Slashdot Mirror
Christian Group Prepares To Mark Wii as 'Porn Portal'
Citing the Wii's ability to browse the internet via the Opera browser, a Christian group based out of California is planning on targeting the console with a smear campaign, Kotaku reports. The site has gotten ahold of a leaked press release from the upcoming 'Porn Talk' media event. From the release: "Like many new gaming technologies, the Wii's wireless internet capabilities make it a portal to porno. 'Parents think the computer is the only way for their kids to get porn on the internet. Unfortunately, they are dead wrong,' says Mike Foster, founder of ThePornTalk.com. 'Gaming devices like the Wii and the PSP aren't just for fun games anymore. You're able to surf the net, chat with friends, email, and view porn because of its internet access. Kids know this but parents don't!'"
"Playing with my Wii."
"Oh, ok. Carry on."
First joke!
Parent groups prepare to label real life as "violent and filled with adult-related content." ....seriously, folks. Access isn't the issue in the modern era; teaching kids good judgment is.
The ability to communicate well does not directly correspond to the ability to communicate intelligently.
I really feel like there's an opportunity here to make a joke about Wiis, and portals, and... eh, I don't know. I think it's finally happened. I think I'm out of jokes about the Wii.
It may be a little sensationalist, but the basic point is fine. "Guess what parents, kids can also access teh pr0nz0rz using the PSP, Wii, etc." If they were trying to get the Wii banned or something, that would be one thing, but just trying to help parents do their job (again, with a little extra sensationalism) is really no cause for controversy.
-stormin
The Southern Baptist Convention has creationism. On Slashdot, we have porn.
The hysteria is silly, but it's not like they are making up the fact that it enables access to the internet at large. It sucks for the kids, but with crazy parents, lots of stuff sucks for the kids.
Nerd rage is the funniest rage.
I don't know about you, but I didn't even think of using it for that until now!
...I look at Jesus' words and actions as significant and the previous story before Him and insignificant in terms of how we live. In my opinion, when Jesus said "Judge not others" He meant it.
Christians who judge others haven't read their Bibles. It is time to move forth, Christians, read your Bibles, and get out of people's lives, especially the lives of non-Christians.
Embarassing, to say the least.
This makes me more inclined to buy a Wii. I usually do not like console games, but if I can look up porn while getting exercises while angering a Christan group, I do believe it is worth it.
A unique way to learn a language: http://languageloom.com
In their righteous fervor they seem to have missed the GOVERNMENT (local gov'ts anyway) supporting free access to porn. Why in most cities across the country little Timmy can go to his local library and check out old issues of National Geographic - which, as we all know, has plenty of pictures of Nubian goddesses in all their naked glory!
Let them go nuts on the Wii and PSP! As long as they don't take my National Geographic!
Obligatory Chasing Amy [imdb.com] quote - "What's a Nubian?"
Good times, Good times.
You can do this on the PS3 as well, and the Dreamcast allowed it before. That's not really new. What I was hoping for when I saw the headline was confirmation that there would be games using the "interactive" powers of the Wiimote. Now that I could (ahem) get behind.
Rob
Man, if you thought it was difficult to find a Wii in the store before...
1. This Christian group is planning to provide free advertisement for the Wii. "There's No Such Thing As Bad Publicity"
2. This Christian group is planning to provide free advertisements that inform people that they can use the Wii to look at porn on their bigscreen TV.
I don't think this is all that bad. Sure, people will say "The parents should read the label", but how many of those 'caution' labels do you actually read? The damn things are like Vista UAC warnings, you don't Actually read them, you just acknowledge them.
Anyways, if this group's inflammatory campaign motivates parents to better monitory their children's online behavior, then all the better. If Sony/MS/Nitendo lose a handful of sales to far right wing conservatives, I doubt it will make or break the bottom line.
-Rick
PS: Link for those "Label lovers" out there: http://engrish.com/
"Most people in the U.S. wouldn't know they live in a tyrannical state if it walked up and grabbed their junk." - MyFirs
Did these people not know that, in order to use the Opera browser on the Wii, you first have to download it from the Wii Shopping Channel ... In order to get to the Will Shopping Channel, you must input a PIN number. To use Opera once it's downloaded ... you must input your PIN.
That was put there so PARENTS COULD HAVE CONTROL OVER WHAT THEIR KIDS DO WITH THE MACHINE! (Sorry for the yelling...) "Wii == Porn Portal" makes a much better headline than "Parents too busy to take responsibility for thier kids."
I mean seriouly, it takes all of 2 minutes to setup a PIN number on the Wii. It takes even less time to not tell your kids what the PIN # is. If you can't trouble parents with that level of responsibility, what are they there for?
"Kids know this but parents don't!" Then isn't it the parents' job to become educated on the capabilities of the items they buy for their children? Preferably before buying it.
Having a couple of small children who play the GameCube, and knowing the Wii provides internet access and is backwards-compatable with the GameCube games...I have been considering getting one so as to have an internet access port at the TV for sites like "Playhouse Disney", "Nicklodeon", "PBS", etc.
Not to be a prude, but there is some pretty harsh stuff out there (not just porn BTW) that is not exactly "kid-friendly".
While screaming, "but you can get to porn!...THINK OF THE CHILDREN!!!" is a tad reactionary, it would be a cool feature to store a "white-list" of acceptable websites on the console. So, that this particular "internet access port" is limited to specific locations - very much like enabling "parental control" on my Satellite TV box.
That would seem reasonable.
A goal is a dream with a deadline
So we go through all the nonsense of using friend codes to keep the console kiddie-friendly, and still the wii is targetted by prudes and whatnot. What gives? Just drop the stupid friend codes, you're not winning friends on either side of this issue, Nintendo.
Posted by yintercept - "...science...[is] the study of the 'divine creation.' "
does anyone take these Christian groups seriously enough for this to actually be a problem?
... i think everyone needs a bit of porn in their lives. how else are you supposed to know what goes where? :D
Christian groups seem to decry basically everything and everyone, and they seem to love dropping the "porn" bombshell left and right, but outside their little communities and fellow zealots, is there really any threat whatsoever from these people? And, as such, is this really newsworthy? I'd really only begin to worry if people in Congress start talking about it.
and, as a slight aside, am I the only one who have noticed that kids who grow up in these perfectly wholesome and innocent Christian-value-centric homes seem to end up being significantly maladjusted and immature in a sense that even though they end up as good adults, they're really completely unprepared to actually live in the world?
*sigh*
ìì!
First of all, the press release isn't bashing the Wii, or calling it "Satan's PORNtal" or anything like that. They even go as far as to point out that the Wii includes parental controls: It looks like they're just using the Wii's popularity to push their agenda, that agenda being discussing the issue of porn with your kids -- a perfectly respectable goal. FTA:Encouraging parents to talk to kids about online behavior? That's a good thing. The Wii tie-in is nothing but marketing to attract parents.
Sony ha
The Wii's parental controls include the ability to restrict access to the Internet Channel unless you know the parental password.
fundies- new things old accusations
1927-"horseless carriages are corrupting our youth"
2007-"the wii is corutping our youth"
Rather than using your Wii to surf for adult materials (which is of questionable utility anyway, seeing as how you have a hires computer screen in front of you), why not point it toward one of the many online gaming sites that cater to the Wii?
The most popular is probably WiiCade, as they have the largest selection. There's also WiiArcade and WiiFii.net.
You're welcome.
At least it's not another party game!
All i want to know is, wheres the interactive hentai?
Look at how the wii porn issue is warping the minds of kids learning computer science... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIS6_tyz7_k
I'm all for teaching kids and parents about the fact that porn can be found with the Wii's internet capabilites but a smear campaign could have the opposite effect of making them look lik sensationalists.
Too bad it's not HiDef, right?
Well, the first thing I did when the browser dropped was to see if meatspin.com worked. It does.
While it may seem like a no brainer for any of us, there are a quite a few parents out there who wouldn't even realize it is possible. I would bet that a lot of parents don't even know it can connect to the internet much less that it has a web browser.
Yet anyone, especially the rabid Christian gun-toting southerners would immediately say that it is the user that kills, not the gun (the tool). And the gun is specifically designed to hurt and kill!
