MySpace Sex Spam and Cop Phishing

This is a message I sent to MySpace.

I've only been on MySpace a few months so I'm still discovering what it is. Because of my varied interests, I get add requests from total strangers. That's terrific. I've also sought friends with interests of mine, and now enjoy the dialogue with them.

My problem is offensive content in the friend requests.

I waste time sometimes going to their page to see if they're legit or another scam to get me to go to some porno site. I'm no prude, but I demand the right to choose when to turn my attention to sexuality.

I always report these as spam because I don't like to be expecting to meet a new friend but get a sex ad slammed in my face instead.

I am sure you are doing your best to beat a problem that wastes a lot of bandwith.

So, please, MySpace, continue with our thanks.


above Abstract photograph "Making Love with Eyes Closed" by Mansel Davies (be sure to check out this beautiful gallery)

below - check out Photographer Elfie's 50 Years of Social Justice

The other kind of add request I hate are those that appear to be from underage young people. I am often approached because of my interests and that includes my actual daily life as well as my virtual life, and I'm happy to share what I know. The problem is that the add request may actually be a law enforcement officer hoping to catch a child predator. I don't know whether this has happened to me, but I suspect that I received a few. Yes, yes, yes we must protect children from predators, but must this be at the expense of my comfort and enjoyment in visiting the world through MySpace? I don't like that kind of crap, and I don't want to see or read that garbage regardless of who is actually sending it.

So what can be done?

First, law enforcement should be strongly encouraged to refine their search technique to seek out only those who are actual predators and leave the rest of us alone. Regardless of what the Patriot Act says, our Constitution forbids unwarranted searches. At the same time the constitution gives law enforcement every right to enforce our laws. There is deep wisdom in our constitutional legal system which was created to avoid the abuses and excesses of the countries from which we came.

Second, since your MySpace software is constantly evolving, please consider an additional message channel that provides a parental-like buffering so that I can avoid denying anyone's request who legitimately wants to share interests with me? Perhaps messages on this channel would include a notice and an agreement by the user that the messages be available for public viewing, thus watchdogs could spot illegal chat. Perhaps it could work so that not only could the young person make a request in safety, but when we get queried to approve a request it can be a referral to use this additional message system. I think this is a much better way to deal with this real problem, than offending and disturbing me.

What do you think?