US House: Schools must block MySpace, many other sites

[BadgerKid]

US House Resolution 5319, the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA), was passed by a 410 to 15 vote tonight. If the Resolution becomes law social networking sites and chat rooms must be blocked by schools and libraries or those institutions will lose their federal internet subsidies.

...

The rhetoric from advocates was all about MySpace. For example, Texas Republican Ted Poe says, “social networking sites such as MySpace and chat rooms have allowed sexual predators to sneak into homes and solicit kids.”

An incredibly vague law, DOPA will require schools and libraries to block access to a potentially huge range of sites on the internet. The goal is to protect children from adult predators. Sites that must be blocked include those that allow people to post profiles, include personal information and allow “communication among users.”

http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/07/27/us-house-resolution-targeting-myspace-web20-passes-410-15/

[WinkyDink]

1. Completely illegal.

[Ezlivin]

2. Hell, just allow access to one IP address: 127.0.0.0

Problem solved.

And the computers will be as network-savvy as my Sinclair computer was.

[Recursion]

13. No, even that won't do

Since a multiterminalled computer could still allow talk(1) among different TTYs.

Gee... I'm trying to think of any Internet protocol that does *not* allow for "communication between users"... isn't that why we went to such effort and expense to build the damn thing in the first place? (don't listen to the .com whiners; you and I paid for the Internet).

Back in high school, we had 1 computer, and it was in the math classroom. I used to sit in there and IRC. All kinds of creepy things went on, because that's how IRC works. Myspace, et al, are only returning some of the edginess that used to be all of the Internet. Kids will survive, though parents should do a better job of explaining to them that you should in general assume any statement you read online is false as a principle, and then decide which ones might be true.

[Ezlivin]

15. Next they'll be blaming it all on Al Gore

The real problem is that kids talk to other humans.

If we could just stop that, then there would be no problem.

We'll solve this as soon as we've successfully concluded the War on Drugs.

[Reverend_Smitty]

16. I grew up with the internet

and came of age in that train wreck called AOL chat rooms...all sorts of bad crap went down in those rooms and I had enough sense not to run off with some anonymous screen name...you'd think kids would have enough sense not to run off with a total stranger. I guess it's like the "don't take candy from strangers" of the new millennium

[Recursion]

19. and 127.0.0.0 is actually a network

loopback is 127.0.0.1

[RethugAssKicker]

3. Authoritarian Rule... Non intellectual decisions...

The MO of todays USA.

[Nickster]

5. Why do you hate America? n/t

[RethugAssKicker]

27. ?

[Nickster]

34. Just being sarcastic. Don't mind me. n/t

[FSogol]

4. Why not outlaw cameras? Sometimes child predators use them.

Another dumba$$ issue to appeal to the rw dumba$$ base.

[Reverend_Smitty]

6. Children must submit to the will of Big Brother!

[blogslut]

7. DOPA?

:rofl: :banghead: :rofl:

[MissB]

8. Gee, that shows how much the Republicans understand

the internet. :rofl:

[Reverend_Smitty]

9. I think Ted Stevens believes that predators

hide inside the series of tubes of the internet and they can climb out and abduct the children once they click on Myspace

[MissB]

12. .

:spray:

[Bjornsdotter]

21. Roflmao n/t

[kittenpants]

40. and then dump the kids into a big truck!

That's where the confusion comes in that the INTERNET is the big truck... when actually it's a series of tubes, of course.

[Monkeyman]

11. nine scared to death of it LOL

[MadHound]

10. As much as I dislike MySpace, I'm not for banning it in schools

Especially not at the federal level. Big slippery slope there, and another infringement on the First Amendment. What gets me is their logic, ie "social networking sites such as MySpace and chat rooms have allowed sexual predators to sneak into homes and solicit kids.” So the sexual predators are sneaking into the HOME, then why are we banning MySpace at SCHOOL:crazy:

[htuttle]

14. I thought that people under 18 weren't allowed on MySpace?

I mean in theory?

I don't have an account there, so I don't know for sure, but my two (grown up) children both have accounts, and I thought they told me you have to be 18 to sign up (again, in theory).

??

[KurtNYC]

17. "Internet subsidies"?

How much is that? $10 per school? It will cost more than that to administrate the blocking.

Ineffective grandstanding on a somewhat serious issue and yet another way to de-fund education.

[SensibleAmerican]

32. Schools have the option not to comply

I don't know what the level of federal aid to schools for the internet is per capita.

[no_hypocrisy]

18. Isn't that equating MySpace with pornography or whatever?

Sounds like Congress is clutching at straws to find ways to defund the public school system. NCLB isn't doing the trick fast enough . . .

