Christopher Ambler wrote:
We've been obsessing over the wrong demographic, it seems.

Ain't that the truth. lol

I don't like myspace, but I'm on it to stay in touch with friends. I won't reply to any messages from random idiots and won't add anyone I haven't met in person already, so it's not a problem for me. My little headline thing even says "I'm not here to meet guys or hear your crappy band".

Now if a girl messages me... different story. It's too bad that doesn't happen much.

Lora wrote:
When will these young girls learn?

When they get older!

Marcus Jones Photograph wrote:
STOP blaming the sites and blame who is commiting the crimes. Educate your daughters on how meeting strangers for dates is dangerous. Better yet if they are underage, dont give them internet.

couldn't have said it better.

Marcus Jones Photograph wrote:
STOP blaming the sites and blame who is commiting the crimes. Educate your daughters on how meeting strangers for dates is dangerous. Better yet if they are underage, dont give them internet.

The problem with this position is that it flies in the face of established precedent. If, as in this case, one can make an argument for negligence, it is, indeed, appropriate to blame the venue.

In this case, MySpace has been aware of the problem and has chosen not to act, or has acted in a "too little too late" fashion.

Look up the legal concept of an "attractive nuisance," you might find it eye-opening.

Christopher Ambler wrote:
Models, remember have an escort sitting with you whenever you log on to MySpace! Better yet, just delete your account.

unsure whether you're being serious or simply sarcastic; so hard to tell over the 'Net ...

... but what about the photographers who use such social-networking sites? and the other [legit?] businesses also there? you make it sound (imply?) that models, for one, are collectively unable to scrutinize with whom & how they network. there are a gazillion different threads right here on MM about the dorky stuff GWCs will tell them; we might think a good number - (maybe not the majority, but a good number) - have learned something about how to conduct themselves so far.

granted, for minors it's a different matter ... but to just throw out "delete your account" simply comes across as hasty.

safe! be safe models! and photographers too! safe!

~ F

Christopher Ambler wrote:
I should point out that I had a MySpace account until about two months ago. I had over 3000 "friends" and it got me a lot of exposure when I needed it. But now that I'm concentrating on more artistic publications, and find I don't need it, I canned the account.

Why?

Because of this very reason! I don't know how many times I was accused of being a fake, having stolen the pictures in my gallery, and being there just to pick up young girls.

No, thank you. I don't need that kind of noise. You won't find me on MySpace.

Would you like me to get you a tissue?

Frank M. Lopez wrote:
unsure whether you're being serious or simply sarcastic; so hard to tell over the 'Net ...

Oh, tongue planted quite firmly in cheek.

Corey Wellman wrote:
Would you like me to get you a tissue?

A beer would be better, since you're offering...

e-string wrote:

Ain't that the truth. lol


Now if a girl messages me... different story. It's too bad that doesn't happen much.

check your myspace messages.  lol

wait...I would need to know what you page is to message you, huh?  lol

Marcus Jones Photograph wrote:
STOP blaming the sites and blame who is commiting the crimes. Educate your daughters on how meeting strangers for dates is dangerous. Better yet if they are underage, dont give them internet.

ka PoW

SOMEONE BEAT ME TO IT.

Christopher Ambler wrote:
Models, remember have an escort sitting with you whenever you log on to MySpace!

LOL.. I ALWAYS have my escort with me.. actually i've just hired him as a full time body guard to protect me from identity theft, myspace predators, rapists, serial killers, and the scariest of them all - the government.

Corey Wellman wrote:
Someone's daughter died in a car accident while driving their brand new Toyota 4Runner... Let's sue Toyota for selling her the car.
An decorated x-marine buys a new gun from a local gun store. Two years laters gets drunk and depressed and kills himself because his wife cheated on him. The family sues the gun store for selling him the gun and sues the church that married him to an unfaithful wife.
Model get's raped by a photographer that she met on ModelMayhem.com. The family sues ModelMayhem for allowing her to meet this so called "photographer".
Fucking idiots. Accept the reasponsibility for what you do.
How about the parents sue themselves for poor parenting, or sue the daughter herself for her own actions... Well hell, then we wouldn't have any news right?

bang bang photo wrote:
Good points. And don't forget to stop sending your kids to church because they might get molested by a priest or minister. And school is out of the question because they might get molested by a teacher, coach, or janitor. And stay the hell away from malls, because we know they are a hotbed of gang activity and drugs.

Really, the only safe place is at home. Oh wait -- all that incest and child abuse. . .

looks like we're all screwed lol

Christopher Ambler wrote:
From MSNBC, Four families suing MySpace over assaults - Parents claim daughters were sexually abused by adults met on site.

The lawyers who filed the latest lawsuits said the plaintiffs include a 15-year-old girl from Texas who was lured to a meeting, drugged and assaulted in 2006 by an adult MySpace user, who is currently serving a 10-year sentence in Texas after pleading guilty to sexual assault.

Clearly, the risk here isn't creepy photographers, but creepy MySpace users! We've been obsessing over the wrong demographic, it seems.

Models, remember have an escort sitting with you whenever you log on to MySpace! Better yet, just delete your account.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16688909/

MySpace should counter sue the parents for abdicating their parental responsibilities in keeping track of their own children.

Christopher Ambler wrote:

A beer would be better, since you're offering...

Craig Seay wrote:
Several years ago my then 21 year old son was arrested as he learned the girl he was dating from MySpace was not 18 as her profile said but was indeed a minor. My wife and I had met his girlfriend and she certainly carried herself like she was old enough to date our son so we never gave it a second thought. He's now serving 5 years felony probation. Young girls on MySpace lying about their ages so they can date older boys and men aren't the only victims here. Children should be banned from membership on MySpace.

I remember this coming up a while back and I still stand by my previous opinion.  Your son could have done many things to protect himself.  First off, he should have gotten to know her a LOT better before having sex.  I dunno, maybe like...oh...oh...look at her drivers license?  Find out what school they go to?  What kind of job they have?

Is your son a victim?  Yeah, that girl certainly set him up.  And that sucks. He started thinkin' with the wrong head.

Christopher Bush wrote:
i've heard about girls getting abducted at the grocery store, or right off the street.  make sure to avoid those places as well!

So everyone cancel your MySpace account, get rid of your computer, and never go outside ever again...

Christopher Hartman wrote:
MySpace should counter sue the parents for abdicating their parental responsibilities in keeping track of their own children.

Which law, exactly, lets a private corporation sue on those grounds? :-)

Corey Wellman wrote:

That's not beer. You insult me, sir!

MJ McGuire wrote:
How is MySpace any different from Model Mayhem in this respect?

Bingo! We Have A Winner! ... and before the 2nd page, no less!

Christopher Ambler wrote:

Which law, exactly, lets a private corporation sue on those grounds? :-)

Probably none, but if our court system is going to allow people to sue other people for not watching their kids, then we need a way to sue parents for not watching their kids.

Craig Seay wrote:
Several years ago my then 21 year old son was arrested as he learned the girl he was dating from MySpace was not 18 as her profile said but was indeed a minor. My wife and I had met his girlfriend and she certainly carried herself like she was old enough to date our son so we never gave it a second thought. He's now serving 5 years felony probation. Young girls on MySpace lying about their ages so they can date older boys and men aren't the only victims here. Children should be banned from membership on MySpace.

THAT situation sucks, but the same thing can happen meeting someone in starbucks. Ronald Reagan said it best, "trust but verify".