It's Justice Time!

February 25, 2003 9:51 AM

Know what time it is, Kidz? It's U.S. Department of Justice Time!

On today's show, we'll learn why Hacking is REAL BAD, and give you a chance to find out if you are a good cybercitizen. Next, we'll meet Axel, the talking drug dog, and his friends the Bomb Dog Bunch! Then, we'll check in on the ATF, for some cool science fair ideas.

And finally, just for you kids with crooks or international terrorists for parents, here's a nifty PDF coloring book (Native American version also available).
posted by eatitlive (11 comments total)

That statue of justice on the front page looks awwwwfully risque to me. I'm gettin' hot just lookin' at her.
posted by soyjoy at 10:08 AM on February 25, 2003

sadly, i echo soyjoy's sentiment. well, the first part.
posted by VulcanMike at 10:15 AM on February 25, 2003

The link about the kids getting in trouble seems perfectly reasonable. Anyone dumb enough to reboot the phone company's servers, without knowing what that might do, deserves to have the Secret Service come pay them a visit. (According to the link, it made communication difficult for the area air traffic controlers.)
posted by haqspan at 10:33 AM on February 25, 2003

Some kids think they can't get into trouble for hacking computer systems and that hacking big networks like the phone company, the military, or NASA is harmless fun.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO PLAY A NICE GAME OF CHESS?

No. Run "Global Thermonuclear War".
posted by solistrato at 10:48 AM on February 25, 2003

The link about the kids getting in trouble seems perfectly reasonable.

And I suppose it is reasonable to warn kids of the legal consequences of hacking. But I question the effectiveness. The anti-hacking link, in particular, is very reminiscent of the "Just Say No" campaign from my own youth. In my experience, these sort of federal education programs, intended for a K-5 audience (5- to 12-year-olds), create as much confusion and doubt as they do good citizenship practices.

Aren't they painting a picture of a world where the consequences of hacking are nothing but scary and disastrous? How will children react when they discover that's not quite true?
posted by eatitlive at 11:51 AM on February 25, 2003

Actually, I thought that the anti-hacking page was surprisingly well-balanced. It wasn't saying "don't hack" so much as it was saying "don't break stuff". Which is actually the ethos of most skilled hackers anyway.

As kids grow up, after age 6 or 7 or so, they'll discover that everybody has the power to wreak havoc. Anybody can throw a rock through a window, deploy a rootkit, or (a favorite of hoodlums in the rural neighborhood of my youth) throw chains across the power substation's busbars. The trick to having a workable society is raising people who realize that although they can do these things, they don't want to. And not just because they think they'll get caught, but because they understand the effects of their actions.
posted by hattifattener at 12:16 PM on February 25, 2003

"An Activity Book For Children Going To Federal Or Tribal Court" is just plain spooky. Especially when run side-by-side with the "normal" one.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 12:28 PM on February 25, 2003

Drugs dogs.. Are the dogs not hooked on the drugs they sniff out? thats what makes them want to find them.
posted by ollybee at 2:21 PM on February 25, 2003

Say, Axel, I can get you a nice job in a Korean restaurant....
posted by charlesv at 2:51 PM on February 25, 2003

Holy crap, that "good cybercitizen" page is horrible, I think that's a powerpoint graphic, comic sans... star background. At least they are saving tax dollars.
posted by rhyax at 6:13 PM on February 25, 2003

I liked how justice is no longer blind.

Wow, isn't the internet a great way to educate ppl how things REALLY are?
posted by rough ashlar at 2:57 PM on February 26, 2003