[Posteritatis]

26. The news has actually been doing that lately

A few kids got nailed by pedophiles through the site, so suddenly every one of the hundred million users is either an innocent, virginal honors student from middle school or a slavering rapist. At least that's what the news tells me.

[Chipper Chat]

20. Stupid naive "protectors of our children"

In the 1920s the enemy was the Charleston. In the 40s bobbysox would lead girls to hell. In the early 50s it was Communism. In the late 50s - Elvis.
In the early 60s the Beatles were going to destroy our youth. Then it was LSD, hippies, and communes. In the 70s it was hard rock. In the 80s Boy George got the reject treatment. In the 90s it was Kurt Cobain (and it got to him). Now it's MySpace. Personally I think Dr. Dobson is scarier than all those scapegoats combined.

[Swamp Rat]

22. Protect the children = Total control of Internet content, including

political discourse and news.

[Eugene]

23. Adults can ask permission?

Authoritarianism takes hold step by step, this time in the name
of protecting the children.

From the CNet article, ...

Defining off-limits sites

DOPA does not define "chat rooms" or "social networking sites" and leaves that
up to the Federal Communications Commission. It does offer the FCC some guidance
on defining social networking sites (though not chat rooms):

"In determining the definition of a social networking Web site,
the Commission shall take into consideration the extent to which
a Web site--

(i) is offered by a commercial entity;

(ii) permits registered users to create an online profile that includes detailed
personal information;

(iii) permits registered users to create an online journal and share such a journal
with other users;

(iv) elicits highly personalized information from users; and

(v) enables communication among users."

This definition is so broad that sites like DU can fall under it. :thumbsdown: :mad:

[Efilroft Sul]

24. Completely unconstitutional!

From the First Amendment:
Congress shall make no law…abridging the freedom of speech…or the right of the people peaceably to assemble…

This is a no-brainer, however we live in times where our so-called leaders have no brains.

[SensibleAmerican]

30. Not spending money on internet subsidies is not abridging the speech

It's sad that we live in this entitlement era where people think they have some sort of constitutional right to taxpayer money.

There is no consitutional right for the government to spend money on anything.

[Efilroft Sul]

36. For argument's sake, let's say you're right.

But how long will it be before this Congress requires schools to clamp down on sites like DU for some other reason, whether money is involved or not?

The intent of the Republicans in Congress stinks, and you know it.

[SensibleAmerican]

38. That's a fair point

And actually from what I read, all communication sites are supposed to be banned. This would include DU, FR, and any other forum you can think of.

410 representatives voted for this law. So it's clear this bill has overwhelming bipartisan support. Could the government theoretically be selective in what it requires and prohibits federal funds to be spent on. Probably. But I ask you, how is this any different from the pork projects that have been going on for perpetuity?

However, whilst I see your point of a slippery slope, these type laws have existed for at least 30 years (using federal money to influence state behavior where the federal government could not legally pass an outright law to accomplish the same thing.)

[NYdemocrat089]

25. Myspace has been blocked in our school for the past year.

It hasn't stopped anyone from finding ways to log on though. Chat rooms have also been banned.

[SensibleAmerican]

28. Good for them

Students don't need to be looking at MySpace and e-mails during school and then complain why they can't pass the end-of-year tests.

This law is in a perfectly constitutional form.

[Posteritatis]

29. "Don't need to" ain't grounds for a federal ban. (n/t)

[SensibleAmerican]

31. Of course it is

The Federal government (or more aptly the US House) is not saying it's illegal for schools to have access to MySpace on punishment of imprisonment.

What they are saying is we won't subsidize students to look at MySpace and other non-educational sites when we can use our money better elsewhere.

This is no different from the federal seat belt, 0.08 laws, and underage drinking laws.

[Posteritatis]

33. Now you get to define "educational site"

I'm curious as to how small you want the federally-sponsored internet whitelist to be.

[SensibleAmerican]

37. I'll start to define what's not educational

MySpace
Chat services
E-mail (during school hours)

...

[Posteritatis]

39. Besides the fact that you failed to answer my question

I can think of a big pile of educational uses for those, in increasing order as you go down the list. If you think email has no educational uses you're a fool.

Now, try again. Define "educational site" for me, because I want to know the size of the whitelist you want Congress to mandate.

[SensibleAmerican]

41. I never said I would define a whitelist

And frankly, students should check their e-mails outside of school hours. You're in school to learn, not to play around on the computer.

[Nutmegger]

35. Another hot-potato issue that is

going to be used to appeal to the masses.

[femmocrat]

42. Those sites, including DU, are already banned in our district.

For teachers as well as students. Our tech director is a wing-nut.