A web browser is a tool. It is not there to browse porn, it can be used by someone to browse porn. Unlike a gun it actually has many many uses that are beneficial.
Tools are not portals. The desires of the user of the tool are, and children have been looking at porn illicitly one way or another for decades.
Is porn so bad anyway? Especially non-violent consentual porn. I think the amount of violence in society is a far greater concern than a couple of people having harmless fun, and allowing other people to satisfy their human needs as a result of it.
Stupid is as stupid does.
One of the first things I did out of the box was bring up some very painful looking bondage pictures on the Wii browser for my girlfriend (who got the system for me for my birthday) to walk in on.
I'm suprised it took ted haggard and the gang this long to jump on this. Now if only I could get meth from the Wii too, I could delete Mike Jones from my cell phone contacts.
I don't know about you, but I didn't even think of using it for that until now!
Welcome to Slashdot. You must be new here.
The theory of relativity doesn't work right in Arkansas.
...did the (US) group mention (US-made) X-Box 360 in any way? Or does X-Box 360 lack this functionality?
More and more tools could connect to the internet, those are also porn portals???
Patents Drive Free Software as Hurricanes Drive Construction Industry
Hey Nintendo! Where are the damn games! I can't think of a SINGLE non-Nintendo game in all of 2007 that is worth buying.
Why are you blaming Nintendo for the quality of non-Nintendo games?
Justice is the sheep getting arrested while an impartial judge declares the vote void.
... And This Christian group went wii wii wii wii all the way home
Microsoft and Sony can just pack up and leave.
I don't see why the Wii gets so much innuendo compared to the other consoles.
"Playstation 3" sounds like a deep space brothel.
"X-Box 360" sounds like getting gang-raped by guys who ejaculate Mountain Dew.
Come on, people.
Christians who judge others haven't read their Bibles.
Sounds like you're doing a little judgment of your own, doesn't it?
Look. Way too many people make this misunderstanding. The passage says "Judge not, lest you also be judged" (or something to that effect, depending on your translation). It DOESN'T say, "never judge anything at all, ever." It says, watch yourself, because the same rod you use to measure others might come back and bite you in the ass one day (I'm reminded of some very famous televangelests).
In fact, just moments after Jesus instructs us to "judge not", he says: Well, clearly, he didn't mean LITERAL dogs and swine. How would we know if they were dogs or swine if we didn't JUDGE the behavior of others? Clearly, we're supposed to make assessments of others based on their actions, and had you read your Bible, you'd know that's what Jesus meant.
I realize this seems off-topic, and I'll likely be modded down to oblivion, but as it IS a Christian group that's the subject of discussion here, I think this rebuttal is only fair. Flame on
Sony ha
I thought the Wii/Opera browser requires an additional purchase. Am I wrong here? That isn't to say any kid who is able to buy a Wii points card couldn't browse some pr0n, but an off-the shelf Wii isn't even a web browsing machine. Anywho, knowing how kid-centric and family oriented Nintendo is, I suspect there will be optional parental controls to come if there is enough public outcry, which there probably won't be.
Which side attempted it?
...ah, Parents be responsible for your kids. Its not the technology thats the problem. Know what the hell your kids are doing, know what the people they hang out with are doing, know what the families of the people they hang out with are doing.
And #1 teach them a sense of values. What video game system they have doesn't matter its what you tell them to do with it, and what you teach them is OK.
When I was young could I get a copy of a playboy sure, but I knew I shouldn't have...
Power Corrupts,Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely, leaving one person(group)in charge is absolutely corrupt.
Wow, you really have no clue about console game development.
Isn't that what this Christian group is doing? Educating parents?
Proud member of the American Non Sequitur Society. We might not make much sense, but boy do we love pizza!
I have yet to come across a pornographic website that emulates the wii interface, and the claim seems to be rather unsubstantiated. Could somebody point me to a few example websites?
One thing these organizations never seem to talk about is how parents should take some responsibility of their own and monitor what their children do. They always seem to want someone else to raise their children for them. What if they actually sat down and talked to their kids about what they can and can't do while on the internet. It is the same as telling them not to take candy from strangers. If they would actually take an active role in raising their children they will find that there are many options for filtering what can be accessed on the internet. Also, if they don't want their kids to play violent games, then don't buy the games for them.
Thanks :)
Now, if I can figure out how to make user-specific whitelist on my Kubuntu box, I'd be golden.
A goal is a dream with a deadline
I do.
Nintendo sets some standards on what games it will or will not approve for production, as does Microsoft and Sony. Those standards only go as far as making sure the game is more or less technically sound, i.e. it will run for so many hours without crashing, it won't spontaneously erase your memory card, all legal screens are displayed for x amount of seconds, etc. A game being fun or worthwhile doesn't even enter into it.
http://crummysocks.com
For I have the solution to your fears.
I need someone to make a simple mod for me.
Any jerking motion on the wii-mote closes the browser.
Go forth and celebrate. (Go forth and celibate?)
Last night I was at a restaurant with two friends. Besides us there were about five other people in the place. One of my friends made a statement about water being good for you and that you can never have enough. I started to relate the tragic story of the lady who died in the "Hold you Wii" competition.
I started by telling them that a lady had died from only drinking a lot of water and nothing else. I said it was in a "Hold your Wii" competition. My friend who was quite tipsy did not understand I was speaking of the Nintendo Wii. He started saying "wee wee, pee pee, wee wee" over and over again. I was trying to get him to shut up so I could explain to him what the story was about. All of a sudden behind us, this big black guy stands up and turns around and starts going off on us about talking about genitalia in a restaurant. I got him to calm down and when everyone shut up, I stated very loudly and plainly, "There was a contest for a NINTENDO Wii..."
Freaked me out. Here I was talking about a "kid-friendly" video game system and there was almost an altercation at a restaurant about it. So the name of the Wii almost turned me into a little piggy and made me go wii wii wii wii all the way home. (bad last line, but oh well).
What's really funny is that, at least based on the look they give in the article, the article (and, even worse, the summary) is far more overreactive and emotionally charged than the campaign itself.
...
"Like many new gaming technologies, the Wii's wireless internet capabilities make it a portal to porno. 'Parents think the computer is the only way for their kids to get porn on the internet. Unfortunately, they are dead wrong,' says Mike Foster, founder of ThePornTalk.com. 'Gaming devices like the Wii and the PSP aren't just for fun games anymore. You're able to surf the net, chat with friends, email, and view porn because of its internet access. Kids know this but parents don't!'"
So the solution lies in parents getting the facts and then talking to their children about expectations for online activity. Foster believes that, "Whether it is the home computer or these new gaming consoles, porn is easily accessible. The Wii is an amazing console and tons of fun but parents need good info on how to keep kids safe."
My Gord! That's so... so... rational, unemotional, and largely objectively (or "empirically", if you prefer) true. Compare to
targeting the console with a smear campaign
Saying the truth in a calm, collected manner is called smearing, now? When did that start? Or
I find it funny that a site that seems to go to so much effort to hide its ties to religion and ministry work is using the phrase dirty little secret.
Wait, was that an implication that religion is a dirty little secret? Damn submarine Jews.
the story's caustic tone
Is that more or less caustic than calling religions dirty little secrets?
Seriously. I may think the anti-porn campaign is a bit unnecessary (in a "don't you have something better to do?" way), but the campaign is surprisingly (at least after reading the beginning of the article) docile and rational. Who cares what they think, really? And who cares if they tell parents that kids can surf porn on the Wii? I mean, you can surf porn on the Wii, right? The most emotional (as opposed to rational) appeal in the whole thing is the title of the campaign ("The Wii's Dirty Little Secret"), and even that's less emotional/sarcastic/caustic (or "witty", as we prefer to say) than the average Slashdot catch-phrase. Hell, this paragraph has more sarcasm than that whole campaign.
Overall rating of the article: Troll.
You have tried to support your argument with faulty reasoning! Go directly to jail; do not pass Go, do not collect $200!
Timmy can go to his local library and check out old issues of National Geographic - which, as we all know, has plenty of pictures of Nubian goddesses in all their naked glory!
