Pandora’s Blog

This PC World article is based on a keynote speech at the South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) festival in Austin by social media expert for Microsoft Research Danah Boyd. She discussed the fate of privacy. The presalive.com blog (also below) summed it up nicely: “Boyd says that privacy is not dead, but that a big part of our notion of privacy relates to maintaining control over our content, and that when we don’t have control, we feel that our privacy has been violated.”

She is spot on. Furthermore, the problem lies within those that think they are being private, but are not – and end up being humiliated or embarrassed or affected in some way by the aforementioned content. If you are going to participate in an online community, which is basically a public forum, you have to understand that anything you say or do can be used against you – at any time and in any way.

To start, the article uses the hypothetical of Google Street View taking pictures of you standing naked in your house. Then I was in journalism classes, this debate was used for photographers and paparazzi (not Google). While some say that does violate your privacy, the truth is that the pictures are being taken from public space (the roads). If you are not smart enough to close the shades, understand that if you expose yourself to the public, you expose yourself to ALL public.

Here’s another analogy I make: if you are crazy enough to wear a terrible outfit in public (e.g. to the store), and someone takes a picture of you with their cell phone and puts it online, you cannot say your privacy was violated. Your privacy was lost the minute you left your front door.

This translates to the online world. If you write something or post a ridiculous picture on your MySpace or Facebook page, and someone sees it and uses that information against you or in some way to humiliate you, it is legal. You presented that information (or photo) to the public on a public space designed for you to control and communicate from. There is simply no privacy there.

Anyway, please, read this PC World article and check out the PressAlive.com Blog. I’ve posted bits of them below with links… Feel free to share your thoughts.

And remember, teach your children at a young age how they can retain some privacy – that is control their content – by participating conservatively and not revealing sordid personal details. It’s that easy… and it’s easy to make sure they are posting safely with tools like our PC Pandora 6.0 computer monitoring software.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND!

CLICK HEADLINES FOR FULL STORIES

March 14, 2010 8:53 AM
Privacy is Not Dead, Just Evolving
By Tony Bradley, PC World

It’s a brave new world. Unfortunately–continuing the literary allusion–Big Brother is watching. As technology makes more information more accessible, it also threatens to expose information that is not intended to be shared. Privacy is a concept that is caught in the middle of the struggle.

Danah Boyd, a social media expert for Microsoft Research, presented a keynote speech at the South by Southwest Interactive (SXSWi) festival in Austin spotlighting the fate of privacy. Boyd was clear that she does not feel privacy is dead. Contrary to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s claim, people do still care about privacy.

March 14, 2010
Danah Boyd: How Technology Makes A Mess Of Privacy and Publicity
From Pressalive.com

Today at SXSWi, keynote speaker Danah Boyd took the stage to talk about privacy and publicity, and how they intertwine online. Boyd is a Social Media Researcher at Microsoft Research New England, and has studied this space extensively for years. It was a compelling talk that challenged the notion that personal information is on a binary spectrum of public or private. To help underscore her points, she recalled and discussed a number of major privacy blunders from Facebook and Google. You can find my notes from the presentation below.

Boyd says that privacy is not dead, but that a big part of our notion of privacy relates to maintaining control over our content, and that when we don’t have control, we feel that our privacy has been violated. This has happened a few times recently.

Is this the beginning of the wake up call? The start of justice being served to the bullies? Earlier this week, an appeals court in California rules that threats posted on a 15-year-old boy’s website are not protected free speech.

The First Amendment will allow you to be a cynic; it will allow you to criticize… but you CANNOT stand behind it to threaten others – in real life or online.

Just a shame that we have let it get this far. If parents were monitoring their children’s activity with computer monitoring software like our awesome PC Pandora 6.0, they would be able to stop their child from acting like a bully online and keep them out of the courts. It’ll also tell you if your child is a victim and not saying anything to you about it…

CLICK THE HEADLINE FOR THE DETAILED STORY

March 17, 2010
Calif. appeals court OKs cyber-bullying suit

Los Angeles, CA (AP) — A California appeals court ruled that Internet threats posted on a 15-year-old boy’s Web site are not protected free speech in what may be the state’s first case to examine the boundaries between free expression and cyber-bullying.

The 2nd District Court of Appeal ruled in a 2-1 decision Monday that the boy can sue schoolmates over the messages, which included threats to “rip out your … heart and feed it to you” and to “pound your head in with an ice pick.”

Well, it was bound to happen… though I feel this is a bit premature – I mean, have we really reached this point already?

The Capio Nightingale Hospital in London is the first to state they will treat children who are so hooked on technology their health is at risk.

They’ll call anything an “addiction” now.

You know, this can easily be avoided. Yeah, it’s simple. Parents just need to be proactive and use computer monitoring software like our PC Pandora 6.0, to know what their kids are doing online and to see how much time they are spending on the Internet. Maybe, if they were well-informed form the get go, they could curb an addictive lifestyle and the behavior associated with it (like tantrums when told to get off for the night).

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March 17, 2010
Internet rehab for 12-year-olds: London clinic is first to treat computer addicts
Sophie Goodchild, Health Editor – London Evening Standard

A London clinic is launching the country’s first dedicated therapy programme for children addicted to the internet and computer games.

