[spacekitty]

[quote name='dantynan']www.hamsterdance.com and www.hampsterdance.com are the same site. both are equally insipid. try it -- if you dare....> > > > cheers,> > > > dtI did that already, and you're right. I guess they wanted to have all of their bases covered... But that still doesn't excuse the fact that they choose to use the spelling with the "P" (as in "Hampton and the Hampsters") and you did not use that one.As irritating as it might seem to some people, I have been a fan of the "Hampster Dance" for quite some time now, and besides, what's wrong with a little good, clean fun?With all of the trash that's on the internet these days, I'm sure that you could have found many more deserving sites for your list!Meow!!=^..^=

[Nova]

Stay far away from Bonzi Buddy!!!Be very careful NOT to let that purple gorilla in your computer!I had to do a total reformat to get rid of it.Bad nes!!!!!!

[MEL810]

[quote name='chasbeard']> {quote:title=lrosen9999 wrote:}{quote}As a psychologist who studies MySpace, I think you are missing the point. The fact that the individual sites are chaotic and look like a child's bedroom is because this is one of the only places where adolescents and young adults can freely express themselves without having their parents yell at them to clean up their rooms. Teens these days have few "safe" places where they can hang out and just be teenagers. Malls are no longer safe. Street corners are out. Parents work and want their kids home after school. > > > > > > > > I also dispute your assertion that MySpace is "a one-stop shopping mall for online predators." Research shows that this is simply not true. As the 11th largest country in the world you would expect sexual solicitations but the teens are handling them with ease and research shows that it is not upsetting to them .. just to their parents. Feel free to visit my website at www.csudh.edu/psych/lrosen.htm for reports on my research.> > > > Sir, you should wake up. Only in backwater areas and some liberal enclaves in America or in Third World countries where you are likely to die by 30, does anyone think its okay to solicit children for physical favors. The fact that someone did some research that shows (some/ many/ most?) kids on MySpace don't get upset when sexually solicited hardly makes the place a safe haven for kids to be kids. I realize you limited your remarks to adolescents and young adults -- people who, by the way, are still conisdered not of majority age for a reason. Please note that when I used the term "children" it encompasses those age groups. Do you not have chlidren? If so, I hope you know that childhood is a time when children should be kept safe while being taught how to protect themselves? Some things children should experience -- riding a bike, swimming, climbing trees -- others, are sacred by nature, and are reserved each for their own time, e.g., sexual relations are for marriage, or are dangerous, like skydiving. And whether you agree or not, for the most part, people have decided that until people are of a certain age, there are certain activities from which those younger persons should be kept. The decision is not theirs to make, because by and large, they don't have control of their urges and are too easily swayed by anyone with an opinion. By the way, considering you are a professional, I would have thought you realize only idiots trust "experts" that don't cite the source. Feel free to reply, as I would like to know what research you are citing.> > My children, and those I have been blessed to teach, whether well-behaved or troubled, have neither been coddled nor sheltered while in my care, but they have been protected. The fact that some pervert wants to touch them, does not mean that we should open them up to those solicitations. When they are grown, they can make decisions based on their beliefs and protect themselves or turn to the authority figures in their lives at that time. For now, what greater purpose do we have than to guide and guard our children and make the world a better place for the next generation?> > Lastly, you should note that some children relish the attention of others, even it is from depraved individuals that guide them into making decisions that will haunt them the remainder of their lives.I don't frequent MySpace, so I can't comment on its site design, but as a resident of Richmond, VA, I can comment on its teen safety record.Taylor Biehl, a 17 year old college freshman, blogged about her personal life and sexuality on MySpace and met fellow blogger, 38 year old male Ben Fawley. Fawley murdered Ms. Biehl. Some believe it was intentional but Fawley contends it was rough sex that got terribly and fatally out of hand. Either way, it ended Taylor's young life.Anyone who believes that adult predators and crazies don't roam MySpace looking for vulnerable and/or excitement-seeking young people, is naive and just not seeing what is really out there today. They are also unaware of how easily influenced kids are. An adult who tells an insecure and searching teen how pretty and 'mature for her age' she is and that only she understands him can wrap that teen around his twisted little finger. And not to be homophobic or sexist: There are also homosexuals and women who prey on insecure young boys.

