RSSYahoo Shutters User Chat Rooms
By Nate Mook | Published June 23, 2005, 10:54 AM
Responding to a flurry of bad press and advertisers pulling their marketing buys, Yahoo has completely shut down its unmonitored user-created chat rooms, which reportedly were being used to promote sex with minors. The company did not say how long the chats would be closed, but will leave open company-created rooms.
It's not a secret that some of the largest Internet destinations, while catering to children, have long been profiting off adult-oriented chat rooms. AOL found early success thanks to its sex chats and Yahoo draws millions of users each day to its chat rooms.
The subject, while taboo, was an accepted facet of human nature and the freedom of the worldwide Web.
But last week, a report by KPRC-TV in Houston has highlighted the fact that some rooms were actually being used for illegal purposes. Adults were purportedly using Web cameras to send indecent pictures to children and lure minors into sexual encounters.
In response, advertisers have opened their eyes to where their brand was being promoted. PepsiCo, State Farm Insurance and Georgia-Pacific Corp. all pulled their advertising from Yahoo, and other companies threatened to follow suit.
Yahoo says it will keep the service shuttered while it makes improvements to ensure chatters are following guidelines. But without strict monitoring by Yahoo employees -- an expensive endeavor for a company with such a large audience -- enforcement may be an uphill battle.
for a long time yahoo has had alot of problems in the chat rooms but if the perverts cant chat here the there are 1000's of other chat channels like mirc,icq,aol,msn just to name a few where there there also. i feal that it is up to the parents to monitor there children surfing habits, and get with the programs of the computer that are out there to monitor what is going on. i have 10 computers in my house and i can monitor what is going on at any time any and all conversations are recorded and sent to me daily from the kids computers the younger kids are not allowed on the computer for any chat to the internet only to play local games on there system only as they say when in question just pull there internet plug and lock them out proper instruction to you kids is also a plus, let your kids know if they feal uneasy about a conversation they are having to come to a adult and let them know. its all in good parenting.
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|It's about time Yahoo was forced to see how many perverts are out there! I personally sent them emails lots of times telling them about the sick rooms that were open.It is sad that us good folks are being punished too!!! If shutting all user rooms down gets rid of the scum then I will gladly do without my "good rooms"!!! God bless all of you and have a great day!!!
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|I have been a long time chatter on yahoo chat. My friends and I really dissapointed that everyone is being punished for the few that are scum. But hopefully yahoo will soon get things "straight" so we can go back to our regular daily chats.
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|I am really sadden that this does go on. I have been chatting in yahoo for yrs.Personally the parents should be watching more of what there children do.It seems as though the parents are to blame as much as the kids.Dont get me wrong I realize all children cant be watched. But dont they have parental control on all computers.Oh yah those bots drove me nuts to, and some how I hope yahoo will let the peeps with good rooms come back.
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|All fine the adult userrooms are shut down, but now they are all starting to flood the user rooms that are open for kids & family oriented people that go to chat with friends & normal people..I think other plans shoulda been made before doing this to keep the adult room users from just transfering all their imformation & habits over to the family oriented chat rooms.Now they just have more of an expanded audience to work with.
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|Ok, if they getting all consider people getting easy money.
Why dont they crack down on the booters (That a program run by a user that send massive messages over, over, and other difference users. Until their yahoo messenger program crash because the computer they are at could not support the massive data sent to them at onces. After they got crashed they can not use the messenger program like a half day later.)
Also with bots (self run spammer program message that bug you and bug all the time about using their service.) to me that is people are to damn lazy to get a real job I mean work for their money.
If yahoo is started crack down on that I think they should crack down on all the other bad apples make the rest suffer from having fun on the net.
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|Darn, and all this time I just thought it was the best place to meet gay FBI agents!
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|why shut them down weren't the cops also using these rooms to actualy catch some of these people now the pedophiles will just find something else and the police might not be able to monitor them as easily.
Just explain this to the advertisers and donate some of the profits to the police so they can afford more officers to pose as kids and catch these people.
With all the money yahoo makes from these advertisers they can afford at least a couple million to help out.
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|Bad situation for sure, not many options... Bet they don't come back very quickly...
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|Funny how they say the user rooms are closed. but with my trusty little Yahelite program I can still access them.. Figures Also you know it's not just the child pedophiles that are causing problems for yahoo, it's also the immature script kiddies always exploiting its Messenger Protocols and the program itself. Why not just follow the steps of Paltalk with queues for people to use the microphone and moderators in every chat room. Yeah Right! thasts too much of a dream..
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|A few more exaggerated stories from the know-nothing media and they'll have to shut down the whole internet.
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|it is unfortunate. But anyone with a straight on head. Would agree with this decision. If they ever looked at all the chatroom's on yahoo. Its one of the more disturbing things I've seen in my life. Rooms like looking for boys 8-12.. Its just awful. I give major props for yahoo. And I hope they get the chatroom's working again. "exaggerated" not at all julosword. Apparently you don't use yahoo man. Its so messed up. I'll bet them chatroom's have led to a lot of rapes, n stuff. And that tool idea, is so true. But we are going to give "sick idiots" tools though. So they can have these ten year old boys ip. Geez. Where does it stop?
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|we all shouldnt have to suffer because of this ,there are alot of decent law abiding people that use chat so why should we have to do without because of people like them
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|At least they didnt go pay to chat like MSN did in 2003. I can see it coming though if they dont figure out some way to monitor the chat rooms.
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|And they think that the same things aren't happening in their community-created chat rooms. No matter what, people will find a way to get what they want and maybe the advertisers should stop selling their products with sex, HAH!
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|Yahoo should allow users who create their rooms run their rooms with the tools available to eject violators, in turn that user would be responsible for room content and subject to any reprecussion resulting from said illegal activities
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|tannman1: That's exactly what they said they will be doing, but until they have the tools available to do that, they're shutting it down. Didn't you read the article?
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|Uhh this happens on every chat network, especially the unmonitored ones. It's impossible for the investing companies ot NOT know what happens in the chat rooms.
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|Wow, that's--unfortunate.
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|just go into the "yahoo" created rooms, and there are PLENTY of FREE-willing underaged girls "showing" on cams...and yes, it's not the pedophiles asking..it's there own horny endevours.
This is the truth..sad but yes, underaged girls are OBSESSED with sex and showing there bodys ;)
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|Have an URL? ;)
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