Comments on: Wired News editor turns up 744 sex offenders on MySpace

By: OhForTheLoveOf

OhForTheLoveOf — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 18:09:41 +0000

#15 –

Yea… Okay… But you know, elected officials, usually lawyers, or nepotistic white scumbags who used to beat up the AV club kids in the locker room of gym class, or on rare occassion someone with an actual zeal to serve his or her constituency (you know, the more liberal of the batch), actually write the laws. I’m not talking about beat cops, and as I come from a family of cops I know about the cop-o-vision that renders these guys biased, but as you climb the chain you find smarter and smarter guys (and a few goons) who have valid testimony and opinions to offer legislators.

Point is, cops are affected by these laws and we entrust them the carry out the law. We shouldn’t be afraid to hear their opinions when we write the law.

#17

That is what the religious right would have us do. Fortunately we aren’t a theocracy yet.

By: woktiny

woktiny — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 13:45:15 +0000

what I wonder about is the measures to which we go to mark sex offenders… why not bring back the scarlet letter, or better yet, brand them… that way everyone will know, and kids will know to avoid the old man with the big A on his forehead.

By: Richard Brill

Richard Brill — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 03:05:35 +0000

Wow what a dirt bag.
Pancake 26, LOL More like big fat old dirt bag pervert that ate too many pancakes.
Its just as easy for a pervert to interact with a child in a supermarket as it is online. This is true for adults as well. We don’t always know who the person is that we interact with. Preventing children from interacting with people because thier different is very bad. It just teaches hate and prejudice. Some of the worst people could be dressed in a suites and ties.
If over 50% of marriges end in divorse then it shows that adults arent always the best judge of character.
For one,
Children social networks should be separate from adult Social networks. However,
The ultimate responsibility should fall on the parents. They should monitor their childrens activities.

By: Mr. Fusion

Mr. Fusion — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 01:42:12 +0000

#12, …Though the extent of the “problem” is far less than reported, it should be trained mental health experts, doctors, as well as law enforcement officials with experience in this area, who advise policy. …

I strongly agree with this except for the law enforcement officials taking part. They are the last “experts” one would want to formulate policy. For the same reasons they don’t put victims on juries, you don’t let the cops write the laws.

I also believe the whole “sex offender” status should be revisited. True sexual offenders should be listed, not every one that had something to do with a crime listed. There should also be a method to get off of the registry after so long. Saddling someone for their entire life for a youthful prank where no one was hurt is not a very intelligent idea.

By: joshua

joshua — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 00:53:35 +0000

You know John….I hope this pic is really the guy it’s supposed to be…..other wise you may need a new show called….***Cranky loser in a lible suit***….lol

By: Mike T

Mike T — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 22:19:41 +0000

Who really cares? I mean how much harm can they do while sitting behind their computers? None. Of course, that changes if they try to hook up offline — but I still say that kids and adults that agree to meet in person those that they have met online are dumb… dumb dumb dumb.

And don’t tell me these teenagers don’t know any different. If they are old enough to be online and agreeing to meetings, then they are old enough to know they might get hurt. Once again — dumb dumb dumb. And so are their parents!

And if you are an adult, and you agree to a meeting where you might put yourself in danger and you get hurt — you pretty much get what you deserve.

By: OhForTheLoveOf

OhForTheLoveOf — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:35:34 +0000

#8 – This is just going to lead to new laws and legislation banning sex offenders from possessing any electronic communication device. If you ask me, there is no way to keep a sexual predator from finding a victim as long as they live and breathe.

I surely don’t intend to insult you, but there is a reason that we don’t ask you. Or me. Or anyone else. I know in this modern American life, everyone who has watched a few episodes of 20/20 is under the impression that they have gained expertise through osmosis and it just ain’t true.

Though the extent of the “problem” is far less than reported, it should be trained mental health experts, doctors, as well as law enforcement officials with experience in this area, who advise policy. What I fear is a reaction based on irrational fear that results in stupid laws that affect me, and most likely, not actual sexual predators.

By: John C Dvorak

John C Dvorak — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 18:20:26 +0000

#7 Gig..good point.

By: DeeCee

DeeCee — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 17:25:44 +0000

How does one know those are the real people posting themselves? You could pretend to be anyone.

By: spsffan

spsffan — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:59:32 +0000

Of course, part of the problem is that you can become a sex offender by doing laundry in your beiefs at a laundromat or simply parking in the wrong place and talking to passers-by these days.

It has become like the idiotic school rules against drugs, weapons, speach, etc.

In the future, everything that is not prohibited will be manditory. Some things of course, will be both.

DAve

By: bxlegend

bxlegend — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:53:18 +0000

This is just going to lead to new laws and legislation banning sex offenders from possessing any electronic communication device. If you ask me, there is no way to keep a sexual predator from finding a victim as long as they live and breathe.

By: Gig

Gig — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:50:46 +0000

744/1,000,000=.00074

385,932/300,000,000=.00128644

Myspace is safer than the population in general.

By: Gig

Gig — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 16:46:36 +0000

This is simple make it part of their parole or probation that they can’t use sites such as Myspace. Then when they get caught doing so something stronger than a ban can take place.

I don’t use Myspace but are real names required? I seem to think I’ve seen names like Happyduck and BIGguy32 the few times I’ve looked at the site.

By: FRAGaLOT

FRAGaLOT — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:58:18 +0000

what would be the point of these sex offenders registering their e-mail address when they are so disposable in the first place? You can’t really identify anyone from an e-mail address. Plus you can get hundreds of free ones anyway.

By: John C Dvorak

John C Dvorak — Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:51:37 +0000

Be that as it may, MySpace could ban whomever it wanted for any reason it wanted. Why does it need legislation? What a bunch of jerks.