You know what they say about those who protest too much...

Just...wow. So now mmo's are a gateway to drugs, prostitution, underage sex, and... what, killing puppies?

Quite an interesting opinion you've got there.

Oh, you're right!!! I didn't even think about that, thanks for clearing it up! :)
Ah, I remembered it was something, but I couldn't recall what. Thanks for clarifying that man. :)

It's easier to step outside the room from your twelve year old for five minutes knowing you have net access disconnected.

Don't need Tommy sneaking out at 11pm to meet up with "Cindy" at their tryst they planned online while I was having a poo.

To be fair, this same idea could be used to discourage your children from going to school.

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The point I'm making is that game developers, more and more, are forcing gamers into a social environment if they wish to continue their gaming hobby.

Sure, most of us here are middle aged men and I'm quite sure pedo's would be more afraid of themselves getting raped by us...but not all age demographics are appropriate to constantly be online.

Some kid based areas on the net aren't so bad but you still want to discourage less interaction in that fashion.
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School is a bit more monitored and the people the kids interact with are in person.

Monitored ... by potential pedophiles! And yeah, the interaction is in person ... with even MORE potential pedophiles!

I'm just saying, you can only try to be so safe before you become paranoid.

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A couple years back I was talking to a nurse at a hospital I was guarding. I forgot what led to the conversation but I was telling her that I was trying to get WiFi to work on my Nintendo DS with my wireless router.

She said "Wait a second...that thing can communicate with strangers remotely? My kid has one of those...but not anymore."

So for god's sake developers! Think of all the little kids out there who want to still be able to play video games without their parents hiding them from them until their eighteenth birthdays!

Wait wait wait....so all this time I've been playing with kids?! SCORE!

/sarcasm

And here I thought his post a few months back about how first person shooters are just a way for girls an guys to hook up in the lobby was fucking stupid.

Up your dose, carnival.

Ahem HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN CALL OF DUTY!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOqgCNu9qjo

Ah yes, my hunting ground.

Since when did I suggest giving kids complete freedom, my post was advocating educating kids about dealing with people. Your OP seemed to be advocating locking kids away from the mean nasty strangers. Kids need to learn how to deal with people, and the only way to learn how to deal with people is to well deal with them. This is where proper parenting comes in, teach your kids about using good judgment.

I think it is just as unhealthy to teach kids to trust no one as it is to encourage pure trust. Yes, there are bad people out there but not everyone is a pedophile. To teach them that everyone is a potential pedo is to raise your kid with a sense of paranoia and dread.

What brought this thread on? Did something happen?

Yes. Online multiplayer games existed.