[KellieCM]

MEL,Although I agree with you that there may be predators on MySpace... I would point out that there have always been predators where teens and children hang out. Parks, malls, etc. That part is not new.What is new is that on places like MySpace and other social networking sites, teens reveal so much personal information to anyone with a web browser and some curiosity. I am not saying that MySpace is perfect, but I think the real problem here is teens who do not know how to protect themselves and their identities online, and how to safely meet people in person. It seems to me that this is where the energy should be focused, not rallying against MySpace for simply providing the vehicle.

[Margo]

No. 6You wrote: "...sent to the pound... ".Should'nt that be:" pond"?

[MEL810]

[quote name='kellie']MEL,> > > > Although I agree with you that there may be predators on MySpace... I would point out that there have always been predators where teens and children hang out. Parks, malls, etc. That part is not new.> > > > What is new is that on places like MySpace and other social networking sites, teens reveal so much personal information to anyone with a web browser and some curiosity. I am not saying that MySpace is perfect, but I think the real problem here is teens who do not know how to protect themselves and their identities online, and how to safely meet people in person. It seems to me that this is where the energy should be focused, not rallying against MySpace for simply providing the vehicle.I agree that education of teens would probably be the best route. But since we can't be sure that teens will receive that education or use the information if they do receive it, there should be some sort of safe-guards in place for them on sites such as MySpace.Perhaps limiting posting of sexual content and ability to post personal contact information might be a start.ben Fawley admiited his true age on MySpace. Content check would have gotten him off the site. Adult personals sites have content check for overtly sexual postings and for posting personal info., why not MySpace? Also, perhaps MySpace could post some advice and warnings for the teens. I think one problem is lack of parental supervision of these kids. They have too much easy access to technology with little-to-no supervision. Sometimes I think I would make a good teen advisor. I made so many mistakes as a vulnerable teen that I could easily tell young girls what to look out for; but teens don't usually listen to adults, no matter if the adult has been there, done that, bought the teeshirt, hat and keychain! LOL!

[vickyshah]

Great findings. I appreciate the efforts taken by the authors in spreading the awareness.Vicky Shah

[marcobuoni]

THE WORST SITE IS WWW.FUTURA.NETA GOOD SITE IS WWW.CENTROGALILEO.IT AND WWW.ASSOCIAZIONEATF.ORG THEY ARE IN ITALIAN LANGUAGE BUT THEY TALK ABOUT REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING

[blindingshadow]

[quote name='jazzy1279']I have to agree with the comments about myspace, I myself have an account with them but personally I've thought about closing my account just because its takes forever to load, the premade backgrounds aren't the best, when you do make your own background by using a background generator your site goes to crap. They don't limit the picture size which stretches the screen...I could go one but I won't. I think its a great place to catch up with old friends or classmates that you haven't seen in forever, but on the flip side there are too many predators and it doesn't help that you have little girls (less than 18) posting nude or 1/2 nude pics (this is what feeds predators) According to myspace stuff like that is a violation but they won't delete those accounts. MySpace need to toughen their policies and parents need to the same.Apologies in advance, but after reading this post I had to sign up and reply.I recently joined MySpace and started creating a profile, it's not yet complete but you're welcome to view it to give you at least SOME idea of what can be developed if you have a little knowledge of CSS, HTML, and half a brain.It must be said, that all of the issues discussed concerning page composition on MySpace can be fixed with a basic understanding of CSS and/or HTML. For starters, you really shouldn't be using an automated layout generator if you don't know what it will look like on your page. Since almost all such sites display previews, it's hard to imagine that you didn't know what you were getting into. It is quite easy and painless to develop your own layout with a little time and if need be, a little questioning or reading on web page development.In regards for pictures stretching your site, I assume you are referring to pictures posted by other users (else I would imagine you would thought to simply edit the image size in the <img> tags). For pictures posted by others into your comments section, you can delete these comments at your discretion.As for younger users being at the "mercy" of sexual predators and the like, well I'm not quite sure how to respond to that. Quite frankly I'm of the view that any such person should (please forgive the language) have their balls lopped off. This opinion does not blind me to the fact that there will always be people looking to take advantage of minors, whether online or otherwise and that MySpace is not any more a cause of this than basic IM. I think it must also be said that overreactions of parents are as much of a problem as anything else.I know I will be flamed for that opinion, but it stands regardless. As a teen (yes I am only 19) I've grown up around the net, chat rooms and IM with dozens of people to stay in contact I've received "propositions" before, and laugh at them and don't think twice. I don't know a single person i know that has taken offence to them or even worried about it. What was more adverse was the arguments that took place as a result of their parents attempting to insulate them from the real world.As teenagers, it's important to branch out, challenge your boundaries and find out about yourself. As terrible as some of the individual member pages maybe, MySpace does represent a genuine method of communicating with other teenagers in an increasingly time constrained society.Here is the URL for my own MySpace site, and please don't be too harsh, I'm still working on it ;)[url]http://www.myspace.com/blindingshadow87Perhaps more appropriate however would be to look at an extremely well put together MySpace page which shows what can be done when a professional web developer takes the time.[url]http://www.myspace.com/mikeindustriesWell if anybody read through all of this, thank you lol.I'm not saying that MySpace isn't a terrible put together site, just that many of the problems people do have with it are easily solved by a little research, and that you shouldn't judge anything on the internet by a hasty five minute glance.BTW, my page is best viewed in Firefox, or Opera, or Safari, or Netscape etc etc. I think you know where this is going ;)

