Chat Room Crackdown Affects Non-Sex Rooms?

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http://www.click2houston.com/news/4645857/detail.html

Chat Room Crackdown Affects Non-Sex Rooms

Users Irate At Loss Of Chat Rooms

POSTED: 5:57 pm CDT June 23, 2005

UPDATED: 6:24 pm CDT June 23, 2005

HOUSTON -- A crackdown on chat rooms aimed at children is being felt around the

world, affecting those that have nothing to do with sex, the Local 2

Troubleshooters reported Thursday.

Hundreds of innocent chat rooms were taken offline by in addition to those

targeted for sex with children.

Now, those innocent computer users are wondering how they will fill the massive

void on the Internet.

National newspapers, radio talk shows and television networks have picked up the

story the Troubleshooters broke on Monday. For people in other cities, it

finally shed light on why chat room screens are blank.

But that's no help to people who have nowhere to turn for important information

they've always received from clean chat rooms.

" It's not right. It's not right. And needs to address this quickly, " said

Rod , a local chat room creator.

hosted a chat room called " Indiefilmworkers " for casting and crew on

movies for eight years. That's all changed for the Spring man and the 869 other

members of his chat room forum.

" A lot of times, they like to get insight. If they're in Austin, San ,

New York, they want to find out about Houston, and so they'll chat with each

other. They can no longer do that, " said.

The same hole in the Internet exists for hundreds of other rooms with a wide

array of interests, from hobbies to jobs to studies.

That's because the nation's most-used Internet site, , shut down hundreds,

potentially thousands, of chat rooms after the Local 2 Troubleshooters exposed

what's really going on in those rooms.

They're called " user-created rooms. " Local 2 found displaying advertising

from major corporations in rooms geared only toward sex with children.

9-17-Year-Olds Wantin' Sex

Younger Girls 4 Older Guys

Girls 13 And Under For Older Guys

Girls 13 And Up For Much Older Man

Girls 8 to 13 Watch Boys (In A Particular Sex Act)

In those rooms, Local 2 posed as a 13-year-old girl and Houston men lined up at

the Troubleshooters' door after arranging sex meetings. Countless men tried to

display pornography with children.

The big sponsors pulled their advertising because of the station's reports and

removed all of the rooms, leaving nothing but blank screens where the

rooms used to be.

" People are irate and don't know where to go. They are casual Internet users, "

said Carr, with Chatmag.com.

Carr runs a Web site called www.ChatMag.com, which is a registry of chat rooms

and advice. He said hundreds of thousands of chat room users are logging in,

wondering how to adjust their whole lives.

" A lot of them feel betrayed that did not give them prior warning, " Carr

said.

is still not commenting, saying only that it is working on improving chat

rooms so that more users comply with 's terms of service, which ban harmful

material with minors.

Online ads account for most of 's revenue, and investors are noticing. They

are clicking on links to the Troubleshooters story, posted on various

stock-quote Web pages.

's stock dropped 70 cents Thursday, a decline of 2 percent.

[Guest guest]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/4645857/detail.html

Chat Room Crackdown Affects Non-Sex Rooms

Users Irate At Loss Of Chat Rooms

POSTED: 5:57 pm CDT June 23, 2005

UPDATED: 6:24 pm CDT June 23, 2005

HOUSTON -- A crackdown on chat rooms aimed at children is being felt around the

world, affecting those that have nothing to do with sex, the Local 2

Troubleshooters reported Thursday.

Hundreds of innocent chat rooms were taken offline by in addition to those

targeted for sex with children.

Now, those innocent computer users are wondering how they will fill the massive

void on the Internet.

National newspapers, radio talk shows and television networks have picked up the

story the Troubleshooters broke on Monday. For people in other cities, it

finally shed light on why chat room screens are blank.

But that's no help to people who have nowhere to turn for important information

they've always received from clean chat rooms.

