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Blogs and RSS:
Oh Brother, What's Next?
(Bonus Article for
May 2005)
Donna Albertone, M.P.A.
Guest Writer for
the VIRTUS Programs
Most of us think
of a diary as a little book with an unreliable lock, or a secret
journal used to capture our most personal and intimate thoughts. Not
so with a blog. Online blogs contain reflections, thoughts, rants, or
virtually anything the author can think of—including photos,
videos, music, and links to other websites. And, unlike the diary of
old, anyone who reads the blog can add his or her comments. The
concept isn't radical or new. The difference between blogs and other
“low-tech” forms of opinion sharing, is that anyone can
easily, cheaply, and with very little skill, create a fully linkable
blog, in about five minutes.[2]
For a
child—mostly "tweens"[3] and teens—a blog can be
a great way to express his or her current emotion, whether it’s
joy, anger, frustration, confusion, or anything else. But because a
blog is an online journal or diary, kids often upload pictures of
themselves, write details about their daily lives, or inadvertently
reveal where they live, where they attend school, and other
identifying information about their family and friends. These
mini-autobiographies are out there for anyone to see—and for
anyone to join in the ongoing “conversation.” As with
Internet chat rooms, the comments can expand into long-term
conversation, which can then become a web-based friendship that may
include plans to meet in person. And, all the while, the child or
teen doesn’t really know who is participating in the blog. It is
not unthinkable, then, that sexual predators could become frequent
visitors to blogs created by children and teens.
A sexual predator
could, potentially, create his or her own blog. A molester could
design his or her blog to appeal to a specific set of child
characteristics that meet the molester’s specific sexual
preferences. Then, like a spider waiting for prey, the child molester
could watch and wait for children to visit the predator’s blog.
A blog can include a “blogging roll,” which is nothing more
than links to other websites. Be warned of the potential for these
blogging rolls to link to pornography or to blogs created by other
sexual predators.
Blogging, however,
is only part of the story. Another tool that’s featured on many
blogs is called Rich Site Summary or Really Simple
Syndication—the acronym RSS is the common term. In very
simplistic terms, RSS allows someone to “subscribe” to a
blog and to receive instant notification when something new is added
to the blog. So, for example, when the author of a blog posts a new
entry, those with an RSS subscription to that particular blog will
immediately be notified of the new information—and the
“subscriber” doesn’t have to constantly monitor the blog.[4]
RSS has great
value for researchers, “news hounds,” and a wide variety of
people who share common interests. But, like anything else, those
with less than noble intentions can pervert even the greatest
technological advances. Let's say a predator discovers some
children’s blogs that he or she finds interesting. Instead of
having to click through all those blogs on a daily basis, the child
molester could use RSS to instantly access the latest information on
those favored websites. So, if a child or teen has set up an RSS feed
of his or her blog, and if a sexual predator has subscribed to that
RSS feed, the predator could wait patiently for the child to add to
the blog, and watch for the child to express certain vulnerable
emotions. Then, the predator could swoop in and take advantage of
that vulnerability, providing a sympathetic ear by someone who
(lying, of course) claims to be “a little older” than the
child—someone who “understands” what the child is
experiencing. So, with the help of blogs and RSS, the potential for
grooming has never been easier. With RSS subscriptions to dozens or
hundreds of children’s blogs, sexual predators could kick back
in front of their computer monitors salivating over all of those
potential conquests.
Certainly Weblogs
and RSS have an important and positive role to play in society. They
are an inexpensive and highly efficient means of disseminating
information and getting quick interactive responses. But, be aware of
the “dark side” that comes with these technologies. If you
hear your children—or anyone for that matter—using terms
you don’t understand, then ask questions. Go to a major search
engine such as Google, Yahoo, or AOL and conduct an Internet search.
Or, ask a technology expert at your local library. Don’t assume
that the technology is something you can’t grasp or won’t
understand. All you need to know is just enough to keep asking the
right questions and to continue monitoring your child or teen’s
activities on the Internet.
[1]Oxfeld, J.
(2005). Blogs rolling in 2005. Editor & Publisher, 138 (1), 136-141.
[2]Anthony, K.
(2005). The art of blogging. Counseling and Psychotherapy Journal, 15
(9), 38-40.
[3]“Tween”
is a term currently used in reference to younger
adolescents—those who are no longer children, but not yet
teenagers—and typically refers to children ages 10, 11, and 12,
although some parenting websites also refer to 8- and 9-year-olds as tweens.
[4]Richardson, W.
( 2004). Blogging and RSS: The "what's it?" and "how
to" of powerful new web tools. Multimedia & Internet
@Schools, 11 (1), 10-14. |
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