Look where you're walking

Sometimes you get the feeling that people just don't get it. There is a new site planned or launched called Utherverse, (no, I'm not going to link to it) that intends to be an +18 version of myspace not that I've looked at that either. I did look at bebo a while back which is allegedly similar to myspace but I find it has odd persistence problems when browsing. And I've got no friends! on it.

Anyway, back to the Utherverse, while the intent seems to be to protect those underage from dodgy uncles Glitters and the like isn't the real problem with such sites that there are those who are underage who are engaging in various forms of what would be considered in industrial parlance as inappropirate sexual display. (essentially the idea is if you wander about with your bits hanging out you can do your co-workers for harrasment if they touch but not if they look). And they're not the least bit discerning about who is looking.

The dodgy characters in the macks are probably the least of their worries, there are far more lads their own age who are on the prowl, and that would seem to be a greater and more realistic concern for most parents and if they knew better the ones on the sites. Not that they do know any better, and it is not like shutting the sites would negate the problem as there are plenty of school discos and the like for such informal fumblings to go on.

In part, it all hits home at the problems of trust. How can you decide to trust someone you not alone hard know but in the case of the interweb don't even know if they are who they claim to be. At least the boyo at the disco looks to be a boyo at a disco.

Update - July 21st I got this from someone I work with, I mean they sent it to me, I didn't catch it from them.