Time for some stupid news

[your_adress_here 11]

Online code 'puts children at risk'

Online code 'puts children at risk'

Children are putting themselves at risk from internet perverts by using a secret code to chat online, according to a web expert and former policewoman.

Youngsters - keen to keep their discussions secret - are bypassing parents and teachers by using the code - playing into the hands of sex offenders going online to target victims.

But former Merseyside police officer Jo Schumacher has cracked the code - which uses a mix of cryptic symbols - and is appealing to children's organisations to take note.

Ms Schumacher, the founder of internet safety company Net Respect, has produced the Kids Internet Talk (KIT) directory, which has been backed by anti-bullying charity Bullbusters.

The book - brought out after a series of children met predators on the internet - breaks down the web code which has evolved from using relatively simple abbreviations and acronyms.

So called text-speak has become so prevalent with youngsters on the internet, children now feel pressure to use it, said Ms Schumacher.

"Children will be using this code - anyone using grammatically correct English will be made to feel an outcast," she said.

"The code was originally used by hackers who abbreviated words.

"Now students are using it because they do not want their parents or teachers to know what they are saying."

Examples of KIT include PITH, meaning parent in the house; BRB, be right back; *****, new to the language; BEG, big evil grin, and AFK, away from the keyboard.

quote>

http://news.uk.msn.com/science/article.aspx?cp-documentid=13574539

Right...

Edit: It seems that the forum has censored the four letter version of 'newbie'

[Meg 368]

and the date on this article actually is Sunday, 01 February 2009.

How out of it do they think we are?

 

 

[hamsterTK 93]

It looks like someone found John Titor's time machine and used it to transport Tipper Gore into the future.

Okay, were doomed

[MrCinatit 30]

Took UK police that long to figure out what "BRB" means?

No wonder that pesky Jack the Ripper case has taken so long to solve.

[deathtopumpkins 43]

That is just sad....

[Explodingsims 3]

Ugh....Facepalm...

I think my faith in humanity points are dipping into the negatives now.

[your_adress_here 11]

Originally posted by: MrCinatit Took UK police that long to figure out what "BRB" means?

No wonder that pesky Jack the Ripper case has taken so long to solve.quote>

The article specifically states a former policewoman.

[Wrightguy0 40]

Chatspeak is code? I thought the only reason kids used it was because they're lazy, or to save space on text messages.

These people do realize that anyone with half a brain can figure out this stupid pseudo language.

[Jasoncw 11,840]

uhhhhh.....

But not only that, but if you look for their meaning of ***** in the article it's not even correct.

[Yoman3 5]

Why do people seem to think that every other person online is a sexual pervert?

[Jasoncw 11,840]

Adults had the exact same things when they were kids (little phrases or slang with meanings that their parents didn't understand).  This is just typed out.

And is BRB something new?  I had assumed that it had also been used in offices (maybe on sticky notes when someone leaves their office for a bit or something).

And if you showed a kid today "RSVP ASAP" they wouldn't know what their parents are talking about.

[spore415 5]

i agree with wright guy, idk tht i wz spkn in cd all this time, i tht that i wz jst b'ing lz. my mom tlks to me in txts lk ths all the time so i gss tht thse ppl who wrote tht artcle rly wrnt tht informed aftr all!

[Blazerhawk 162]

Someone is just paranoid. I don't have to speak in code to confuse people. Also, I find it hilarious that they decided to call it KIT which itself fits their definition of code.

[Patricius Maximus 236]

It is recripocal. Parents and other adults keep some of their discussions secret from children. Children keep some of their discussions secret from adults. It is the exercise of privacy rights.

I don't see much harm in it, as I don't think there are as many sexual predators on the internet as some believe. I believe there is a high probability that no problems will result from it.

It is also quite logical -- the goal is to keep discussions secret. Other people are monitoring it. Solution: use a code of some kind. I don't understand why people are so surprised by this.

[fukuda 351]

It seems that talking in "code" puts myself in risk of sexual predators (ok, I'm a bit too old for that).. And how are BRB, AFK and others a secret code?

[Meg 368]

Some people just don't understand the internet.  Trying to explain all of this to my mom (who is in her 80s) can be rather comical.   She usually refers to this website as "that place online where you pretend to build cities".  I tell her, no, it's where we talk about pretending to build cities.  She just looks at me like I've lost it.

A year or two ago, we were talking about the Trixie awards.  I was explaining how the process worked.   Her reaction:  "I thought the only thing online was a bunch of predators".

 

Yes, there are predators online and, yes, people need to take precautions to avoid them.  I realize I know more netspeak than many people my age but to have a current news article explaining the meaning of brb is just bizarre.