For the Children (#279)

Groups such as the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children are cheering MSN's decision to shut down free and anonymous chat rooms, which are sometimes used by pedophiles or child pornographers looking for prey.

Far be it from me to suggest it's not great to make thigns harder for scumbags, but isn't this like closing down a public park because flashers or muggers sometimes go there? Maybe parents are eager enough for an online service with that feature that it'll prove a good business decision, and certainly "kid safe" online spaces are a fine idea. But isn't it maybe a better idea in the long run to just teach your kids not to meet up with sketchy people they encounter in chat rooms?