www.bebo.com

[David G]

Hi,
Can anyone give me an information or references to this 'social engineering' website....good or bad?

My 13 year old daughter and all her mates seem to be raving about it, but we are concerned about who they might all get involved with as they seem to want to do a lot of information sharing.

Thanks in advance.

David.

[Eoin]

There has been a small amount of negative press about this site, as you can say and upload almost anything. Its mainly aimed at school/college level, but I know a lot of people with accounts on it and they are neither! If you do allow your kid on the site I would monitor it, as with all website useage (wherever possible of course)...
Not allowing my son near it...but he's only 5 months old!

[PW1664]

My 14 year old has been using this site on and off for a couple of years. Despite trying to encourage her to keep off it seems addictive.

The crap that gets sent, the groups they seem to mix with is in my oppinion not healthy. I'd noticed lads much older (late teens and twenty's making contact)

Anyway, cut a long story short, she's banned from Bebo and the site is locked out in the firewall software...

[Ding Dang Doo]

Don't think it's just bebo... I saw a message to my 13 year old the other day with the f-word in it (this was on MSMessenger)... not meant in sexual context (well, not quite) but just kids thinking they are clever.

Monitor as much as you can... I don't think you can stop totally things like this, because if you try to, they'll just find another way of getting online... I've just made it known to my daughter, that I can and will at any time I choose, with her there, access her accounts... maybe the human rights lot will get on their high horse about it - but I'm protecting my daughter.

Pete

[Sean]

bebo is a sight that kiddy fiddlers use to contact teenagers I am in information security and meet every quarter with lots of others in info security including the police, My son is banned from only 2 sites bebo and myspace I of course vet the porn sites Please do not let your kids have access to this sight unless you are 100% sure what gets posted on them. if they want to talk to their mates do what I have done he uses a web cam and Skype

Sean

[Jules]

I have found that the best way to monitor kids Pc usage is to have the PC in the living room so you can keep an eye on what they are doing. Also talking to them about the issues help them to be self policing. I would rather they grew up exercising judgement about their own activities than just ban sites outright.

Having said that I haven't seen or heard of this bebo site. Mine mostly use myspace to network with teenagers in other bands and it all looks pretty healthy to me.

[Sean]

Originally Posted by Jules

I have found that the best way to monitor kids Pc usage is to have the PC in the living room so you can keep an eye on what they are doing. Also talking to them about the issues help them to be self policing. I would rather they grew up exercising judgement about their own activities than just ban sites outright.

Having said that I haven't seen or heard of this bebo site. Mine mostly use myspace to network with teenagers in other bands and it all looks pretty healthy to me.

It may look healthy to you thats how these people work on kids, they are not stupid it's called grooming. they register themselves on these sites as kids with complete profiles photos the works, there are cases where some kids have been groomed for over a year. However I agree self policing is good and the fact that your PC is in the front room, god forbid anything to happen but can you state 100% you know who your kids are talking to.
I work in this area and consider myself to be very liberal but as I've stated my home network has only 2 sites banned and thats bebo and myspace, just be aware that all that glimmers is not gold

Sean