Children as young as 12 will have to do “cold turkey” in a residential unit to wean them off their compulsion. They will also be taught face-to-face social skills.

The Capio Nightingale Hospital will treat children who are so hooked on technology their health is at risk. Some are said to fly into a rage if they are told to switch off their computers and the police have been called in some cases.

The clinic in north London has been inundated with calls from worried parents including one from the mother of a 13-year-old who said the child was displaying signs of compulsive behaviour.

This is a sad and shocking statistic: apparently new research released by Microsoft Australia reveals 65% of Australian parents are doing nothing to protect their children online. But how can this be? With the bevy of simple solutions to help keep kids safe online (like our PC Pandora 6.0 monitoring software), how could they be taking zero measures? There are some really shocking stats in the story below.

CLICK THE HEADLINE TO READ THEM!

March 17, 2010
65% of parents not protecting their kids online: report *updated*
By David Olsen, dynamicbusiness.com

In new research released by Microsoft Australia, it has revealed that 65 percent of Australian parents are doing nothing to protect their children online.

Microsoft’s “For Safety’s Sake” research, found that while two thirds of Australian parents surveyed are concerned about the safety of their kids online, more than 60 percent of parents allow their children to surf the net unsupervised and unrestricted at home.

This is pretty cool. Trend Micro (the computer security company) has launched the “What’s Your Story?” contest where amateur filmmakers can enter their Internet safety video and possibly win $10,000!

Computer monitoring software like our PC Pandora 6.0 will make an “Internet safety video” for you by recording snapshots of what your child is really doing online! That’s worth more than $10k… eh?

CLICK HEADLINE FOR STORY

March 16, 2010
Internet safety video could win you $10,000
By Larry Magid, cnetNews

Computer security company Trend Micro has an offer for any teen or adult who cares about Internet safety and security and wants to become an award winning filmmaker. The company has launched a contest called “What’s Your Story?” where the person who submits the best short video (no more than 2 minutes) can win $10,000. There are also four $500 prizes. The deadline is April 30th and only residents of the U.S. and Canada who are 13 or older are eligible to win.

Another awesome round-up of scumbags within the past week. Here I have 4 guys who were arrested either in sting ops OR after having sex with REAL underage girls!!

I cannot stress this enough: THESE GUYS DO EXIST! Parents, you MUST know who your kids are talking to online. You have to monitor their internet activity vigilantly. You have to have a program like PC Pandora 6.0 on any computer your child uses.

Also included are a sentencing and a story involving a Craigslist scam… Check out the briefs below and CLICK THE HEADLINES to read the full stories!

HAPPY ST. PATTY’S DAY!

Not the aforementioned Craigslist story, this is a different one where a 40-year-old RSO in California answered an ad on Craigslist in the personals that advertised a 13-year-old in need of help.

March 10, 2010
Huntington Beach Police Arrest Anaheim Man in Underage Sex Internet Sting
Dolores Barr, Editor and Publisher, OC180NEWS.com

When 40 year old Anaheim registered sex offender David Walker Bryan, arrived at the location where he thought he was going to meet a 13 year old girl for sex, instead, he met the officers of the Huntington Beach Police Department, HBPD. Rather than acting upon pedophilic tendencies, Bryan now is in jail facing charges which could land him in state prison for up to 5 years. He pleaded not guilty.

This is the scam story: a 20-year-old woman in Texas answered an ad on Craigslist looking for a lead singer in a Christian praise and worship band. She found a sex predator instead of a band on the other end…

Mar 11, 2010
Denton Woman Lured In By Craigslist Sex Predator
By Carol Cavazos, KTVT-TV

A Denton woman has a warning for Christians using Craigslist: Watch out for sexual predators disguised as the faithful. She said she was lured into someone’s net through an ad for a Christian praise and worship band.

A doctor in California who was busted on Dateline’s “To Catch a Predator” series was sentenced last week – more than 3 years after being caught! The vigilante group that Dateline employed to catch the scumbags is called Innocent Justice… Ironic then that it took over 3 years for justice to serve this guy…

March 12, 2010
Doctor caught in TV molest sting gets jail
Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writer

A Piedmont doctor whose 2006 arrest in a police sting was filmed by a television network has been sentenced to two months in jail for attempted child molesting. Maurice Wolin must register as a sex offender annually for life and will be on probation for three years, Judge Arthur Wick of Sonoma County Superior Court said at a hearing Wednesday.

A 28-year-old soldier in Colorado was arrested in an online sting op… in uniform!

March 12, 2010
Soldier arrested for Internet luring of a child
From KUSA-TV/ NBC 9

ADAMS COUNTY – A Fort Carson soldier was arrested Wednesday and after he drove from Colorado Springs to a home in Adams County to have a sexual encounter with an underage girl, according to the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Sergeant Brian Kelly Wells, 28, of Colorado Springs, was arrested in an online operation targeting Internet predators.

A 15-year-old Kansas girl willingly (key word) had sex with a 22-year-old Missouri man she met on Facebook. The parents called the cops but as of no, no charges are filed. Still… do you know who your kids are meeting online and having sex with?