Nudity != PORN , I'm really not concerned if my children see a naked human. To take such a position would be an insult to the human body itself...not to mention it's creator (should you subscribe to that belief).
However, same "Nubian Goddess" strapping on a rubber penis and moving toward some hapless individual tied, bent-over, to a table....now we have a problem here...don't we? NOW, we confuse notions of violence and sexual behaviour....NOW, we begin to present people as objects....NOW, we create an even bigger insult to the human body.
Various groups try to make this issue more complex than it really is, but it's quite simple
Body == GOOD
abuse of body == BAD
Objectification of fellow humans == BAD
Confusing violence and affection == BAD
etc.
A goal is a dream with a deadline
A Christian tooting his own horn and then it turns out they're lying? Sounds pretty standard now that I think about it.
... wait until everyone finds out the Wii delivers an infinite supply of BOOBIES!
actually the christian group said that it is a fun console to play, but parents should be aware that it has internet access, and then explain how to turn on and use the parental controls. if you read the actual article by the christian group, which was linked to in previous post by someone else, you'd see they didn't actually have anything bad to say about the wii.
I for one, am against censorship and as a principal would never filter the Internet coming into my house but would use the Internet WITH my young child and certainly read the logs on my hardware firewall for the older ones, but the real problem here is that the Wii doesn't have the features (or ability as of yet) to have the same features that a desktop PC has when it comes to download blocking, content filtering, etc. The average parents have been sold on AOL, Microsoft and Apple's "built-in" parental controls as the end-all-be-all "computer police" that will keep their darlings away from the pr0n, ultra-violence, gambling, etc.
The only valid point is that parents don't necessarily "get" the potential for the Wii to be a vector for the boobies just like most of our parents never blinked twice over National Geographic. I am *hoping* all this group hopes to do is educate like-minded parents that maybe they shouldn't the Wii, or have the Wii connected to the inter-tubes in 12 year old Johnnie's bedroom with the locked door. It is sad that they've made it an explicitly "Christian" vendetta when I think it is in the interest for all parents to at minimum be aware of the relative risks/rewards of any new technology, fad or social construct in our kids lives. Most parents don't want hardcore interspecies erotics flashed before their 12 year olds eyes. (Again, I'm a realist, and know that I'm hoping against hope.)
I am a practicing Christian and always am disqusted to see those whom I'm inevitably lumped with make all of us look like complete and udder assholes that are going to write their congressman or picket GameStop (et.al.) because they believe their goal is to get our 14 year old girls on the coke and knocked up. I wish we'd simply vote our (informed) conscience as any member of a democratic society should and then run our house as we see fit and leave everyone else to their own, but... what can I do?
Forgive my spelling from time to time. I'm often posting during short breaks.
Wow, looks like we got the input from a guy from the testing department!
If you think that is the extent of what a console manufacturer does, or should do, to ensure and facilitate the quality of its console's third party library of games...
As been said so many times before in the halls of game development studios...get back to the testing room!
Pfft. Facts get in the way of my joke. Anyway, reading articles is for n00bs.
...in light of today's VGCats: http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=227
Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing great or small, large or petty, never give in except to conviction
'Parents think the computer is the only way for their kids to get porn on the internet. Unfortunately, they are dead wrong,' I can also get porn on my phone. I love tech.
.
In San Francisco, we have Kink.com. They've been around for years, quietly, and very profitably, running a number of kinky websites. Recently, they decided to expand. So they bought the San Francisco Armory, an huge, old National Guard armory that's been vacant for thirty years. It covers half a city block. Paid $14 million in cash for it.
Big flap. National press coverage. Minor local protests. But Kink.com has all the planning permissions it needs; it's a done deal.
The CEO of Kink.com, Peter Acworth, isn't embarrassed about the business. He's met with local politicians, neighborhood groups, and the planning department. He has these meetings videotaped, and puts stills and video on Kink.com. (This is not a work-safe page; scroll down past the kinky stuff to the pictures of City Hall.)
The mayor of San Francisco has been a bit upset about the "Kink.com" thing. But the mayor has worse problems than Peter does - he's in rehab right now after an affair.
So now there's going to be an "informational hearing" at City Hall on March 8th. Both sides are working to get a turnout from their crowd.
Now that's a real "porn portal".
All generalizations are false, including this one. Mark Twain
a wii - Porn Portal with an motion sensing 2-handed - feedback - controller... Now why didn't I think of that.
obtag: woohoo
obtag: playingwithmywii
My arm now hurts from hours of play.
Jr. finds the Wiimote & ends up watching porn on the TV.
Jr. finds the cable/satellite remote and orders up some PPV porn on the TV.
Jr. finds your stash of 80's Hairy Armpit fetish VCR tapes and watches porn on the TV.
Jr. finds your stash of 90's midget orgy DVDs and watches porn on the TV.
Jr. turns on PBS and watches An Inconvenient Truth on the TV.
Wouldn't fundies & right-wing-whackjobs would be much better off getting rid of our TV?
Save the Music; Save the World at http://www.TuneTriever.com (Our latest Android game)
Just don't plug the kid's Wii into the internet. Wow...that was difficult, wasn't it? And hey, if you aren't paying good enough attention to your kids to check in on what they are doing every now and again; you shouldn't be a parent.
Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, , Mushroom, MUSHROOM, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, , Mushroom, MUSHROOM, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, Aaaaah A Snake, It's a Snake, Ooouuh, A Snake, a Snake, Judgers, Judgers, Judgers, etc. ...
[WTF?]
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
No, wait Mom, I was playing the "Shake the Bottle" game! Mom!!!
Wii sales higher then ever!
MS claims to have inventd porn and is releasing XBox: Whackjob.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Sure, it can surf porn, but so can the kids computers, PSP's, PDAs, even their cell phones..
So why just attack the WII?
---- Booth was a patriot ----
Nintendo are funding them
Is part of all religions.. how do you think they keep people in line?
---- Booth was a patriot ----
- A lot of children have relatively unmonitored access to the Wii, perhaps in their own bedroom or play room.
- A lot of parents *don't* know about the Wii's internet capabilities. Many of those that *are* aware, assume that the content is somehow filtered.
- A lot of parents *don't* know about the Wii's child protection features, account controls, etc. - I'm not sure what's required to download the browser, but if no credit card is required and no admin-like privileges are required or set up, then its possible for them to download the browser themselves.
While the tone of the press release is too strong as I said above, I think we can all see that, yes, the Wii can be used to access porn, chat rooms, etc that may be innapropriate for young people. I think we can all agree that, yes, all parents should be aware of this reality and take steps they deem appropriate, but many are simply not aware at this point.This isn't another "Video games are the devil!" argument, no one's calling for a boycott of the Wii, or for Nintendo to be held responsible for the content some children might access... beyond the slightly sensational tone all I see is information that is usefull and pertinent for parents.
No one here would turn their kid loose on the web without proper protection/monitoring in place, or at the very least recognize the risk in doing so. We forum-goers are always calling for parental and personal responsibility, for good reason, and I don't see this press release as doing much else.
I was looking at porn on my Dreamcast 7 years ago.
...When they decided to turn Wii in to whine.
Using the Wii as a portal requires an internet connection -- the same connection you would use for a computer. There are hundreds of "Christian ISPs" out there (Google is your friend) who will gleefully filter out all that "bad" internet content for you, so little Johnny's morals don't get corrupted. Not really my cup of tea, but I'm glad families with children have this option. These people would be a lot more credible if they would focus on educating people about solutions, instead of sensationalizing potential problems. Of course, I'm sure they collect a lot more in donations by screaming about how the Devil is going to reach out through the Internet to tempt their precious children into a life of Sin then they would calmly explaining how to fix the problem...
Seriously, how about the song of solomon? Or the fact that Noah's (or was it Lot's? I should reread the damn thing) daughters slept with him? Infanticide, genocide, rape.... the thing is filled with filth.
We need need to ban this so called 'holy book' ASAP! Think of the children!
While I'm at it...
Schools are a Gateway to Pr0n! Kid goes to school. Kid's friend has porn magazine in his locker. Kid sees porn, turns gay! We must shutdown schools now!
Etc.
putting the 'B' in LGBTQ+
who are these perverted christinas of which you speak? I haven't found any perverted christinas on the internet. Maybe you can introduce us.
