DieRuhe: Let's see...

I agree that many games turn out to be crap because they're played (if they're played at all) by morons. And I do agree that parents should take a more active interest in what their children are doing online, whether gaming or Face-tweeting.

But your presentation is, unintentionally, I think, kind of odd.

Sounds like your major gripe is that you can't find any good games to play online or people to play with. And somehow that led you to "Just imagine if your kids get subjected to these morons!" And that led to "Online games will turn your kid into a sex-addled, drug-addicted morons!" To me, it just comes off as a very nebulous line of reasoning.

You can find "good vs bad" in any aspect of life or raising a child, but it seems like you don't have a very high opinion on the behavior/potential behavior of kids in general. That comes down to parenting, mostly, but as someone said, "Trust No One!" is as useless as "I'm ok, you're ok, everybody's ok!"

Why do I suddenly feel like listening to Pink Floyd's "The Wall"?

edit: Oh man, "show a pedophile a picture of a child and he'll attack it" - what a hoot

Rohan15: I just died a little.

Theta_Sigma: I would like to contribute to the High Octane Nightmare Fuel.

carnival73: I didn't think that M. Jackson really died.

Theta_Sigma: That's okay, I'm completely dead inside. One of us, one of us, gooble-gobble gooble-gobble...!

Okay now THAT is from a movie that is complete and utter high-grade nightmare fuel! (Freaks! O.O)

Rohan15: This?

carnival73: And there's also an issue of trusting your kid when your back is turned.

carnival73: She said "Wait a second...that thing can communicate with strangers remotely? My kid has one of those...but not anymore."

Rohan15: Ah yes, my hunting ground.

carnival73: Match Making Onliine Services known as 'MMOs"

Back when I was growing up in the seventies parents wanted their children as far from strangers as possible.

Nowadays kids are not even allowed to play games if they don't subject themselves to playing with strangers.

I was just trying to play Blacklight Tango Down and although there are about four simple single player missions the meat of the game has to be played with strangers - There are no bots for skirmishes.

So as I sat there in a completely dead lobby watching the 'Please wait for three dirty old men to log in and play with you' flashing notice - I kinda thought that online only gaming is also a good way to introduce children to local drug dealers and terrorists hanging out in their neighborhoods while parents in the background go about watching TV never taking notice.

Anyway, it definitely wasn't the way my parents raised me but times have changed and I guess today's more open-minded society is attempting to be less judgmental and discretionary.

SirPrimalform: Wait what? The whole point of the much maligned friend code system is that you can't communicate with strangers.

carnival73: *shrugs* Don't know - I never successfully played online with the DS - I do know some games didn't require a friend code and....wait...you're joking right? Friend codes wont' stop junkies from becoming your kids 'friend' and dealer.

Roman5: I have no idea what is going on in this thread but something tells me I shouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole...