New forum idea—for kids?

[Obsessed with fish]

This was an idea that just occurred to me the other day, but maybe we could set up a new section of the forum for kids who need help with fish tanks? I noticed that a lot of the newcomers here seem to be <13, and since they can't buy their own stuff and might need more patience, it might be nice to have a forum dedicated just to kids and tweens. What are your guys's thoughts?

Please! I'm begging you!this amazing idea will solve all my forum problems!

 

[Deleted member 149562]

This forum has hurt me many times before... great idea.

Under 13 year olds are not meant to be on discussion forums anyway

COPPA might be a US law but where forums are concerned, its a worldwide standard since the US cannot be excluded from a forum catchment area and this along with most forum software is developed in the US and thus falls under COPPA rules. Anyone registering under 13 is barred by the software automatically.

So if you are under 13 years old, you shouldn't be here and if you lied on your DOB during registration (as some do) you will be found out and banned.

COPPA is not only in existance to protect youngsters from potential threat or predator but to also keep them off forums like this due to their often disruptive, argumentative and generally irritating behaviour.

 

[DoubleDutch]

If the children on this forum are <13 years old, surely their parents must be monitoring their internet usage and online safety?

If not then some serious questions need to be asked of those parents IMO

Isn't this the general issue?

 

[DoubleDutch]

This forum has hurt me many times before... great idea.

There is a difference between hurting someone or telling someone things which that person doesn't like to hear.

But based on you reactions (in this and other forums) you're quite young I assume.

This idea won't "solve your problems" cause you would be told the same thing.

Nobody on this forum has the slightest urge to hurt you, only to give you guidance you clearly need. If that is not accepted, then you're seriously at the wrong place (on any forum btw).

If you don't understand things, please ask twice or even more times, but don't start acting offended or something. "End of discussion" isn't a respectful way to react on people that only try to help. Enjoy being here, absorb info and listen to members who have been there.
We allmost all have been where you are right now. Do you think reactions like these brought any of us where we are now ?

Simply use the experience and knowledge of other people. That is what all forums are about.

 

[FriendlyGeek]

Isn't this the general issue?

I guess so, but how do you control that via a forum? The simple answer is that unfortunately, you can't.

I am a little concerned that even though it is quite clear that some of these children are definitely too young to be on this (or any) forum, and have stated themselves how old they are - although I think it's usually quite obvious by the posting style when someone is very young - they are still posting here and haven't been removed, why is that?

 

[Obsessed with fish]

There is a difference between hurting someone or telling someone things which that person doesn't like to hear.

But based on you reactions (in this and other forums) you're quite young I assume.

This idea won't "solve your problems" cause you would be told the same thing.

Nobody on this forum has the slightest urge to hurt you, only to give you guidance you clearly need. If that is not accepted, then you're seriously at the wrong place (on any forum btw).

If you don't understand things, please ask twice or even more times, but don't start acting offended or something. "End of discussion" isn't a respectful way to react on people that only try to help. Enjoy being here, absorb info and listen to members who have been there.
We allmost all have been where you ate right now. Do you think reactions like these brought any of us where we are now ?

Simply use the experience and knowledge of other people. That is what all forums are about.

I admit that I was rude, but I just don't like it when people speak to me like some people were (don't worry it wasn't you), and on no, I was not doing that because people were saying things I didn't want to here! It was because people kept saying things, you can re read the thread if you need. I am very sorry to everyone except the 2 people who were being a bit rude.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

I guess so, but how do you control that via a forum? The simple answer is that unfortunately, you can't.

I am a little concerned that even though it is quite clear that some of these children are definitely too young to be on this (or any) forum, and have stated themselves how old they are - although I think it's usually quite obvious by the posting style when someone is very young - they are still posting here and haven't been removed, why is that?

You can't just remove someone?

 

[FriendlyGeek]

Under 13 year olds are not meant to be on discussion forums anyway

COPPA might be a US law but where forums are concerned, its a worldwide standard since the US cannot be excluded from a forum catchment area and this along with most forum software is developed in the US and thus falls under COPPA rules. Anyone registering under 13 is barred by the software automatically.

So if you are under 13 years old, you shouldn't be here and if you lied on your DOB during registration (as some do) you will be found out and banned.