Oh. wait. you mean christiANs. Nevermind
Domain ID:D104041644-LROR
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We looked at porn on (gasp) PAPER! BAN THE HERETICAL PAPER DEMONS!!! Religious nut jobs should be exterminated for the good of the species.
that paper is capable of being used as a medium to display pornographic images?
Paper is pervasive making it practically impossible to prevent your childrens exposure to it!!
*rushes off to start book-burn*
After reading the actual Wii article on their website, it seems to me that the sensationalism is actually coming from the gaming press. "Smear campaign"? "Attack on the Wii"? I don't see at all in the article. Yes, they do mention that the Wii is a "portal to porn" in the press release, but that phrase isn't on the website, nor do they use anything similar blatant. Rather, it's the headlines in the gaming press where you see the sensationalism.
...
Yeah, so the website appears to be funded my some Christian group. Even though I'm not Christian, I don't really see a problem here, considering the actual messaging is quite reasonable and responsible. I don't see them blasting Nintendo or the console, in fact just providing parents the messaging they need to "do the right thing" (use the proper parental controls, etc.).
Sometimes I think the gaming press really does itself more harm than good
-- jchenx
Let's hope these concerned Christians keep the Bible away from their kids as well.
19 Yet she became more and more promiscuous as she recalled the days of her youth, when she was a prostitute in Egypt.
20 There she lusted after her lovers, whose genitals were like those of donkeys and whose emission was like that of horses.
21 So you longed for the lewdness of your youth, when in Egypt your bosom was caressed and your young breasts fondled.
Cress, cress, lovely lovely cress
Close, Mr. Anonymous. I worked as an A.P. (one step above Game Tester). A game is not technically required to be 'good'. As long as a game does what it's supposed to do (all features that are in work), and it meets the technical requirements, that's it. I've read the TRCs. There are no requirements that say 'game must be fun'. If there were, no awful games would get released, but they get released by the shovelfull every year.
Of course console manufacturers want to create and maintain relationships with developers to ensure and facilitate the production of quality titles. The amount of quality titles will directly reflect on the console itself. I never said that they don't or shouldn't. They just need to make sure they build the relationships with the publishers that put out more good titles than bad.
http://crummysocks.com
Sigh. "Nannie state fascist" is not a bad term, but the fact that you apply it so carelessly indicates a certain knee-jerkiness on your part. Please repeat after me: "Rush Limbaugh thinks with his mouth."
To me, a "Nannie State fascist" is somebody wants the government to outlaw every little danger. Ralph Nader is a prime case. Of course, the term is sort of subjective. You and I would probably agree that the crusade to require passive restraints in cars (basically, seatbelts that buckle you in involuntarily) is Nannie State Fascism. But we probably disagree as to the speed limit (I think people who think they can drive safely at 90 MPH are fooling themselves, but that's not a popular opinion).
This, on the other hand is better described as "Righteous Religious Fascism." The motivation is not to protect you from yourself, but to protect you from Satan.
Man, I was looking forward to being able to actually walk into a store and not have them be sold out of Wii, or maybe even have a Wii at a discount... and now this. Great. Thanks a lot, pro-family church nazis.
(sig) The last bug isn't fixed until the last user is dead. (/sig)
I say do it! Then the crazy fundies will stop buying Wiis, and there will be more for the rest of us! (I *still* haven't been able to find one anywhere in Toronto. Mostly because the shipments arrive during the day when I'm at work, and always sell out within 20-30 minutes)
Reality has a liberal bias
Apparently a lot of people haven't read the actual article in question. In fact, they do mention PIN numbers and parental controls. However, parents need to know that they have to turn these features ON, since it's default to off.
Also, the "Wii == Porn Portal" is actually something the gaming press came up with. The actual site itself doesn't appear to be "blaming the Wii" for any problems.
Unfortunately, this appears to be a case where the gaming media is blowing something out of proportion, and stands a good chance at doing more harm than good. If I were a regular parent who came across the article on this site, I would have thought, "Oh, the Wii has a web browser? And I have a way to turn on parental controls? Excellent!". However, if I had come across the Slashdot or Kotaku article instead, I might be thinking "THE WII IS A PORTAL TO PORN!? OMG!" . Gee, thanks gaming press.
-- jchenx
FTA:
"A tipster sends word that The Porn Talk, a site backed by a secretive faith-based ministry in California, is prepping to attack Nintendo's Wii and other gaming devices, calling them "portals to porno" in a press release."
The link below is hyper linked in the first paragraph: http://www.ethur.org/
Hopefully this smear campain will stop fundemental christians buying the Wii... Thats about five million more chances for me to get one.....
cinco de mayo is pretty much a California holiday. It is not widely celebrated in Mexico see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_mayo
mostly it is an excuse for Americans to drink bad Mexican beer (there is good Mexican beer).
It has turned into another St. Patricks day
I used to have a cool sig, back when I cared
... honestly, Christian groups have condemned Barney and Teletubbies, Harry Potter, the interweb, etc... it's a big yawn conspiracy. Whee, yet another condemation. For gods sake they wouldn't want kids to have any fun.
Whatever happened to parents taking an active part in their childrens life instead of blaming everything in the world for corrupting their children? Oh that's right they're too busy out crusading against everything to bother with, you know, raising their kids. God knows they need to make the world safer for the kids. [/sarcasm]
Shadus
pfft, I was surreptitiously accessing pornography on my Dreamcast back in the day. On dial-up.
Will the porn arms race ever end? I hope not.
Before clothing is considered a portal to porn, I mean all you have to do is take it off.
This article should really be tagged "slownewsday." Look, some random Christian group that no one has heard of decided to make a press release that hardly anybody outside of their sphere would have seen. This press release is not geared towards the general public, but towards a subset of Christians who share the group's beliefs about porn. Somebody decided to stir up contention by "leaking" the press release to Kotaku, and somebody else decided it deserved a place on Slashdot. It doesn't.
/. is responsible for taking this one more (and too) seriously.
This is not a Jack Thompsonesque nationwide crusade against Wii or anything like it, which is apparent from reading the actual press release. It's merely a piece written by Christians and for Christians, with the now-typical sensationalist attention-grabbing headline. Most of us recognize sensationalism as such when the topic is more mundane, and I expect that the skewed view of Christianity that is prevalent here on
Sometimes Christian groups do things that are worth talking about because they're stepping on the rights of others. This is not one of those times. Nothing to see here, move along.
Your brain is not a computer.
i had this experience when teaching kids to code HTML in the early 90s...
one 14-yr-old kept after me for "real porn sites;" he was tired of salivating over soft-core pornvertising (bra ads, swimsuits, television, Hustler, etc) and wanted the "hard-core" stuff. I told him, "You really don't want to see some of that..."
Eventually he found his way to some nazi-pr0n; donkeys, scat, etc. When I heard from him next time, he said, "Dude! Why didn't you tell me that was GROSS!" I said, "I did." He quit thinking such material was "interesting." I also broke him of the death-pr0n fix he had in common with so many adolescents by sending him to the Cobain autopsy photos...
I was reminded of this by the scene in "South Park - The Movie" - "Dude! WTF is wrong with German people anyway?!??!?!"
The people who watch pr0n the most, in my professional experience, are all the office middle-management types that surf pr0n sites behind their closed office doors while whacking off, and then wonder why their drive is littered with malware, all the while denying what can be easily read in a scan of their cookies/site histories/tracking files.
Hypocrisy rools, d00dz!
i have a comment direct to the christian hippies who are planning this campaign.
who the hell asked you? my kids are not your kids, my friends kids, are not your kids, my brothers kids are not your kids... who are you to tell us about what they should and shouldnt be doing? how about, while your planning and acting on these campaigns, kids think its a good idea to use your tactics to get what they want... how does that make you feal? your what is wrong with the world, you are slowing down the progress of all man kind.
please get a life, and leave everyone else to their own.
portfolio
The way to solve this is to have parental controls at the gateway. The company I work for, www.clearaccess.com, sells wireless gateways that provide parental controls to the home user. I know some other products like linksys and others have the ability but you have to manually say what sites to block etc... Our solution hooks up with an existing content filtering service that allows you to set different levels per device. So the WII could get the kidz only level while your latpop could get the Parent level. Anti-Phishing is included.
