Thank you Dateline, for instilling an irrational fear of social networking sites into the technophobic minds of middle-aged parents and politicians everywhere. Let the reactionary counterproductive gestures commence! Yes, the always tech-savvy House of Representatives just passed the Deleting Online Predators Act (DOPA), a bill that will block all social networking sites such as MySpace from schools and libraries (yes, even The Hub, tragically). MySpace isn't the only target, however; the bill is worded so vaguely that its broad scope theoretically blocks sites such as Amazon.com as well. To be fair, last time I was on there looking to buy some granola bars I was approached by a seedy guy with a pencil moustache and a disposable camera, but fortunately my parents raised me to know never to talk to strangers while shopping online. The broad scope of the bill isn't the only down side: as Ars Technica perceptively points out, the act could force kids to hide their MySpace use, keeping parents and teachers at even more of a distance from kids' online activities. Unfortunately for the millions of rational, intelligent kids out there who use social networking sites to keep in touch with friends rather than meet a 34-year-old suitor, the government is unable to force parents to be involved with their kids' lives and talk to them about their Internet use. This is what we get instead. God bless America.
— Adam Frucci

Via Ars Technica