Your Turn Letters to the Editor

MySpace safety

In concern over the recent controversies over the online community MySpace, there is some evidence showing that the site itself is not fully responsible for dangerous happenings orchestrated online. MySpace advertises as a “place for friends” and also features safety tips for users and their parents. These guidelines suggest safety procedures that include being truthful, keeping in mind that the domain is viewable to the public and reporting any misuse of the site.

Members also have the option to hide their profile and pictures so that only approved visitors may view them. It even goes as far as to say profiles with untrue information will be removed.

Simply put, these instructions result in a safer Web site. If they were followed, members would not meet their strictly online “buddies” and would not be put into a dangerous situation.

The fact that some girls – including the ones raped in Chicago, or the one who flew to Jordan to meet her online boyfriend – use the site to meet men is just an unlucky blemish for the online community. If MySpace were not available for these individuals, they would find another method to meet people. There have been similar incidents for many years, but the victim and predator met through different means.

Myspace cannot monitor all dodgy communications, so it is inevitable that there are going to be some slip-ups in the system. There are millions of people registered with MySpace, and most of them operate in a safe manner and therefore have a safe experience. The user is the one who determines what level of security they want to put to use.

Due to the suggestions and the best efforts the monitors can provide, the site has great potential to be safe. But because there are users who do not abide by these rules, they themselves make it unsafe.

As long as a member practices the recommended safety procedures – mainly not to meet other members face-to-face – the site operates on a very safe level.

– Bailey Alder

Dining dilemma

The newly remodeled Shafer Court Dining Center catches the eye with state-of-the-art interior design that is supposed to emphasize the quality of the various foods it has to offer.

But recently, people have been complaining about the quality of the food at Shafer, saying that the food has been the cause of stomachaches and viruses. A number of students also say that the food is sometimes cold and undercooked and that the dishes are not clean. One student in particular even found a maggot in her salad. What could be more repulsive than that?

The dining meal plans for students living on campus range reach up to $1,600 per semester. The amount of dining dollars and meal swipes vary depending on the meal plan that you choose. Most students end up using all of their dining dollars because they don’t enjoy eating the food at Shafer.

Students are paying too much money for such low-quality food.

– Timala Stewart