The solution is control the choke point which is generally is wireless gateway in most homes.
... 'Gaming devices like the Wii and the PSP aren't just for fun games anymore. You're able to surf the net, chat with friends, email, and view porn because of its internet access.' ...
Seems a bit more like a marketing campaign than a smear campaign. =)
While the text of the article was pretty reasonable, the headline was sensationalist and misleading: "Wii Have A Problem".
I understand that they were just trying to be cute, but the headline implies that there is some problem with the Wii. In fact, it simply offers internet access - just like other game systems, computers, cell phones, and even some refrigerators. It's actually better than most of these other options, in that it offers parental controls.
If their headline said, "Wii Offers Protection Against Porn" no one would be even talking about this news release. They were after attention, and they deserve what they get.
W..w..W - Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.
If I spash holy water on the Wii.... does it void my warrenty?
Seriously, most game consoles, your cell phone, your home computer, hell even appliances in the home (fridge, microwave, etc) have browsers, so they are all "Portals to Porn". Why are people listening to these quacks who need to "save us all from ourselves"? What is the alternative? Sell everything and crawl back into a cave?
Yuo get pr0n /w wii? Hell, i wants one!!!111
I hope some apples penetrate some christians...
But the Wii itself can't get to websites by itself. You need to get a software package (the Wii Opera browser) first.
btw, many cellphones can access the web, and many kids have cellphones, where is this Christian group with the warnings for those devices?
80 CC D8 AF AE D3 AB 54 B7 2E CE 67 C7
Instead of making a campaign to bring awareness of the face that your kid can surf for porn on the Wii, they are attacking the Wii and saying its a porn machine. You know, a content filter is probably built in. All I am saying is someone should campaign against this religious group for first of all attacking the console, second of all not making the campaign about it being YOUR fault, it is YOUR fault you don't pay enough attention to your kid to notice the fact he can surf the web on his console, it is YOUR fault that you didn't use the content filter. It is your fault if you have a problem with pornography and you go out and buy something which allows you to view it.
Lessee... they raise the possibility that kids will view porn on the Wii and then call it a "smear campaign?" Looks like somebody's got a sense of humor.
The only reason there's so much shock and outrage over this is because many people STILL think of video games as being something only for kids.
There was an equal amount of outrage and shock from these groups when it was discovered that you could put porn on a memory stick and view it on your PSP which is also - gasp - a video game platform that was seen as something only for children. Even the DS got its turn when some idiot figured out that it could be entirely possible to have a child molester using the DS' pictochat feature to...CHAT WITH YOUR CHILD! Assuming your child was using pictochat as well, and was within range of said pervert - but that wasn't mentioned in the story. "Child molester", however, was mentioned several times even though...
There is, of course, the sensationalism angle here as well. I only wish more journalists would ignore it, or would be chastised by their bosses for dealing in such dreck...
At the same time, you never hear about outraged parents demanding a certain 2000+ year old book be banned for its multiple descriptions of sex, brutal violence, cruelty, and other acts of evil... After all, THINK OF THE CHILDREN!
I stopped reading the intro as soon as I read "gotten ahold".
That's a sure sign I've forgotten more English than the poster ever knew.
How many escape pods are there? "NONE,SIR!" You counted them? "TWICE, SIR!"
Why?!? Why!?! Come on people...
Reading some of the responses and the hyped articles here and on kotaku is a bit of a laugh.
No where does it say that this group is lobbying for repression of the Wii, or any extra measures.
So far as I can read they're mainly focusing on making parents aware that this capability exists.
Jeesub people this is a GOOD THING!
They're damn right that the capability exists, and they're damn right that parents aren't going to know about it from either reading the manual or from the packaging and Nintendo marketing. This campaign should let them know, ok, naughty stuff is on there so I'll either keep an eye on it or keep my kids away from it if I don't have time to watch them, and also there's a switch on the box to turn off the naughty stuff, GREAT! problem solved.
So, when will they declare the T.V. as a 'Porn Portal'?
Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
This is not new, I can do this since year 2000 with my Dreamcast! ...not that I've ever had
I agree the Wii is a great console. Further Nintendo is the most family friendly console around--it's one of the reasons I haven't given up on gaming altogether. Honestly, i don't want to be embarrassed by something indecent on my gamescreen and I like playing games with my kids. I have to admit that when I think of Nintendo, and games like Mario and Poke'mon that I don't associate it the general internet, but with highly scrutinized content. The internet is NOT Nintendo approved, and I would think it would be in Nintendo's best interest to do what this group is doing. Some of us are loyal customers because they strive to cut the crap when it comes to content.
--Ray
http://www.beanleafpress.com
Singing: "The internet is for porn.. The internet is for porn.. The internet is for porn"..
r n
Everybody now...
http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/internet4po
Ur mum is.
This is the end! The Wii is a gateway to porn!!! ...But also is a PC, a TV, a VCR or a DVD...
And they are a little more than Wiis ;)
Minti: What's that huge shuriken in your back?! Kin: It's the instrument of my victory.
Why don't we just solve a world of problems and outlaw Christianity? Did wonders for the Roman Empire. Who knows? The downfall of the American Empire may lead to a 10,000 year dark age, or possibly even the extinction of the human species, giving the rats, roaches and raccoons the chance to start their own civilizations. They can't do much worse than we have.
The campaign is about informing parents so they can better take an active part in their children's life, not about blaming the Wii.
Whatever happened to reading the article?
Okay, I'll admit it. One of the first things I tried after getting the trial version of Opera was viewing some streaming videos along with downloadable content. Sadly, my Wii refused to play WMV, AVI and MPEG content.
I did read the article, but I didn't see any mention of exactly how the Wii is a portal to porn. I suppose you can look at pictures, but the Wii can't currently be used to view videos.
If someone does know of a way of playing video content on a Wii, then please let me know!
I have tried a few solutions for streaming media to my Wii from a PC. WiiCR would not install and Red Kawa did not work and was not polished.
orb.com has a nice application that serves up your media (pron?) to your Wii browser, or any browser. Photos and mp3s work ok, some video works, and they have easy links to online video that works as well. The interface almost looks like a Mythbox frontend.
Maybe WiiCR will get an installer and kick but, but until the Wii browser gets rid of the big tool bar always on it will not be a great solution, just a good solution.
Meh. Send 'em to the newest wart on the tubes ass, stickam.com. That'll give these losers something to do like practice their secret pedophila and webcam whoring fetishes. God damned freaks, they're more scary that the "sinners" they profess to be trying to rid us all of ;-)
All of a sudden the Nintendo Wii has become much more appealing to me
They should be instead of focusing on the "Wii's" of their priests, as they find their way into places other than children's hands ;)
I stopped reading there because that is basically their actual point and I think you will find that it is the other way around in regards to the reality distortion...
You show someone hard global warming evidence.. they switch off into their fantasy world.
You show someone fossil records dating back millions of years.. they switch off into their fantasy world.
I find that my niece knows exactly the difference between fantasy (as in not real) and reality (as in real) and she is only 4 years old. If my 4 year old niece knows the difference then I am sure a 14, 15, 16 whatever knows the difference. Why does everyone assume that their children are stupid? If I was these parents kids I would be insulted.
I remember when I was a kid and weird stuff was happening to me. I didn't want to talk to my parents about it.. its embarrassing and today parents do not want to listen anyway (I'm reminded of Stan's mum from South Park). I think its important for kids to be able to find somewhere to make sense about it all. That doesn't mean in porn but if this group had it their way then anything even slightly sexually related would be filtered even if it was about sexual health.
These people's ways of dealing with the important subject of sexual health it is through ignorance and its the wrong method. It leads to people thinking they won't get pregnant if they don't wear a condom or catch a disease.
If I had a child (which I hope to have some day) then I would want them to be educated about such things. Not to encourage that behavior but to avoid the worst possibility's if something were to happen.
Really? I'm a parent, and I know this so what's the problem? The problem is that most parents couldn't care less what their children are doing. Otherwise they wouldn't let the kids lock themselves in their rooms all day and play with a device the parents know nothing about. Seriously, you connect this thing to the internet and run a web browser on it and then what? Do these people just assume that the great Wii fairy will fly in from Wiiworld and turn the internet into a completely safe and happy place?
