Comments on: It's Justice Time!

It's Justice Time!

eatitlive — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 09:51:58 -0800

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).

By: soyjoy

soyjoy — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 10:08:31 -0800

That statue of justice on the front page looks awwwwfully risque to me. I'm gettin' hot just lookin' at her.

By: VulcanMike

VulcanMike — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 10:15:31 -0800

sadly, i echo soyjoy's sentiment. well, the first part.

By: haqspan

haqspan — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 10:33:02 -0800

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.)

By: solistrato

solistrato — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 10:48:13 -0800

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".

By: eatitlive

eatitlive — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 11:51:29 -0800

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?

By: hattifattener

hattifattener — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 12:16:27 -0800

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.

By: Ogre Lawless

Ogre Lawless — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 12:28:04 -0800

"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.

By: ollybee

ollybee — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 14:21:01 -0800

Drugs dogs.. Are the dogs not hooked on the drugs they sniff out? thats what makes them want to find them.

By: charlesv

charlesv — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 14:51:30 -0800

Say, Axel, I can get you a nice job in a Korean restaurant....

By: rhyax

rhyax — Tue, 25 Feb 2003 18:13:33 -0800

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.

By: rough ashlar

rough ashlar — Wed, 26 Feb 2003 14:57:23 -0800

I liked how justice is no longer blind. Wow, isn't the internet a great way to educate ppl how things REALLY are?