Internet Regulation is Serious Business.

[Mammon]

[Read these first]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles...de_case/?page=2

http://www.efluxmedia.com/news_MySpace_Sui...Laws_17707.html

This infuriates me on many levels. First off, the girl who killed herself shouldn't of had a MySpace to begin with. She's not even old enough. And her mom said she "supervised" by checking in every once and while. My 13 year old in laws mother does the same thing, she checks there MySpace by peering over there shoulder every now and then. Knowing this was happening, how come the mother didn't tell her child to get off it? I'm trying not to project, but with all the interviews and pictures I've seen I'd say the parents spoiled the kid in this case. Look at the picture above, with the crown. They treated this girl like a princess and let her get whatever she wanted and she was still "depressed."

Sure, "cyberbulling" wasn't a good idea on the other womans part. But, it's the Internet. And the mother of the deceased girl should of taught her daughter not to take the Internet so seriously, especially having something resembling a relationship through comments on MySpace. And this whole thing got started over drama between the jailed woman and the horriable mother's daughters in the first place.

What I'm trying is that I don't feel very much sympathy. For crying out loud, she killed herself, because of comments made on MySpace. That should tell you were her values and priorities were. And, as the article said, the woman who commited the hoax was put in jail because the mother got the media and "public outrage" all stirred up over it. Way to fail at taking responsibility here lady.

And on top of all of these, a Defender of Freedom and Capitalism a.k.a Republican Governor Matt Blunt used this an oppurtunity to regulate the Internet some more. It's illegal to be mean on the Internet guys! The FBI will come and get you for being an Internet Meany-Head because some dumb kid might commit suicide because of you!

I can understand measures against bullying in real life, that's a matter of physical harm and usually pyschology harm. But you have to be pretty idiotic to take away that level of harm from the Internet.

Anyways, I'll stop my rant and let you guys take it from here.

Edited May 19, 2008 by Mammon

[Persephone]

Not the point, but the girl's crown means nothing. I like to dress up, and I'm 22, doesn't mean that she's spoiled. Also, I've battled depression before, and I have never been through trauma. Depression is an illness, not just an emotion.

Back on topic. Being mean on the internet is not on trial here. This is a case of a person who forged a false identity and used it to target and torment a fellow human being. According to the articles above, as well as others, the woman planned from the beginning to seduce this girl into a relationship and then urge the girl to suicide, which is obviously not an ethical thing to do. Though I have to wonder what actual laws there are in place to punish these actions, and in what direction legislation should head, I have no sympathy for this woman. Also, I know from experience how easy it is to pull wool over your parent's eyes. It is so easy to lose track of your children for just a little while, and then to see them burn. Unless there is proof that her mother willfully ignored her, she deserves sympathy, not judgment.

Also, I don't know anything about MySpace, but I don't remember there being an age limit on it

I do accept that I might be misinterpreting the situation. The saying "two sides to every coin" is wrong. Every situation has hundreds of possible 'sides'