March 15, 2010
Police Investigate Teen’s Facebook Affair (VIDEO)
Investigators Say 15-Year-Old Girl Had Sex With Belton Man
From KMBC-TV/ ABC 9

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Police in Overland Park said they are investigating a 15-year-old’s affair with a 22-year-old Belton, Mo., man after the pair connected through Facebook.
Investigators said the pair decided to meet in person after they developed an online relationship.

A 38-year-old North Carolina man met a 16-year-old girl from Georgia on MySpace… the two met up in real life (she consented) and then he kidnapped her.

March 16, 2010
Man charged with kidnapping girl, 16
By Steve Lyttle, Charlotte Observer

A Mooresville man is in jail charged with kidnapping a 16-year-old Georgia girl he met on MySpace. Detectives with the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office say William David Williams II, 38, has been charged with abduction of children. The 16-year-old, who says Williams had a sexual relationship with her, also is jailed in Iredell County, charged with possession of stolen goods.

In keeping with the Wacky Internet Predator theme today, I am sharing this very interesting piece that looks at the reality of kids having social networking profiles – even when they say they don’t. Since social networks are where most of the grooming happens, I thought this was fitting.

Not only do 75% of 12-18 year olds have profiles, but many times they have multiple profiles; they have the ones their parents know about and can inspect and they have the ones that the parents know nothing about where they can pretend to be older and sexually promiscuous – or perhaps use it to cyberbully others.

Either way, do you know if your child has a social networking profile? Do you know how many they have? Do you really know how they are portraying themselves?

If you even slightly hesitated to answer any of these with anything but a hefty “YOU BETTER BELIEVE I DO!” well, my friends, you need PC Pandora computer monitoring software.

The fact is, most parents have no idea (even if they think they do) about their child’s online life. Kids don’t like to share that information with their parents. They think it’s totally private and for their eyes only… which is a joke! It’s completely public information and chances are a predator is on their friends list and now knows more about your child’s online life than you do!

But you can change all that by simply monitoring their online activity.

Read this, have a Guinness and HAPPY ST. PATRICK’s DAY! The Wacky Internet Predator post will follow this afternoon…

CLICK THE HEADLINE FOR THE FULL STORY

March 11, 2010
You’re sure your child has no social networking page?
Written by J. Patrick Eaken, The Press

Seventy-four percent of 12-18 year olds have a profile on a social networking site, a Kaiser Family Foundation study concluded.

“Parents that think their kids don’t might be surprised that their kids do,” Oregon Schools information technology director Nathan Quigg said. “Most kids have switched over to Facebook because once Grandma and Ma got on MySpace, it was no longer hip. I’m sure once there is something new, they’ll switch again.”

Facebook has a rule that a child must be 13-years-old to have an account, but that is not always the case.

I thought this was a very cute and fun story worth sharing…

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March 12, 2010
Internet safety just got “fun”
By Steven Pope, KIDK-TV

REXBURG – There are currently 260-million pages of porn on the world wide web. Some say no big deal, but members of the Rexburg community are speaking up.

Craig Kobia has held numerous anti-porn conferences across Eastern Idaho. But to engage everybody on the subject is a little tricky. That’s where a Volkswagen-limousine comes in handy.

Another state is proactively fighting cyberbullying: West Virginia’s Senate passed a bill making it illegal to send obscene or harassing electronic communication to others. According to WHSV, the bill passed the Senate unanimously and now heads back to the House, as the Senate made one minor change. Supporters are ruling out cries of 1st Amendment breaching because the bill exempts comments that are simple criticisms.

While schools are battling to keep cyberbullying out of their systems, parents can fight to eliminate it altogether by monitoring their child’s Internet activity at home. If you use PC Pandora 6.0, you will see first hand if your child is a victim – or if they happen to be the bully! If the latter is the case, you need to intervene and stop it before the schools and law enforcement do!

CLICK HEADLINE FOR STORY AND VIDEO!

Mar 12, 2010
Cyber-Bullying Now Against the Law in WV
Reported by Jeannie Flitner, WHAG-TV/ NBC 4

WEST VIRGINIA – Cyber-bullying has turned into a serious problem as many offenders remain anonymous, but this could soon change in the state of West Virginia.

I have a good story today that highlights the idea that A) you need to be careful what you write on MySpace because you never know how someone else is going to interpret it (and react) and B) the world really needs to calm down and remember that the Internet is populated by idiots.

A reminder to parents with kids on social networks: you need to monitor your child as they interact and grow up online. Fortunately, PC Pandora 6.0 monitoring software sees all. There won’t be any secret accounts or secret friends or cyberbullying when you use PC Pandora…

CLICK HEADLINE FOR FULL STORY

March 11, 2010
Teen Stabbed over MySpace Fight
Jill Monier, WHBQ-TV/ FOX 13

OLIVE BRANCH, Miss. – A 17-year olive branch boy is recovering at The Med Thursday after being stabbed over a posting on the social networking website MySpace.
Investigators say a few clicks of the keyboard led to a stabbing on the 10000 block of Oakleaf Drive in Olive Branch Wednesday night.