Here's a tip: If you don't understand the technology you are planning on placing into your child's room and are unwilling to spend 10 minutes to research it, then DON'T FUCKING BUY IT! Why is that such a hard concept?
Same group, addressing your "concern" about mobile porn, right here
They're not picking on the wii. They're pornophobes, sure, but that's their right. And they're just providing a reasonably-worded warning to those who are worried about porn (and free pro-Nintendo / pro-Wii advertising for many others.) It's win-win
everything in moderation
Pr0n AND and you can game on it!!
I guess that settles the "Next Gen" war...
From their website:
"Each of these services allow you to specialize plans and payment methods for you and your family. Many cell phones now have the ability to go online via satellite connection and allow you to surf the internet, download pictures and access your e-mail. There are even websites that will send pictures to your phone with extra billing or age verification. With this brilliant blend of technology and communication there is ample opportunity for accessible explicit material."
So, kids can access the tubes via satellite and buy porn with age verification? How unsafe! Better ban regular phones while you're at it, because kids can dial phone sex lines.
Wouldn't it just be easy enough to enable proxy based browsing and parents use site blocking on their wireless routers?
\
http://www.ethur.org/blog/entry.asp?ENTRY_ID=41
California has Christians?
Pointy-Haired Boss: "Alice, I notice that you always click something when I approach. Obviously you've been using company time to look at indescribably filthy images." Alice: "And why does that seem so obvious to you?" Pointy-Haired Boss: "Let's leave me out of this."
June 28, 1969 called. It wants its misinformed homophobia back.
---
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
Not to mention, it includes the best parental control possible: not connecting the Wii to the Internet.
Of course, those of us who have become familiar with these religious fundies know that they're not going to stop at just attacking the Wii. It's also violence in videogames in general, profanity on Xbox Live, Paganism in Harry Potter, gays wanting to marry, etc. They pick a hot topic to get some attention and then milk it for all it's worth to push their full agenda. (Peta does the same thing, too. "Oh, while you're here looking at the brutality of seal clubbing, perhaps you should reconsider that delicious, juicy hamburger you're thinking about having for lunch.")
Religious Fundies Say:
"Yeah, porn on the Wii is bad, but wait until you see the full attack your children are under by the media companies, the gays and the video game manufacturers... Oh noes, your family has no chance to survive, make your time!"
Seriously, parents just need to stand up and tell these control freaks "I'll raise my kids myself, FOAD, KTHXBAI!"
---
DRM is like antifreeze, to the MPAA/RIAA it's sweet, to the consumers it's poison.
This is why I'm agnostic.
"Porn portal?" It's called the eyelid, that's how the porn gets in.
If y'alls wants t' keep out da porno... close yer damned eyes!
I feel really mad about this for some reason...
For Christ's sake. There has been game consoles that can access the internet since 1994. What the heck is the problem now?
These guys have chosen.
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
How is requiring corporations to produce products meeting safety standards nanny state facism? If the government didn't force auto makers to provide seat belts, and meet other safety requirements, I would not be able to purchase a vehicle knowing wether or not it is safe. The only place nanny state anything happens is when they require people to USE those seat belts. Requiring auto makers to put them there is a good thing.
Man, these Neo-Christian groups (I'm not talking about sane Christians - I mean the ultra looney Pat Robertson/Jerry Falwell/Billy Graham bible banging nutjobs) have just about condemned everything. They even tell us thet we cannot even think in certain ways, about certain things.
They just keep giong farther and farther. But they never got into *my* mind. My adolescent fantasies were of nude lesbian supermodels carrying automatic weapons.
Boy am I glad they never got through to me.
Knowing Google's lust for data collection, the Soviet Union is still alive and well inside the psyche of Sergey Brin....
eBay sells Porn Portals!
Come on people, take RESPONSIBILITY for your own shit. I can't be kind about this stuff, because it's this lack of personal responsibility and common sense that is destroying our country, and probably the species.
Any device that can access the internet can be used to access pornography. You know what? Your car can be used to drive off a GODDAMN CLIFF . Does that mean you go after Ford because you're a moron? (Unfortunately, this being America, the answer is probably 'Yes.')
Take responsibility for the shit that happens in your own home. If you don't like what the internet brings in, you have two options; either you put a filter on your connection, or you simply don't have internet access. Frankly, I would prefer it if you selected the latter, it keeps my blood pressure down.
Friend: "The NIC is misconfigured..." Me: "No prob, I'll just telnet in and fix it." *Silence*
Either:
Immunize your kids! Explain to them that porn is wrong, and that they should avoid it, and have the kind of relationship with them where they'll listen to you and respect you. Or explain to them why you think they aren't ready for it, but that you realize they'll have to see it eventually. Or just teach them to be a decent person, and not to trust strangers, especially pedophiles.
Oh, and by the time they hit 13 or so it's really too late to do anything except that last one. By the time they hit 13, they will have porn if they want it, and they will want it.
Or:
Read The Fucking Manual! Get involved. Don't let your kids buy a device until you have a deep understanding of how it can be used, and do the research. If you bought your kid a DS or cell phone without knowing it can chat, it is not Nintendo's fault, it is your fault.
Penny arcade makes a good point here:
These are the people for which we have invented the cluebat. It's like buying your kid a BB gun to go play Cowboys & Indians with, and then blaming the toy company when the kid blows his eye out. It's not their fault, and it actually can be a safe toy, but you should've known the risks, and so should your kid. And if you don't like the risk, buy him a squirt gun instead.
Don't thank God, thank a doctor!
Have you considered freezing yourself in ice for 2 weeks? The Christian groups may be extinct by the time you thaw and you should be able to find a Wii much more easily in the future. Hopefully, pr0n will still be around in the its current, true, natural form.
1. A group of people no one has ever heard of releases a press release, that has a sort-of point (patents need to know about games consoles' capabilities)
2. Some web site picks it up and hypes it a bit more, smears the group responsible a bit.
3. Slashdot picks up the story, and produces a nice flamebait summary.
4. Profit!
Note, no missing step: hype + flamebait = page impressions = profit
A lot of posts mention the decline of Slashdot, because of an obviously misleading blurb. However, I think that the fact that the highly moderated and visible posts are dominated by people calling the editor out on this show that Slashdot is still okay. Slashdot has always been more about the community than the stories, which usually only act as subjects to talk about. Rumors of Slashdot's death are greatly overstated. I've read slashdot for several years now, and although I'm not a sage of Slashdot history, I've noticed that people have always had this same complaint for one reason or another. As long as the community is there to disseminate its wisdom, people reading discussions with an open mind will walk away with a comfortably reasonable opinion.
To you folks who are particularly incensed about this story, I'd like to remind you that because of a large amount of polarization in America, there is a great deal of ignorance on both sides. I'd argue that your posts provide a valuable service to those of us who sometimes forget this.
The community is still strong. Continue to make your contributions.
There are many other dangers in society; it is unfortunate that a religious group would choose to pick pornography (as they usually) do, rather than more serious problems. What about all of the violent video games? So let us seriously address this issue: What exactly is porn? It is but graphical depictions of people having sex where there is no emotional relationship involved. Realize that the internet has not brought about porn nor invented it; porn has been around since the beginning of civilization (eg the Roman empire, do a wikipedia search on it). Porn can be dangerous yes, and addictive (in the sense of being a "slave to sin" which is quite serious);however, protecting one from viewing porn is NOT how you protect your children. Any teenager who is raised and instilled/taught proper morals, ethics, and values (whether they be religious or not) will be completely unaffected by porn; when they come across it (which they eventually will) they might have sympathy for the harlots involved. Teaching the ability to see something for what it is, and responsibly deciding "this is bad" will empower one to successful navigate EVERY obstacle in life. It's called wisdom. Being taught how to think wisely is a difficult thing, and it's hard to describe. We can approach the topic however by stating that wisdom cannot be taught by any means through censorship nor ignorance. --- The XBox 360, PS2, cellphones, and many more devices also have internet connectivity. I don't see that religious group getting all retarded about those technologies. Truth is, the Internet is ubiquitous.
