Unfettered Letters

Regarding name calling

I have received several complaints regarding personal attacks so I've deemed it necessary to post a reminder. Please keep your comments to the topic of the letter. Let this serve as a reminder to all that this site is for civil discourse, not creative insults. They are tiresome and tend to negate the value of your opinion in the eyes of us all. It is possible to disagree without hurling insults.

Thank you,
Trudy Hurley
Administrative Assistant
Editorial Page
The Kansas City Star
1729 Grand Boulevard
Kansas City, MO 64108
816-234-4885
thurley@kcstar.com

Parents, careful what you blog

While blogs and community forums are a great way to mingle and share ideas with others, they’re also a great way to attract the attention of some pretty bad people.

One example is the Mom2Mom setup on The Star’s Web site. While it is a great thing to be able to chat with other mothers about recent family happenings, users tend to leave behind little personal facts about their kids in some of their posts like the child’s name, age, appearance, school, siblings, friends and the like. Even though these bits of info are often spread out like breadcrumbs one has accidentally spilt while eating, it can be enough to lead predator your way. If someone really wants to hunt a child, they’ll find a way.

While no parent wants harm to come to their children, they may be the one throwing bones to the very people they fear without even knowing it. But it’s not just limited to one site or one post. Everything you place in a public forum is almost instantly accessible.

Vigilance is the simplest answer. Users should take the time to screen their posts for telling information.

Joyce Todorovich
Independence

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Help shape future online content by telling University of Kansas journalism researchers how you use blogs and other media. About 10 minutes of your time could help smooth the online experience for all of us, and the survey includes a drawing for $50! Please click here for a survey.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY

Help shape future online content by telling University of Kansas journalism researchers how you use blogs and other media. About 10 minutes of your time could help smooth the online experience for all of us, and the survey includes a drawing for $50! Please click here for a survey.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY

Help shape future online content by telling University of Kansas journalism researchers how you use blogs and other media. About 10 minutes of your time could help smooth the online experience for all of us, and the survey includes a drawing for $50! Please click here for a survey.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY

Help shape future online content by telling University of Kansas journalism researchers how you use blogs and other media. About 10 minutes of your time could help smooth the online experience for all of us, and the survey includes a drawing for $50! Please click here for a survey.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY

Help shape future online content by telling University of Kansas journalism researchers how you use blogs and other media. About 10 minutes of your time could help smooth the online experience for all of us, and the survey includes a drawing for $50! Please click here for a survey.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY

Help shape future online content by telling University of Kansas journalism researchers how you use blogs and other media. About 10 minutes of your time could help smooth the online experience for all of us, and the survey includes a drawing for $50! Please click here for a survey.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY

Help shape future online content by telling University of Kansas journalism researchers how you use blogs and other media. About 10 minutes of your time could help smooth the online experience for all of us, and the survey includes a drawing for $50! Please click here for a survey.

PLEASE PARTICIPATE IN OUR SURVEY

Help shape future online content by telling University of Kansas journalism researchers how you use blogs and other media. About 10 minutes of your time could help smooth the online experience for all of us, and the survey includes a drawing for $50! Please click here for a survey.