the newssite.

[Georgi]

Quote:

Originally posted by dragon wench I echo Georgi's sentiments. And honestly... how on earth is this going to stop perverts? I doubt MS will make it *that* expensive, why wouldn't the creeps pay too? Okay, it might make it somewhat easier to trace these people but it is not that difficult to provide a fake address

I was going to say that as well - AFAIK perverts can still get credit cards - but credit card payments wouldn't go through unless all the address details checked out, so they would be more traceable... although I'm sure there are quite a few fraudsters out there.

What's more likely, though, is that the people who get excluded from the chatrooms will be the kids, who don't have credit cards. Not exactly fair. Microsoft are such spoilsports.

[Georgi]

Quote:

Originally posted by Xandax The news bullitin I've read on danish medias (might be wrong) says that the chatrooms in USA, Canada, Brasilen, Japan, Australien og New Zealand would continue but either become pay2use or supervised .... Dunno if it is right though - just what it says on the newssite.

That is right according to the BBC website:
Microsoft's net service is shutting its chatrooms in Europe, Middle East, Latin America and most of Asia from 14 October.

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.

The UK chatroom is going to be closed though. Freeserve and Lycos say they're not planning to close their chatrooms, and have criticised MSN's move as irresponsible, since kids/paedophiles will just go to other unmoderated chatrooms.

The article is here if anyone wants to read it.

[VoodooDali]

I'd just say that it's proof that Sleazel is alive and well and out there somewhere.

[Tamerlane]

Well I've been on the MSN chatrooms, long time ago and it was absolute rubbish. Complete waste of time, and just full of perveted little boys and commercial spammers. I think its good on Microsofts part to shut them down, although setting up unsupervised chat rooms in first place was cleary an error on their part.

Good riddance to bad rubbish I say http://www.gamebanshee.com/forums/im...ons/icon14.gif

Oh, the Australian ones have been hit by the decision also in case anyone is interested.

EDIT - Thats my surly mode up and running All you guys have raised extremely good points but I just find the concept of unsupervised chat rooms intolerable and completely offensive and thats just from my experience with them.

[dragon wench]

I just saw a story on the news about this and in passing they mentioned something that I think is worth commenting on. The point made is that many of the teens venturing out into cyberspace do so with a secret identity that is unknown to their parents...

Please allow me to play devil's advocate for a moment...

This suggests that those teens are *willingly* going into some of these situations. I realise that many, if not most, are very inexperienced and therefore exremely vulnerable.. making them easy prey to creeps..

However, just as is the case in "RL" I do think that maybe society needs to start acknowledging the sexuality possessed by teens and children.

I am not attempting to "blame the victim," nor am I trying to justify the heinous behaviour of perverts... But I wanted to make a point that is often shied away from.

[Xandax]

Actually @DW - I somewhat agree with you. (usually just keep this quiet cause it is un-political correct )

In our societies we see more "sexual" teens then we did even back when I was a teen some years ago.
Many "childrend" from the age of 12-14 and upwards are very well aware of many things, like the way they dress, the way the act and talk.
Due to the arrise of fast and easy medias, such as more television and more focus group directed television and the interent, children get more aware of actions then before.
Although they proberly aren't well-equipped (emotionally and intellectually) at handlening problems/situations, they aren't clueless, and often knows on many levels what "things" are about.
And instead of blaming society and the media, I belive it is the parents job to step in and educate and raise their children.


This is also why I don't see Pay2Use chatrooms as an inhibbiter of the children/teens being able to chat in "safer" conditions, because most that "behave" proberly (behave is not the correct word, but the best I could think of at the moment ) can get permission from parents and get them to pay for their usage.
Especially if the parrents know that the conditions revolving the chatting are safer then the "scare-picture" that has been placed on the internet-chatting.

[Minerva]

Spokesmen (well, women, mostly) for the group against internet paedophiles and such kept saying they were pleased or even delighted by the Microsoft's action. Do they actually believe this will significantly reduce the number of cases of the paedophiles using chatrooms to, well, chat up with underage kids? That was the first thought occured to me when I heard the news. I agree with Georgi that Microsoft now has a good excuse to charge more for the "service" they provide, and I just thought "here we go again", and that's about it. (We know Microsoft well enough, don't we? ) But, I was really worried when I heard those campainers gave unconditional plaise to MS. I mean, when a company or government changed their attitude towards, say, environmental policy, campainers usually say "that's a step forward but not enough". This time, though, I haven't heard anything of "but we want more" comment at all.

Another thing is a teacher said, "It is difficult for us to monitor what children doing on the computer all the time". Do they actually allow children to use chatroom in the school classrooms?