- Whenever i connect to internet, i am directly taken to porn. Actually, there isnt anything else on internet than porn. And thus, isnt it just logical to assume that when wii gets on the net, its user will be directly taken to porn too ? am i missing something here ?!?!?!
Read radical news here
What is the problem here? You can put the browser behind a password. So no kid can use it.
Well, if we go on line, use 'Gaming devices' or God knows what other gadgets, we shall all burn in hell! Mmmkay...I am only surprised they have not found other traces of evil temptation yet! Y'know, such as the satanic symbols they thought they had discovered hidden in the P&G brand.
I am convinced that because of this group, no kid shall ever watch porn online or use their console to get to it. That's what CD's, videotapes and magazines are for! Someone should tell them they'd better expand their target!
As long as this remains an informational campaign (although it is obviously very angled) I think this will help parents make informed decisions.
As long as it helps the parents aquire more knowledge about their children's playthings, good. If they try to take away the Wii's internet access instead of promoting good parenting, bad.
These kind of people are just desperately repressed and screaming to get laid. Someone send them a few hookers so they can loosen up already!
This like the SBC boycott of Disney will ultimately fail. Why? Its quite simple, its pretty hard to come down on a single game console when you've got systems like PS3, XBox that also have games like GTA. Add to that that you don't hear a huge public outcry against other "explicit" media such as television or movies and I think this is nothing but a fringe group that has its priorities confused. Yes you can find porn with a browser I have no doubt of this, but you could find that on the internet since shortly after it was created. So why not a push against the internet? If they really want to force nintendo to make the wii more family friendly, then what they ought to do is push for perhaps a "separate" network where such minded people can connect their Wii Consoles to without that fear of stumbling upon something. I'm sorry but this sounds like nothing more then opportunism to target a corporation just because they can.
Its nothing wrong, if the "kids" wanna view porn, then let them do it.
Other people shouldnt decide what someone else shouldnt view. They can decide that for themselfs.
Censorship sucks.
Asshole Limbaugh thinks with his mouth.
When setting up the "family computer" about a year ago, I was looking at a screensaver that grabbed images at random from the internet and assembled them into a collage. What I described is pretty much one of the images that came up (and don't think that was the worst - I'd probably get Slashdot in legal trouble if I described the worst of what came up). Further testing of this screensaver would show that, on almost every run, it would grab what I would call an "non child-friendly image".
Now mind you, I have no problem with nudity.....but too many of these "random images" were a problem. Here's the thing....if I'm finding these images on a random search, then my kids are likely to find them as well. Hence, my desire to control their level of access, at least for now.
And yes.....that particular screensaver hack is disabled.
A goal is a dream with a deadline
"Kids know this but parents don't!"
I do now. Thanks for the tip, Mike Foster!
Off to buy a Wii.
Slashdot has sunk to a new low on this one. I've been here long enough to get used to (and laugh at) the ridiculous headlines and kneejerk reactions that make Slashdot so endearing. However, this one is just completely nuts. As a Christian parent, I'm not only concerned for my children, but also for the fringe nutcase groups out there that make most Christians look like complete idiots. It's not a question of whether a particular Christian group is fundamentalist, conservative or moderate. It's a question of whether the group knows WHERE to apply its force and HOW MUCH to apply. So after reading the article (blog), I took a trip over to "theporntalk.com" fully expecting to see a total slam of the Wii that makes Christians look like complete and utter fools. What I saw instead was a short article letting parents know that the Wii's wifi capabilities provide a method for their children to access pornography, and that Nintendo has thoughtfully included security controls that allows parents to require a PIN to access the internet and news feeds. Not only that, but parents can choose to block access to the online "points" store, which effectively prevents installing the web browser in the first place. The article squarely places the responsibility on the shoulders of the parents. It does not in any way slam the Wii. This is exactly what all of us on Slashdot want. Parents need to be responsible for monitoring and educating their children. Not Nintendo. Not the ISP. Not the porn industry. In fact, when I bought a Wii for our family, one of the first things I did was set up the PIN system.
So, I have to say that this particular news item completely has it wrong. And so does kotaku.com. The only thing to see here is a Christian advocacy group giving parents the information they need and leaving them with the responsibility of using it. Whether you agree with their religious beliefs or not, you can't really ask for more.
GreyPoopon
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Why is it I can write insightful comments but can't come up with a clever signature?
Your sad little dreams of the 'sky daddy' are the most robust example of 'groupthink' I can recall!
Also hilarious, is that you bash 'leftists' for their 'groupthink'. Leftists are progressives...and since you obviously see the world in black and white, you must be a rightist...or conservative. Conservatives don't like change...they want things to stay the same way they've always been and the same way everybody already does them...which is GROUPTHINK!
If this was a troll, good job.
Blar.
"'Gaming devices like the Wii and the PSP aren't just for fun games anymore. You're able to surf the net, chat with friends, email, and view porn because of its internet access. Kids know this but parents don't!" Im not saying that parents should ban the Wii or assume their kids are pr0n freaks because they use one but parents should be away that the game console their kids have allow them to browse the internet, chat with lord knows who and yes, view objectionable material (depending on what you consider to be objectionable).
Playing with your wii leads to looking at porno... How is this news? Little boys have known this for centuries.
Of course, with an installed Rumble Pack, this does open some interesting possibilities. Thanks crazy Xian Group, you've opened my eyes to new possibilities. Of course, now I'll have to keep an eye on my girlfriend...
What sky daddy? I'm barely religious, and certainly not a practising Christian.
In my experience leftists are wannabe fascists who want to crush all dissent and force everyone to accept their dogmatic groupthink that isn't based on anything that could be called rational. I see it day after day, particularly here at Slashdot where any opinion that doesn't fit into the leftist mindset is modded flamebait or troll. Even my last post was modded troll, because leftists can't stand anyone who disagrees with them (and they're so laughably stupid that they didn't even realize they're proving my point by modding me down). They even "bury" Digg posts that they don't agree with. Their bullshit is exposed for what it is as soon as it's debated openly, so leftists stiffle debate as much as they can. Failing that, they simply insult the opposition.
Elaborate.
I wouldn't personally label myself anything, but I guess I'm on the right side of the political spectrum.
I have no opinion of that, except that change is not inherently good.
By the way, groupthink is defined like this:
I think it especially applies to leftists because they certainly never critically test any of their ideas, and dissent is aggressively supressed, even when it comes from outside the group. Groupthink in the sense that all or most members of the group share the same ideas is not what I'm referring to when I use the word (also, if the ideas can be independently verified through rational thinking, it's not really groupthink), and you also have to consider how harmful the groupthink is. Christians groupthinking that God exists is not harmful, whereas leftists groupthinking about critical issues like immigration or racism is extremely dangerous in the long term for a lot of people.
But simply put, I largely use the word as a derogatory term for people who hold an irrational dogma that's based on belief, hope and political correctness. This dogma shatters as soon as it's subjected to critical analysis, and therefore such analysis is strictly forbidden. These groupthinkers actually hold many dogmas, one of which dictates that dogmas cannot be questioned. Note, that I'm referring to earthly matters, not religious matters that can't be verified by anyone.
This is the third or fourth time during the past week that a leftist has suspected me of trolling because I have a differing opinion.
Look. If these people want to believe crazy medieval crap, and then follow through on their choice of a medieval mindset, there are communities where they can live that kind of lifestyle, such as the Amish and Mennonites and Taliban. No internets, no zippers, no porn, no modern problems.
But those medieval minds who want all the benefits of the Enlightenment without any of the disadvantages and without ever having their inconsistencies pointed out are trying to have it both ways, and there's no way that they're ever going to be satisfied.
Free speech, but no blasphemy, porn, or atheism.
Free inquiry, but no science with "babies" comprising dozens of cells, and no need to listen to climatology.
Free markets, but not for farms, churches, homeowners, oil, and armsmakers.
Look. It's hypocrisy, it's crap, and it's holding the rest of us back.
I think that they know this, at some level, and that it fuels their desire to undermine modernity by limiting scientific research, promoting crap in the classroom, and flying planes into skyscrapers with promises of heaven in their heads.
