Comments on: Blocking social networking sites is an insufficient response

By: Moving at the Speed of Creativity » Blog Archive » YouTube, Internet Games and Electoral Politics

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 04:11:43 +0000

[...] Some of our political leaders are recognizing the power of digital social networking and digital storytelling tools like YouTube to share information and influence others. Why do so many school leaders seem to be pretending the web 2.0 Internet does not exist? The most obvious answer is that objectionable content is accessible from websites like YouTube– so to comply with CIPA and protect networked Windows-based computers from downloadable security threats, the guardians of school networks often block access to these sites. I continue to maintain, however, that merely blocking sites is an insufficient response to the realities and opportunities inherent in dsn. [...]

By: Myspace Information Blog » Blog Archive » Article from Moving at the Speed of Creativity - Blocking social networking sites is an insufficient response

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 10:24:46 +0000

[...] Blog Name: Moving at the Speed of Creativity Article Title: Blocking social networking sites is an insufficient response I was quoted in a Dallas Morning News article yesterday titled, “Teen gangs find voice on Web.” The article highlights how students in gangs (and some possibly wanting to be in gangs) are using social networking spaces like Bebo and MySp… [...]

By: Kevin Farnham

Kevin Farnham — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 23:48:30 +0000

The book my wife and I wrote, “MySpace Safety: 51 Tips for Teens and Parents,” might help turn the attention from negative to positive. We take the point of view that sites like MySpace are positive, as long as they are used responsibly. And we detail all the features of MySpace so that parents can know exactly what the site offers and how to instruct their teens on safe use.

Your copy is in the mail, Wesley. We published it as a softcover and as a downloadable PDF available at Amazon.com. And we have excerpts at our web site.

After months of work on the book, we find that MySpace itself has changed a lot (all for the better, in our opinion). Yet the debate on MySpace and online social networking has in some ways gone in an even more harmful direction than the “predators” debate that was prevalent when we started writing the book in February.

It’s hard to believe the DOPA legislation. At first I thought it had to be just political posturing. But apparently it was much more than that…

By: Beth

Beth — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 04:30:40 +0000

It’s frustrating to see the theme of troubles focused online. Gang activities has always been in issue. It should be no surprise that it is also something that appears online. This gang activities must be adddressed directly with prevention of gangs with the youth and help with those currently involved in gangs. This appearance of it on net is no reason to focus on internet restriction. It’s not as if we keep our students from going outside to avoid the gang members, tagging, MUSIC and much more out there.

By: Sally

Sally — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 02:17:56 +0000

In my opinion, it all comes down to this…a few “bad seeds” can ruin the entire crop. I believe that MOST students are using the internet in a positive way. I don’t think banning websites is the answer. I think parents need to take a more active role in their kids lives. Turn off the TV. Have a meal together and TALK for goodness sake! Kids act out because they don’t have an outlet or someone to talk to. I know that won’t solve all of the gang stuff, but perhaps you can prevent your kid from going in that direction. It’s not technology’s fault that we have kids killing eachother. I played cops and robbers when I was a kid and I shot stuff on my video games, but I have never even had a thought of shooting a human being or an animal for that matter. Heck I wouldn’t even know how to use a gun. Let’s stop blaming technology for all the problems and look in the mirror.

By: David Stone

David Stone — Sat, 03 Jun 2006 01:20:13 +0000

I only scanned the article, but Katherine’s poll…”Is it the responsibility of school districts to educate parents about gang activity online?” Is it now, No “Parent” Left Behind as well? I need a pay raise!
The poll was a little obscure I thought?

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 23:37:07 +0000

Wes, you said: “I think we need to coin a term for these types of news articles, but I am not sure what it is. ” That term has already been coined, and the term is FUD.

When are people, especially the media, going to figure out that technology is not the problem — is not even the major enabler of the problem — and that banning the technology is only going to ensure the problem manifests itself in some other way? The problem is deeply rooted in a cultural dysfunction, and I guess it’s a lot easier to ban a website than it is to fix a culture.

By: Stephanie Sandifer

Stephanie Sandifer — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 23:16:02 +0000

I would also like to add — as someone who has spent the past 6 years working in an inner city school — that the Gang Task Force in our city has been tracking gang websites for several years.

Gang use of the internet did not emerge with the use of these social networking sites in just this past year — gangs have been creating static webpages, message forums, and other internet sites for years, and authorities have been tracking gangs through these sites for years.

By: Stephanie Sandifer

Stephanie Sandifer — Fri, 02 Jun 2006 23:10:56 +0000

When I was still in the classroom teaching art I frequently had students who used the art media — pencils, acrylic paint, markers, paper, and digital software such as Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop — to create artwork that included gang symbols.

My response was to take up the artwork (to keep it out of circulation) and, if particular students repeated this action I was required (by law) to refer them to the gang task force officers.

However, I did not respond to this type of expression by banning ALL students from using the paint, pencils, and digital software. That would have been ridiculous — just as banning/blocking these websites is ridiculous.