" It's not right. It's not right. And needs to address this quickly, " said

Rod , a local chat room creator.

hosted a chat room called " Indiefilmworkers " for casting and crew on

movies for eight years. That's all changed for the Spring man and the 869 other

members of his chat room forum.

" A lot of times, they like to get insight. If they're in Austin, San ,

New York, they want to find out about Houston, and so they'll chat with each

other. They can no longer do that, " said.

The same hole in the Internet exists for hundreds of other rooms with a wide

array of interests, from hobbies to jobs to studies.

That's because the nation's most-used Internet site, , shut down hundreds,

potentially thousands, of chat rooms after the Local 2 Troubleshooters exposed

what's really going on in those rooms.

They're called " user-created rooms. " Local 2 found displaying advertising

from major corporations in rooms geared only toward sex with children.

9-17-Year-Olds Wantin' Sex

Younger Girls 4 Older Guys

Girls 13 And Under For Older Guys

Girls 13 And Up For Much Older Man

Girls 8 to 13 Watch Boys (In A Particular Sex Act)

In those rooms, Local 2 posed as a 13-year-old girl and Houston men lined up at

the Troubleshooters' door after arranging sex meetings. Countless men tried to

display pornography with children.

The big sponsors pulled their advertising because of the station's reports and

removed all of the rooms, leaving nothing but blank screens where the

rooms used to be.

" People are irate and don't know where to go. They are casual Internet users, "

said Carr, with Chatmag.com.

Carr runs a Web site called www.ChatMag.com, which is a registry of chat rooms

and advice. He said hundreds of thousands of chat room users are logging in,

wondering how to adjust their whole lives.

" A lot of them feel betrayed that did not give them prior warning, " Carr

said.

is still not commenting, saying only that it is working on improving chat

rooms so that more users comply with 's terms of service, which ban harmful

material with minors.

Online ads account for most of 's revenue, and investors are noticing. They

are clicking on links to the Troubleshooters story, posted on various

stock-quote Web pages.

's stock dropped 70 cents Thursday, a decline of 2 percent.

[Guest guest]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/4645857/detail.html

Chat Room Crackdown Affects Non-Sex Rooms

Users Irate At Loss Of Chat Rooms

POSTED: 5:57 pm CDT June 23, 2005

UPDATED: 6:24 pm CDT June 23, 2005

HOUSTON -- A crackdown on chat rooms aimed at children is being felt around the

world, affecting those that have nothing to do with sex, the Local 2

Troubleshooters reported Thursday.

Hundreds of innocent chat rooms were taken offline by in addition to those

targeted for sex with children.

Now, those innocent computer users are wondering how they will fill the massive

void on the Internet.

National newspapers, radio talk shows and television networks have picked up the

story the Troubleshooters broke on Monday. For people in other cities, it

finally shed light on why chat room screens are blank.

But that's no help to people who have nowhere to turn for important information

they've always received from clean chat rooms.

" It's not right. It's not right. And needs to address this quickly, " said

Rod , a local chat room creator.

hosted a chat room called " Indiefilmworkers " for casting and crew on

movies for eight years. That's all changed for the Spring man and the 869 other

members of his chat room forum.

" A lot of times, they like to get insight. If they're in Austin, San ,

New York, they want to find out about Houston, and so they'll chat with each

other. They can no longer do that, " said.

The same hole in the Internet exists for hundreds of other rooms with a wide

array of interests, from hobbies to jobs to studies.

That's because the nation's most-used Internet site, , shut down hundreds,

potentially thousands, of chat rooms after the Local 2 Troubleshooters exposed

what's really going on in those rooms.

They're called " user-created rooms. " Local 2 found displaying advertising

from major corporations in rooms geared only toward sex with children.

9-17-Year-Olds Wantin' Sex

Younger Girls 4 Older Guys

Girls 13 And Under For Older Guys

Girls 13 And Up For Much Older Man

Girls 8 to 13 Watch Boys (In A Particular Sex Act)

In those rooms, Local 2 posed as a 13-year-old girl and Houston men lined up at

the Troubleshooters' door after arranging sex meetings. Countless men tried to

display pornography with children.

