-tictech message:
Hi Everyone,
Below is a website we should all be watching out for.
Hope you all have a wonderful summer.
Paula Tortorice
ptortorice@seattleschools.org
Schmitz Park Elementary
Computer Lab I.A.
www.seattleschools.org/schools/spark
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Chambers, Nina
> Sent: Monday, June 17, 2002 4:43 PM
> To: Tortorice, Paula
> Subject: www.asianavenue.com
>
>
> Just a heads up that innumerable SSD students have accounts on this
> website from which students are going to chatrooms, email & updating
> "their" websites, all of which is free if you register, giving ad nauseum
> personal info. And it's growing by leaps & bounds through word-of-mouth.
> Until last week, they could access it from any networked computer in the
> district. Either BESS had some issues with blocking it, or they had
> technical problems blocking it. So the school district has blocked both
> the www.asianavenue.com & asianavenue.com (without the www) If you see a
> student getting into this site then there is a glitch in the software &
> you might want to let HelpDesk know.
> You might also want to print out the screen, before chatting with the
> student. Once they log out, You can't get into it without registering
> with an extremely long list of confidential data. Nor can you leave this
> info blank or it throws it back to you. So you have to take some time to
> give it erroneous info. Once they logout, you can't review what they've
> done unless you have an account, too (ingenious!)
>
> The bottom line is: It's good to know that we can ask the Helpdesk to
> escalate a block & do it locally, if BESS can't or won't. I had tried to
> block it the previous week to the incident I mention below, via BESS.
>
> This website rejects your request for membership registration, if you
> leave out anyone of the following: gender, address, zip, family income,
> email address, among others. And it's exclusive--won't let you in unless
> you register. Of course you could make it all up, but frankly, it takes a
> lot of time to be devious, which is not to say they have more time than I
> do. But my guess is that 90% are just inputting what they are requested
> to by the website.
>
> These students are making some dangerous choices quite thoughtlessly,
> because it's such a "legitimate" website, all their friends are on it so
> why not! And the school district doesn't block it so it must be OK.
> These were students who are bright & have potential. This is so
> dangerous.
>
> A concerned teacher tipped me off to this site & I tried to get it
> blocked. But it didn't hit home until I saw the T.A. inputting her age
> (fourteen), height, weight, gender & email address! How much more info do
> you need to get into a really dangerous situation! Even if you make up
> everything else, if they know your email address, that seems a little
> dangerous. Plus it just gives kids more opportunities to chat with
> strangers, which means more opportunity to devulge personal data, evn
> unintentionally.
>
> So if you see a student using this site, you want to print immediately
> should you see a student inputting their personal data, updating their
> website, or using the email or chatroom functions--then explain the
> personal safety issues. Then you have evidence should you need to have a
> conversation with pertinent parties. Next year when I do Internet
> orientation, I'll use this as an example, & tell them we are calling their
> parents, etc., should we find them there, if N2H2 drops the ball on this
> one.
>
> Incidentally, the book: Katie.com, is an excellent book to steer kids to
> who are giving out their personal info freely. I tell them, if they know
> your email, that's too much!
>
> Good luck.
> Nina
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