Just saw this on the news and it doesnt surprise me, when i used to use it when i was a child it was the same then being propositioned all the time by people asking for cybersex and all that and it seems it has not changed whatsoever.
But why has it taken so long for people to say yeah this is wrong something is not right here.
News agencies are always behind the times on these sorts of things. I remember using it years ago and it was the same back then, people talking about sex, asking for off site contact details and often a lot of racism too. It's inevitable really on a site of that size that things will slip through even with moderation. It happens on all sites. Often criminals targeting these sites if banned they simply change their IP address via proxy or vpn and just carry on, not much the owners of the site can do about that really.
I've been a moderator on several sites in the past and we had a persistent troll on one who was banned in excess of 200 times in less than a year. Each time they'd simply use a different proxy, create a new account and carry on harassing people. And that was just a small niche gaming community site with less than 1,000 members, I can't imagine what it'd be like trying to regulate a site like Habbo which has around 10 million visitors each month.
Last edited by Rhuben : 12-06-2012 at 07:55 PM.
Some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money.
They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with.
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
Every website will and its and how the website deals with it that matter, unfortunately for habbo they had someone log on 20 times and each time that person was propositioned asking for cybersex or to go on webcam. The issue is the site doesnt deal with it at all and has allowed it to continue on for so long, that now they are facing closure if they do not fix how they moderate the site.
"Its not how long a star shines, what is remembered is the brightness of the light"
Every website will and its and how the website deals with it that matter, unfortunately for habbo they had someone log on 20 times and each time that person was propositioned asking for cybersex or to go on webcam. The issue is the site doesnt deal with it at all and has allowed it to continue on for so long, that now they are facing closure if they do not fix how they moderate the site.
Well duh. If you don't want rampant robbery in your city then you need police. If you don't want creeps hanging around your website then you need adequate moderation.
Oh lord, I remember Habbo! I started playing it at like, 11 or so yrs old, I was so addicted ha!
Ridiculous the fact it's taken this long for people to see that Habbo is a hotel for sexual predeters and pedophiles and older, well, sickos.
It's quite a dangerous place, especially since it's mostly for young people, and the really young vulnerable ones, obviously, will believe anything that's said to them and will trust more easily, and well, could end nasilty.
I remember so many people would ask A/S/L[age, sex, location] and would say things like do you have a webcam, do you have MSN, where do you live, asking to do things that are gross on webcam and such. It's a place for people to "hunt" for things like this.
my parents never allowed me on it when i was younger. for this reason!
i didnt know it was still going!
but i do agree with above, its ridiculous that this has only just been brought to media attention. i sometimes wonder if they save stories for a slow news day.
I'm fine! Totally fine. I don't know why it's coming out all loud and squeaky, 'cause really, I'm fine!
God I remember that site - sounds like it hasnt changed a bit
We’ve got obsessions
I want to erase every nasty thought that bugs me every day of every week
We’ve got obsessions
You never tell me what it is that makes you strong and what it is that makes you weak.
Is internet safety taught in schools? If not, it should be!
Should it? Why shouldn't it be the parents who teach their child that? Schools will have all sorts of privacy settings and blocks in place, which whilst easy to get around, exist to cover their back.
Internet safety is essentially the same as any other safety, such as 'stranger danger' and things like that.
Should it? Why shouldn't it be the parents who teach their child that? Schools will have all sorts of privacy settings and blocks in place, which whilst easy to get around, exist to cover their back.
Internet safety is essentially the same as any other safety, such as 'stranger danger' and things like that.
Yeah, i think it should be down to parents. But, some wont, and these kids need to be protected too.
He was no longer jean valjean but no. 24601 -les miserable
Some of life's mysteries will never be solved, such as why, after spending an entire evening listenong to Bach, do I find myself humming "the birdie song".......
I am reaching, but i fall, and the stars are black and cold, as i stare into the void of a world that cannot hold- les miserables
Should it? Why shouldn't it be the parents who teach their child that? Schools will have all sorts of privacy settings and blocks in place, which whilst easy to get around, exist to cover their back.
Internet safety is essentially the same as any other safety, such as 'stranger danger' and things like that.
Schools assume now that all children have internet access and give homework based around using the internet. They also usually teach children how to use computers. So if they teach children to use them and expect them to use the internet for homework well then they should also teach them about safety.
I know in the secondary school that I went to, one of the first things the principal speaks to the incoming students about is that you shouldn't put something online that you wouldn't put on the noticeboard in school, and that once it is online it's pretty much impossible to get rid of. I think it's important that they know these things.
Also, most parents wouldn't have grown up with the internet & maybe don't understand all these things either. Obviously they should make an effort but some people struggle with technology.
Schools assume now that all children have internet access and give homework based around using the internet. They also usually teach children how to use computers. So if they teach children to use them and expect them to use the internet for homework well then they should also teach them about safety.
I think that may be very area dependent, I know it doesn't happen here. I'm not saying schools shouldn't teach anything to do with it, but the main responsibility should fall to the parents.
I think that may be very area dependent, I know it doesn't happen here. I'm not saying schools shouldn't teach anything to do with it, but the main responsibility should fall to the parents.
I think it's becoming more & more common. I know my niece & nephew are often told to do things online but they don't have a computer at home. Also the secondary school i went to are now using moodle, so notes for class & stuff will be put online (I'm not sure about other places but many Unis in Ireland use moodle).
I know when I was at primary school there was like a program thing, so say when you were in younger years (maybe around age 5/6) you learned about not talking to strangers, and that built all the way up to sex ed when you were 11/12. I mean a lot of parents leave it to the schools to teach sex ed, and many wont teach their children to be responsible online, even if they should. So I do think schools should teach it. Plus at some point most schools will encounter cyber bullying in some form and will have to deal with that so it could all be taught together.
