who would have thought?

I don't know quite how to categorize this one: teen stupidity/naivete or rampant, widespread blogging overtaking an already crowded Internet? Apparently, Alan Levine has a blog in which he wrote about blogs as diaries, and he posted a screenshot and link to someone Else's blog as an example (someone else named Gemma whom i am NOT going to link to for reasons which may or may not become obvious). Gemma was quite upset that he might link to her own personal, private diary without requesting her permission. Now, i find myself wondering, where did Gemma get the idea that an entry in LiveJournal is ENTIRELY private (despite promises made by the owners, the Internet, after all, is public domain, is it not?) And there is a slight exhibitionist desire in posting to blogs, to begin with, perhaps.

I think that this false sense of privacy and security is the very problem with idiotic efforts like the afore mentioned DOPA, meant to protect children/teens/people of unfortunate intelligence from Internet predators.

First of all the name is entirely misleading (aside from the fun we can have with the acronym and the DOPES that came up with it) the very idea that predators can be deleted from the Internet is absurd. Secondly, it really is the wrong approach to try and protect/shield the children/whoever from predators in schools/public libraries/wherever access may be because, as we all know, or should know by now, filters don't work--as soon as something is filtered people find a way to get past it and the kiddies/little darlings Will find a way to access the Internet.

What the senators/representatives/parents seem to want to do is shield themselves from the dangers that are out there; i.e. hide behind their hands/blindfolds, hide their heads in the sand, whatever. What our children need, have always needed is EDUCATION, INFORMATION (i know it's a lost art people but we're in Dire Need here--please) talk to your precious youngsters~tell them EVERYTHING they post can be viewed by others, and not always with the best intentions--that not all their friends may be friends, know where they are and what they're into. Schools and Libraries are there for education why should we block it? Pardon the cliche but you did the crime (at some point there was sex involved--you can admit it) now do the time.

Okay, i sense i may be ranting and it's time to stop--believe me with the current political climate i have much more in me but at the moment there is a very noisy preschool graduation going on in our auditorium; and i am, guess what, alone at the desk--i'm feeling the urge to rampage...

Now, i may title an entry of my own something like "Don't read this" but it is with my tongue firmly implanted in my check and even if you can't see that out there in Internet land i don't really care because often telling someone not to do something often provokes the very desire in them to do it.