John Walsh has `Net preditors on his show today, and I agree: There are preditors online.


Just like in your neighborhood, in a bar, in a personal ad, at the local football game....


I think that parents need to pay attention to what their kids are doing (ESPECALLY IF YOUR CHILD HAS A WEBCAM!), moniter their chat buddies, block chat places like yahoo, pay attention to their E-mail, and if they DO want to meet a `net friend don't discurage them, go with them.


I've met a good amount of the people I know online, and I've known almost everyone I talk to from anywhere to a year to almost nine years. I conciter them very good friends. I don't go into chat rooms, unless it's a chat room I own, because I think chat rooms are annoying. My sister enjoys chat rooms, so she's got a rule..she can only go into a chat room made by her or one of her friends that has people we know in them. (Like RL friends) She also chats now and then to the people I know online. But I rarely let her go into public chat rooms because I know how often I get a solicit for cyber, so I know for a fact she gets them.


Plus, did you know there are naked people on webcams on yahoo? Seriously, it's scary stuff.


I can't moniter what she does online at friends house, so I hope the other kids parents do. But I don't think it's too much for a parent (or the mean older sister) to put limits on what younger kids do online.


Paying attention to your kids would solve so many problems in the world today.


The Net can be dangerous just like every other place can be, but it can also be really great. A good place to meet good people, explore your hobbies and learn. It's all in how you use it.