The big sponsors pulled their advertising because of the station's reports and

removed all of the rooms, leaving nothing but blank screens where the

rooms used to be.

" People are irate and don't know where to go. They are casual Internet users, "

said Carr, with Chatmag.com.

Carr runs a Web site called www.ChatMag.com, which is a registry of chat rooms

and advice. He said hundreds of thousands of chat room users are logging in,

wondering how to adjust their whole lives.

" A lot of them feel betrayed that did not give them prior warning, " Carr

said.

is still not commenting, saying only that it is working on improving chat

rooms so that more users comply with 's terms of service, which ban harmful

material with minors.

Online ads account for most of 's revenue, and investors are noticing. They

are clicking on links to the Troubleshooters story, posted on various

stock-quote Web pages.

's stock dropped 70 cents Thursday, a decline of 2 percent.

[Guest guest]

http://www.click2houston.com/news/4645857/detail.html

Chat Room Crackdown Affects Non-Sex Rooms

Users Irate At Loss Of Chat Rooms

POSTED: 5:57 pm CDT June 23, 2005

UPDATED: 6:24 pm CDT June 23, 2005

HOUSTON -- A crackdown on chat rooms aimed at children is being felt around the

world, affecting those that have nothing to do with sex, the Local 2

Troubleshooters reported Thursday.

Hundreds of innocent chat rooms were taken offline by in addition to those

targeted for sex with children.

Now, those innocent computer users are wondering how they will fill the massive

void on the Internet.

National newspapers, radio talk shows and television networks have picked up the

story the Troubleshooters broke on Monday. For people in other cities, it

finally shed light on why chat room screens are blank.

But that's no help to people who have nowhere to turn for important information

they've always received from clean chat rooms.

" It's not right. It's not right. And needs to address this quickly, " said

Rod , a local chat room creator.

hosted a chat room called " Indiefilmworkers " for casting and crew on

movies for eight years. That's all changed for the Spring man and the 869 other

members of his chat room forum.

" A lot of times, they like to get insight. If they're in Austin, San ,

New York, they want to find out about Houston, and so they'll chat with each

other. They can no longer do that, " said.

The same hole in the Internet exists for hundreds of other rooms with a wide

array of interests, from hobbies to jobs to studies.

That's because the nation's most-used Internet site, , shut down hundreds,

potentially thousands, of chat rooms after the Local 2 Troubleshooters exposed

what's really going on in those rooms.

They're called " user-created rooms. " Local 2 found displaying advertising

from major corporations in rooms geared only toward sex with children.

9-17-Year-Olds Wantin' Sex

Younger Girls 4 Older Guys

Girls 13 And Under For Older Guys

Girls 13 And Up For Much Older Man

Girls 8 to 13 Watch Boys (In A Particular Sex Act)

In those rooms, Local 2 posed as a 13-year-old girl and Houston men lined up at

the Troubleshooters' door after arranging sex meetings. Countless men tried to

display pornography with children.

The big sponsors pulled their advertising because of the station's reports and

removed all of the rooms, leaving nothing but blank screens where the

rooms used to be.

" People are irate and don't know where to go. They are casual Internet users, "

said Carr, with Chatmag.com.

Carr runs a Web site called www.ChatMag.com, which is a registry of chat rooms

and advice. He said hundreds of thousands of chat room users are logging in,

wondering how to adjust their whole lives.

" A lot of them feel betrayed that did not give them prior warning, " Carr

said.

is still not commenting, saying only that it is working on improving chat

rooms so that more users comply with 's terms of service, which ban harmful

material with minors.

Online ads account for most of 's revenue, and investors are noticing. They

are clicking on links to the Troubleshooters story, posted on various

stock-quote Web pages.

's stock dropped 70 cents Thursday, a decline of 2 percent.