COPPA is not only in existance to protect youngsters from potential threat or predator but to also keep them off forums like this due to their often disruptive, argumentative and generally irritating behaviour.

Could not agree more with this

 

[FriendlyGeek]

You can't just remove someone?

Well if someone has lied about their age to get on a forum and are clearly under age, they should be removed by the admin. Simple as that.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Please! I'm begging you!this amazing idea will solve all my forum problems!

I'm afraid that your "forum problems" are very much self inflicted

You simply refuse to accept advice given, you argue and throw a tantrum (often screaming that you will ignore people) whenever anyone says something that does not go with what you want to hear

That behaviour is your problem and not the forum and it is why you have had so many issues with other forums and on here. You hear but you do not listen, you see but you do not read.

And if you are under 13, as I suspect you are since you stated in another thread that you were too young to have a Saturday job to help pay for your fishkeeping needs, then you should not be on forums anyway.

 

[Obsessed with fish]

I'm just gonna leave this thread before something bad happens

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Well if someone has lied about their age to get on a forum and are clearly under age, they should be removed by the admin. Simple as that.

Its not always as simple as that sadly

The registration process needs a DOB to complete and potential members can always lie about their age, there is nothing available to admins that can be used to check the DOB given

However, the posting style and behaviour of a member can and usually does give the underage member away....not always very quickly, as when new they tend to be ultra polite and make all the right responses. As time goes by that "nice" behaviour tends to break down and the child starts to emerge, eventually the child causes too much disruption due to arguments or rude responses or just basic immaturity in their posts and that will inevitably lead to a ban...especially if they have been contacted by a staffmember and warned about the way they are behaving

Of course there are exceptions, where an underage member does behave in a mature way throughout, and although they are breaking COPPA rules, they can be given a chance by virtue of that mature behaviour

Under 13's do not always have a very good concept of how to behave and can easily act out in what can only be described as kindergarten behaviour when they do not get their own way or they get a response they do not like.

Being an admin or mod on a site like this is extremely hard sometimes but when you have a disruptive member of any age you have to place the welfare of the forum as a whole over that one person. When I was an admin/site builder, I had the last word on bans and I had my staff document everything that person had done, we discussed it behind the scenes, we had a 3 strikes and out policy....we gave people every chance to behave in an appropriate manner but inevitably you have to act and on my sites that was down to me as admin and even when you have the devil incarnate messing up on your forum, its still not a pleasant task having to ban anyone.....but its part and parcel of the territory sadly.

 

[Bruce Leyland-Jones]

I guess so, but how do you control that via a forum? The simple answer is that unfortunately, you can't.

I am a little concerned that even though it is quite clear that some of these children are definitely too young to be on this (or any) forum, and have stated themselves how old they are - although I think it's usually quite obvious by the posting style when someone is very young - they are still posting here and haven't been removed, why is that?

Because the Forum Admin and Mod Team pride themselves on this being a 'family friendly' forum and available to all.

Managing any active Forum is usually potentially difficult and many out there do have more vigorous child protection measures in place, not only for the protection of the children, but also for the protection of Forum members. Such measures include parental participation being compulsory.

As with all things, some people find a way around such measures for their own needs, but at least the Forum Admin of those groups are protected by Law, if the need arises.

 

[FishHobby99]

Wouldn’t most parents assume a forum devoted to fish keeping is safe? I may have seen a few snotty people here, some attention seeking teens & some old enough to have better manners, but no real danger lurks. That said, parents should tell kids to keep posts in the open forum & not use PM or DM.

 

[Deleted member 149562]

Wouldn’t most parents assume a forum devoted to fish keeping is safe? I may have seen a few snotty people here, some attention seeking teens & some old enough to have better manners, but no real danger lurks. That said, parents should tell kids to keep posts in the open forum & not use PM or DM.

How do you know that there is no danger here (or anywhere else on forums elsewhere)?

If there was no danger on the internet, there would be no need for COPPA and other rules to protect young or vulnerable people

The internet has predators who pretend to be a child and befriend another actual child which can lead down a very very dark and often criminal path

No child should be anywhere near the internet without a parent watching over their shoulder...