"Skill shows through where genius wears thin." -Wittgenstein || Religion: uniting aviation and architecture.
...has always made me think of watersports anyway. 'Let's go play with the Wii!' 'Mom, it's my turn to use the Wii!' 'Oh, let your sister play with your Wii, you've been playing with it all day!'
I am totally getting a Wii now!
It's a David Rovics song: Who will Jesus bomb? http://www.soundclick.com/pro/view/01/default.cfm? bandid=111310&songid=1125356&content=song I've seen you in the markets I've seen you in the streets And at your political convention Talking of your crusade Talking of your nation And other things too terrible to mention And you proclaim your Christianity You proclaim your love of God You talk of apple pie and mom Well I've just got one question And I want an answer Tell me, who would Jesus bomb? Maybe Jesus would bomb the Syrians 'Cause they're not Jews like him Maybe Jesus would bomb the Afghans On some kind of vengeful whim Maybe Jesus would drive an M1 tank And he would shoot Saddam Tell me, who would Jesus bomb? I've seen you on the TV And on the battleships I've seen you in the house upon the hill And I've heard you talking About making the world safer And about all the men you have to kill And you speak so glibly About your civilization And how you have the moral higher ground While halfway around the world Your explosives smash the buildings Ah, if you could only hear the sound But maybe Jesus would sell land mines And turn on his electric chair Maybe Jesus would show no compassion For his enemies in the lands way over there Maybe Jesus would have flown the planes That killed the kids in Viet Nam Tell me, who would Jesus bomb Yes I hear you shout with confidence As you praise the lord And you talk about this God you know so well And you talk of Armageddon And your final victory When all the evil forces go to hell Well you'd best hope you've chosen wisely On the right side of the lord And when you die your conscience it is clear You'd best hope that your atom bombs Are better than the sword At the time when your reckoning is here 'Cause I don't think Jesus would send gunships into Bethlehem Or jets to raze the towns of Timorese I don't think Jesus would lend money to dictators Or drive those SUV's And I don't think Jesus would ever have dropped A single ounce of napalm So tell me, who would Jesus bomb? # What is Christianism about? Jesus, a poor against the poors? No, it would have been called Jesuism if it was the case. It is all about superstition, more exactly superchristus as I call it. So, I am not surprise at those extremists are against the game console that take less power but don't say a word about the other game consoles that take more as 10 time more electricity power to do the same job: to play games. And even worst, sex is only the third biggest market in this capitalistic society. They said not a word against the first market in this capitalistic society: weapons traffic. Why are children is some countries doing war? only because they can afford the food without a weapon in their hand. According to the UN, it is enough food for all on this planet and 35 millions of peoples are strawing to death each single year only because they cannot afford to pay for this food. But those peoples don't say a word about what is the biggest genocide in history: starvation by poverty. But maybe at they don't like games at all, because superchristus is not about games but about hypothetical future world domination of a small gang of religious extremists. Finally, i will not trust one word of what they can say because I am not living in a hypothetical future of the unconditional of the perfect one. but just here and now. And it is here and now at I want a better world. Note at the other religions are not better: they all claim without to be able to prove it, at we will have a better life after the death (West variant) or in another life after the death (rest of the world variant). With other worlds, they are telling peoples to don't take their responsibilities here and now but at it can wait until after the death. And they tell at the word of their perfect one is a mystery, but at the same time are trying to explain it. So, come on. If it is a mystery, no one can explain
Thing is, it's the same for you - most gay men state that they didn't 'decide' to be gay, or didn't suddenly 'snap' and usually have known since puberty, - this is immediately screamed at to be either a lie, or a delusion - heaven forbid people can't help being gay, so it's always their fault. I've yet to see a conservative consider this as a possibility, because all homosexuals are liars, of course.
3) A lot of parents *don't* know about the Wii's child protection features, account controls, etc.
Ok, not to rag on you, but your post is written as if you don't own a Wii. So I would like to clarify a few points since I do. During the Setup of the Wii, it not only prompts you for internet connection settings, but it also asks you if you want to enable parental controls. If the parents set this up, it would be obvious.
The opera browser is free of charge, but there is a seperate Parental control setting that can inhibit access to the internet, or the store as a whole. Also if you have a secured access point you could just not give the kid the code to connect to it.
As far as "Many of those that *are* aware, assume that the content is somehow filtered.
Why would they assume that? Seriously? If they missed every screen in the set up reguarding your own parental controls, what would imply this access is filtered? Pre-Launch I could have assumed the Wii levitates, due to the pictures they circulated it. Would that have been reasonable?
Oui ! Oui !
... but I can see several wireless access points from my living room, most of them completely open.
Apparently securing an access point is beyond the computer skills of most middle-class internet users. It's likely that securing their Wii is also beyond them, too.
To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
Uh, what? I haven't even said anything about gays. Are you replying to the correct post?
... then where is that wireless connection coming from for the kiddies to connect to? It seems really unlikely that your children will be setting up wireless networks in your home without your knowledge. And, if your children aren't the ones managing the network in your home, where are they getting the necessary WPA/WEP password, network SSID, DNS server IPs and whatever other relevent information is needed to connect wirelessly?
Just because a device has wireless hardware onboard doesn't guarantee there will be connectivity for it.
8==8 Bones 8==8
1) God is referred to as a He in the Bible, therefore, He is male.
2) God created us in His own image, according to the Bible; therefore God has a penis.
3) God does not need to urinate, since He doesn't need to drink (at least there is no mention of it in the Bible).
4) God does not have a wife or a girlfriend (no mention of one in the Bible).
Think about it for a moment: what does God do with His penis ??? And why did He create a *naked* man (and woman) ?
I think the answers are obvious if you consider the above points.
What's wrong with pr0n?
Seriously, how many of you here (and we all know the stats, there is a vast majority of men here)
didn't spend your countless hours in your early teenage years looking at (and looking for) pr0n?
I know plenty of women too (although fewer discuss such things) who grew up secretly looking at
pr0n.
Until I was around 16 (and discovered the fabulous wonders of real-life girls) I probably didn't
let a day go by without perusing my modest collection.
And a bigger question: how many devout Christian adults spent their teenage years looking at pr0n?
This is hilarious hypocrisy mixed with overpaternalism and a very, very weird desire to keep one's
children asexual. (If we're going to talk about sickness and deviance -- the effort to repress
a child's budding sexuality should be the topic of discussion here). From a behavioral development
and sexual development perspective we have become so afraid of pedophilia and aberrant/deviant adult
behaviour, that we're attempting to place limitations on totally normal human development.
I consider pr0n a totally normal part of growing up in our otherwise sexually repressed society.
Is it bad? Hell no. I fully expect my kids to one day search for airbrushed photos of perfect
female bodies. (Or male bodies if any of them turn out to play for the other team, which I must
also accept as a possibility). I'm a parent. I want my kids to grow up and be adults and be
aware of the world -- not be overprotected ignorant 'angels'.
Will kids ability (or desire) to access pr0n ever change? Heh... That's cute.
Maybe there will actually be some left for me the next time I try to buy one. =(
And no true Scotsman puts sugar on his porridge.
You do know how to Google, right? Just try searching for stuff like global warming and Christianity, or Christianity and climatology, etc.
:) So none of them are to be trusted.
Sometimes they think climatologists worship mother earth and not Jesus. Sometimes they think it's all a socialist trick wherein the government cleans up the environment, but all through communism, which takes away their religious freedom. Sometimes it has do with corporate and political ties to churches. Who the hell knows, really. Christians think they're on one side of the fence and everyone else should be on the other. Pick your issue, and if you disagree you're an enemy and they rail against anything else you may support. I guess scientists sometimes disagree with them.
Blah.
Sorry about that communist/socialist in the same sentence stuff. I've been hanging out on too many conservative websites. It doesn't make sense when they say stuff like that either. Maybe I didn't type it that way and some islamofascist liberal terrorist-hugging illegal immigrant software glitch put it in there. That's what's wrong with America right there!
I really have to find something better to do with my time.
Thank god for the VICmodem.
*****
Dear Mary,
I yearn for you tragically,
A.T. Tappman, Chaplain, U.S. Army.