[koehlerjohn]

LOL! Great top 25! I still visit WorstOfTheWeb.com everyday for the past 3-4 years now. Great Laughs!

[kimber7117]

Myspace may be a website that kids can relate to, but why do we have grown men and women using this site. Like the article said, their preying on these kids. It's pathetic that one uses a site like this to meet or hookup with others. You definitely have serious problems with yourself if you can not meet people or new friends on your own. Generally spraking, I beleive this says a person has a low or weak self-esteem. Go find yourself a good theapist and talk out your problems, then maybe you will have the couraage to approach another human being face to face. You should not need the computer or a website to help you with this. In my opinion, "hookup or meet me" websites should be banned!! What did everyone do before we had internet service? Not to mention the damage that these websites do to our computers, with all the spyware!! To the people who use MySpace and similar websites: GROW UP!!!!

[tybeedawg]

myspace is certainly ugly to look at and difficult to navigate in many cases, and I've gotten several error messages when trying to post a blog. BUT I don't know of a better way to find new bands than by using myspace.

[blindingshadow]

[quote name='kimber7117']Myspace may be a website that kids can relate to, but why do we have grown men and women using this site. Like the article said, their preying on these kids. It's pathetic that one uses a site like this to meet or hookup with others. You definitely have serious problems with yourself if you can not meet people or new friends on your own. Generally spraking, I beleive this says a person has a low or weak self-esteem. Go find yourself a good theapist and talk out your problems, then maybe you will have the couraage to approach another human being face to face. You should not need the computer or a website to help you with this. In my opinion, "hookup or meet me" websites should be banned!! What did everyone do before we had internet service? Not to mention the damage that these websites do to our computers, with all the spyware!! To the people who use MySpace and similar websites: GROW UP!!!!Whoever said that people are using MySpace to meet people in the first place? MySpace is not a dating site, it's a social networking site. That means that MySpace is primarily used for keeping in touch with people you already know!Hell, even the Add Friend link on MySpace tells you to only add a person to your friends list if you already know them. MySpace is not designed (or for the most part even used) as a medium to meet new people, it is an easy way to keep in touch with friends and family in a world where we have less time for ourselves.[quote:2f261299a1]What did everyone do before we had internet service?[/quote:2f261299a1]Before we had internet connections, we had the phone. Before that, mail. Notice that none of these activities prevent us from actually meeting people in the physical world? They are just ways to keep in touch when time does not otherwise permit it. That's all![quote:2f261299a1]Not to mention the damage that these websites do to our computers, with all the spyware!![/quote:2f261299a1]Well frankly you need to use a decent anti-virus scanner, a malware scanner and a little bit of common sense on any web site you visit.edited by Kellie to remove personal attacksEDIT: I apologise if my comments were viewed as a personal attack, they were not intended as such. To be honest though I cannot think of a single computer user I know that does not see the sense in using these utilities, even friends that aren't even connected to the net.

[juck]

@ kellie:I think it is but proper to justify each item on the list with a reason as to why the site was declared one of the worst web sites. This will give Dan Tynan the chance to explain his choices and thus enable the reader to know at a glance why his/her favorite website(s) is included in the list.

