What's wrong with Pogo?!?!

[beanie]

Just my opinion, but I think that the many freedoms we have gets totally confused with the ability to still show respect, restraint, and just a general care for others feelings also.  I have friends on pogo and like to chat with them, so why should I be forced to shut it off just because others cant control how they use the English language.  I mean you really don't have to be ugly or speak indecently to get points across.  It's just all an example of self control and some unfortunately don't have any.  My brother goes on there just to start arguments and I truly don't understand that.  Its a game for relaxation and fun.  Lets just have fun.   :-*

[Snarechick]

To me it's fairly simple, turn the chat off.  I rarely see vulgarities slip the filter unless the user has enough time on their hands to figure out how to get it into the chat- unless you are using "/filter off".  It's good that you turn the chat off if it offends you, that's half the solution.

I do not have children and most likely will not thanks to cancer and radiation.  However, I have been teaching children from ages 5+ for 11 years now and I do everything I can to make the atmosphere as educational as possible.  If I knew that the performing musicians around them would be prone to vulgarities I would a)inform them of the situation with my students and b)pull my students if it becomes a problem.  Same thing should happen on Pogo- you know what is prone to happen, take the steps to minimize the potential situations that may arise.  Heck, I teach college aged students and the educational atmosphere is that of respect and nothing less.  That's just my rules in the classroom/ensemble setting.  If we are guests somewhere else, then we abide by their rules while keeping ours in mind.

As with any site, the site administrators and website owners tend to dictate the ebb and flow of that given website.  If Pogo was that greatly concerned they would correct or find a way to rectify the situation.

Also, the game room tabs start at "Teens".  I don't recall for sure, but most sites require that you are 13 years of age or have parental permission to be using the website.  So either the parent is giving permission and is aware of the situation or the child is out there on the web floating around.  Not to mention that while some may view the site as a family oriented site, there are gambling related games that tend to be viewed as "Adult" games.  

I hate to think that anyone feels "ganged up" on, but conversations are so hard to dictate on something as informal and impersonal as the internet.  Not much can be done until Pogo clues into user concerns, but the positive of the situation is this- Atleast your kids (unfortunately) will be exposed to parental concerns while the parent is PRESENT so you can explain the rights and wrongs of such things.  What you and I see as offensive is like night and day from the next person.

[Snarechick]

how they use the English

;D If you can understand it as being part of the English language.  There's an abundance of illiteracy and grammar issues on the internet.

hukd n foniks reli workz fur mi ::) :D

[homelessdog]

How'd he get your email address?  Did you put it in your profile?

[GrumpyBear]

Thanks barb!! lol, you never know, he may want to help!! He just loves it! Your right though, he does not spend all day on the internet, and infact has not played online for a week or so now.
We do many other things together, much more important. we go to the park, color, play outside in the back yard, ride bikes, do homework together.
Someone here hit it RIGHT ON THE NOSE when they said he just wants to do what I am doing! He wants to feel more like an adult too, he is 7 going on 27.
He loves to bump me out of the way to vaccum, attempt to help me do dishes :-\, and even help me out with my youngest child of 9 months. Tried once to change a diaper...I don't need to explain the mess that was :o.
He likes to type emails to his grandparents, and play once in a while in Pogo. Yea, I take a risk everytime I let him play games online. I can not monitor what other people say. Really I don't have much of a right to do so, as it is a right given to them.
I just wish people whom want to speak sexually explicit, and any other ways that are offensive, would go to the uncensored chat rooms, or chat in private. Even being a 20 something year old, I find it a little offensive!

[GrumpyBear]

How'd he get your email address?  Did you put it in your profile?

I do not have my email address in my profile, I am not sure how he got it to be honest. I have nothing in my screen name and or profile that would even give him a clue as to what my email address would be!! My pogo screen name and email address are very different.

[GrumpyBear]

Just to put a little bit of closure in this, my son had a wonderful time winning the slots badge! He's amazed that he did it!! Did a little dance when he was all done!
And yes barb, we are going to have some popcorn as a before bed snack/reward O0

[Lady Golden Eagle]

Well here we go again pogo, down again. There sure seems to be alot of that lately.

:'(  :'(

[Homer]

It seems to be working now. ;)

[smiles29]

just a couple of notes or shall i say my personal opinions.
firstly.    i dont understand why people that like to talk a bunch of stuff dont go to the uncensored rooms thats what they are there for.  i find some of the conversations offensive too.  i dont really care to hear about other peoples love lives and what not.  i usually move to a different room.  i never turn off my chat because of the few wonderful and great freinds that i have met in the strange land of pogoland.  i have however blocked people who i have found completely offensive.  it really works.  when i enter a room where that person is it reminds me that that person is blocked and it wont let me play at a table where they are nor will it let them join my table either (if playing in a multiplayer game that is).
secondly.     as far as children.  i will be 30 in just a few short months from now.  i have a 11 yr old and a 5 yr old sister that stayed with me for a couple of yrs while mom and dad were very ill - they are much better now and they have moved back in with them.  i did not allow them on the puter at all for fear of them messing it up because they have crashed moms and dads puter a couple of times and mine was brand new at the time.  they hear/learn enough stuff from the outside world and have enough crazy ideas of their own they dont need to see or hear it online.  i very rarely accessed the internet while they were in the house or awake.  now when i put my youngest sister in pre-k last year, in the afternoons b4 my 11 yr old sister got home from school, i would play such pogo games as word whomp, tumble bees, poppit, and bingo for teaching purposes only while she watched - with chat off obviously.  i was able to teach her counting, the alphebet, colors, and simple words.  with chat off u still get private chat invites and do have the choice to accept or reject.
this post is not meant to offend or gang up on anyone but to solely lend my opinion towards the topic. hagd everyone.

[Janadra]

I have been playing online games for a very long time...many outside of Pogo, such as Unreal Tournament, Counterstrike, etc...  Believe me, a large percentage of those playing communities are under age 16 and I hear and read more foul language from them than I do from adults.   Children communicate at school what they hear at home and in other places (TV, friends, online, etc...) and it circulates through their little webs.  Unless highly protected from all outlets of the outside world, I'm sure most children age 3 and over know a few choice words or two.  The key is to teach your children what to say and what not to say.  Explain to them what the difference is between usages of language.  Not to say people are right for going around cursing to their hearts content in main regular rooms, but it will happen....just as if you take your children to the mall, you will almost always come across a group of people where every other word they say is the "F" word.  Not much we can do about it other than having a good heart-to-heart with the kids.