[Ceolwulf]

[quote name='MEL810']> {quote:title=chasbeard wrote:}{quote}> {quote:title=lrosen9999 wrote:}{quote}As a psychologist who studies MySpace, I think you are missing the point. The fact that the individual sites are chaotic and look like a child's bedroom is because this is one of the only places where adolescents and young adults can freely express themselves without having their parents yell at them to clean up their rooms. Teens these days have few "safe" places where they can hang out and just be teenagers. Malls are no longer safe. Street corners are out. Parents work and want their kids home after school. > > > > > > > > > > > > I also dispute your assertion that MySpace is "a one-stop shopping mall for online predators." Research shows that this is simply not true. As the 11th largest country in the world you would expect sexual solicitations but the teens are handling them with ease and research shows that it is not upsetting to them .. just to their parents. Feel free to visit my website at www.csudh.edu/psych/lrosen.htm for reports on my research.> > > > > > > > Sir, you should wake up. Only in backwater areas and some liberal enclaves in America or in Third World countries where you are likely to die by 30, does anyone think its okay to solicit children for physical favors. The fact that someone did some research that shows (some/ many/ most?) kids on MySpace don't get upset when sexually solicited hardly makes the place a safe haven for kids to be kids. I realize you limited your remarks to adolescents and young adults -- people who, by the way, are still conisdered not of majority age for a reason. Please note that when I used the term "children" it encompasses those age groups. Do you not have chlidren? If so, I hope you know that childhood is a time when children should be kept safe while being taught how to protect themselves? Some things children should experience -- riding a bike, swimming, climbing trees -- others, are sacred by nature, and are reserved each for their own time, e.g., sexual relations are for marriage, or are dangerous, like skydiving. And whether you agree or not, for the most part, people have decided that until people are of a certain age, there are certain activities from which those younger persons should be kept. The decision is not theirs to make, because by and large, they don't have control of their urges and are too easily swayed by anyone with an opinion. By the way, considering you are a professional, I would have thought you realize only idiots trust "experts" that don't cite the source. Feel free to reply, as I would like to know what research you are citing.> > > > My children, and those I have been blessed to teach, whether well-behaved or troubled, have neither been coddled nor sheltered while in my care, but they have been protected. The fact that some pervert wants to touch them, does not mean that we should open them up to those solicitations. When they are grown, they can make decisions based on their beliefs and protect themselves or turn to the authority figures in their lives at that time. For now, what greater purpose do we have than to guide and guard our children and make the world a better place for the next generation?> > > > Lastly, you should note that some children relish the attention of others, even it is from depraved individuals that guide them into making decisions that will haunt them the remainder of their lives.> > > > I don't frequent MySpace, so I can't comment on its site design, but as a resident of Richmond, VA, I can comment on its teen safety record.> > Taylor Biehl, a 17 year old college freshman, blogged about her personal life and sexuality on MySpace and met fellow blogger, 38 year old male Ben Fawley. > > Fawley murdered Ms. Biehl. Some believe it was intentional but Fawley contends it was rough sex that got terribly and fatally out of hand. Either way, it ended Taylor's young life.> > Anyone who believes that adult predators and crazies don't roam MySpace looking for vulnerable and/or excitement-seeking young people, is naive and just not seeing what is really out there today. They are also unaware of how easily influenced kids are. > > An adult who tells an insecure and searching teen how pretty and 'mature for her age' she is and that only she understands him can wrap that teen around his twisted little finger. And not to be homophobic or sexist: There are also homosexuals and women who prey on insecure young boys.DISCLAIMER: I am in no way, shape, or form responsible for the usage of slang or "teenspeak" included in this post. You don't have to read it.Since when has it been just the intarweb that houses all of these "crazies"? There are more sex offenses offline than there are online. I see that you pointed out a situation in which a young girl, Taylor Biehl, made a mistake to meet a man whom she did not know all too well. Does that mean we censor everything because some parent can't teach their kid that "When someone who you don't know talks to you, be careful not to give out any information!"?Hell no we don't! It is certainly not my fault that, albeit while the US is an undereducated society, one can't even teach one's child that taling to strangers is a no-no. The first thing my father did when I started playing my first MMORPG was tell me that it would be very dangerous to give out any information to anyone online. Even though, a few months later, I gave my cell number to my soon-to-be longtime girlfriend, but I digress.In regards, specifically, to the second quote: Dr. Larry D. Rosen (you know, the one who specializes in the workings of the human mind) had a great point. You freak out because your kids are solicited with sexual requests and/or comments, but what do the kids do? They brush it off. They've learned that, while there is a danger to this kind of thing, they can work around it to still be able to talk to their friends in an ever-so-popular and fast way. I think that it's the parents that need to learn, too. They need to learn that this is not Leaver It To Beaver; Daddy and Mommy have a 50% chance of becoming Daddy and That-Wench-Who-Stole-My-House. They need to learn that it's not a scary thought that their kids know how to handle sexual predators. And they need to learn to KEEP TRACK of their goddamn kids, or they'll find that the Taylor incident will hit home. Oh, and he didn't say it was okay to solicit children for physical favors; he said that the children are dealing with it better than your God-bless-the-US, u-r-bad-soz-u-need-teh-burn-at-stake mentality. We are not Puritans, we do not need ZOMGOD to hover over us like a cross at a book-burning, we do not need the gov't to create laws to tell us to shelter our kids.And to the third quote: for every account of someone meeting up with someone else that they met online and it going awry, I'll give you 10 instances of someone meeting someone else in the "real world" and the same thing happening. Just because online encounters are getting more mainstream media coverage does NOT mean it happens more.I'll tell you how to handle someone who sends your kid a sexual message...STEP ONE: Confront the person. Don't run to the cops because some 40 year old guy just told your 15 year old girl that her boobs are puurty. Your girl shouldn't be putting up skanky pictures in the first place. Just tell the guy to back off or you'll be forced to take action, and, more than likely, he will. If he doesn't, hit that little Print Screen button at the top of your keyboard and take it to the cops.My girlfriend has been hit on over the internet a few times, and everytime I've told the guy to back off. I didn't flip, I didn't threaten, I told him to not do it anymore and he stopped. Maybe some parents need to learn how to... well... parent.STEP TWO: Since you can't be them, join 'em. Make your own MySpace/Xanga/Friendster and be your kid's friend. Make sure that you go on during work and comment, and keep up with what his/her friends are saying. Don't go all out and demand passwords, but be the cool mom/dad and be a part of his/her life, not the controller of it. I'll bet your kid blossoms to be one of the few cultured, responsible, and mentally nourished that this country so needs at the moment.My apologies for the long post, but I felt the need.Ceolwulf17 years oldSenior in highschooledited for teh sperring mistaks lawl

[lowgenius]

MySpace.Com: Because the internet isn't ugly and annoying enough.

[cgkea]

Add this site to your list! Navigation to the "next page" is AWFUL! I am by no means a computer newbie, but it took me literally 20 minutes to figure out where the rest of the article was stashed. I guess I have been trained (by the millions of web pages before this one) to click on the word "next" to continue the rest of the article. Or at least look for a numeric sequence such as "page 1, 2, 3, " etc. That pull-down item is totally unexpected. I was so mad, I had to register and tell you about it!

[blindingshadow]

[quote name='lowgenius']MySpace.Com: Because the internet isn't ugly and annoying enough.Right, trash myspace because of course all pages will be as ugly as the next. :roll:If you bothered to check, there are actually several well pu together sites. Problems only occur when people with no experience with HTML or CSS start modifyig their free downloaded layouts to see what happens. And yeah i'll admit, that can be a little scary shudders and suffers epileptic fit. That's still no reason to trash the entirety of myspace. Don't judge all by a few.

[hotdog208]

Wow, and on that note, I'm not re subscribing to PC World. Use to be my favorite magazine, but calling myspace.com the #1 worst website is just stupid. It's made for teenagers, not old dumbasses like you. Teenagers love it, so the site is doing pretty good then, since it's designed for teenagers and teenagers love it. You obviously put no effort into these articles. Why don't you try interviewing some teenagers and seeing how they like the site, since the site is designed for teenagers. But no, that would make too much sense. And as for hotmail, hotmail was redesigned a little while ago, like a month ago, because all the sudden I stopped getting junk mail, again, you would know this if you did your research. Hotmail's pretty smart, they put e-mails from PC World in the junk mail folder, and now I realize after reading this article, that e-mails from PC World do belong in my junk mail. Well, bye PC World, because I'm not re subscribing.

[Cosmo]

Goodbye./me waves