Recently a 13 year-old girl committed suicide by hanging herself after a so-called MySpace friend said he did not want to be her friend anymore after he heard she was mean to her friends. But it turns out the boy who was her “so-called” myspace friend was in actuality a made up character that another neighborhood Mom created.

WHi is responsible? the mother? MySpace? the mother of the 13 yo who knowlingly allowed her daughter to have a MySpace page even though she was aware kids are supposed to be 14? Hmmm, I’m definitely watching this one in the news.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,312018,00.html

View a CNN report from one of their news shows:

Here’s another one.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21844203/

I discussing in recent weeks the ease of downloading songs from P2P file sharing sites, other discussions have been stirred up in the library, and one that keeps coming up is students who have a MySpace page AND that some of these same students have posted to their MySPace page their favorite songs as background music.

Most middle school students are b/w the ages 11-13.  Yes, there are a few a little younger and a few a little older than this age range, but the vast majority hit the age range 11-13 exactly.

I feel the need to clue you in on some rules that I feel are flagrantly being broken by many of our students–and seek to enlighten them.  So please pay attention.

According to the “Terms and Agreements” of the end user license agreement that you click to be granted webspace on MySpace, most of you seem to be breaking Rule #1, which says you must be 14 years old.  Rule #2 has to do with posting copyrighted materials (like songs) to your page.

I won’t try to tell you, but rather let you read this for your self.  Just incase it’s blocked at school, I have pictures below too. Be sure to visit away from school if you want to read the entire contents.

I’m not going to report anyone–but rather just ask you to “do the right thing–make good choices.” If you have a page on this social networking site, you are not adhering to the guidelines set forth to be a user.

Okay–now I’ll get off my soapbox.

Your teacher-librarian, Mrs. Nelson

What do you think CMS?

Illegal downloader ordered to pay 222K

Yes that is the headline! I saw it 2 Saturdays ago in my Saturday paper. You see on October 4th, a Minnesota resident was convicted of illegal file sharing (of copyrighted music) and ordered to pay a whopping $222,000 in penalties and fine.  She is a single mother raising 2 middle school-aged children, and beginning now, one fourth of her paycheck each month will be skimmed off to pay for her crime.  Read the whole article here.

Tell me how that makes you feel?  Do you agree or disagree? Does the crime fit the punishment? I want to know what YOU–CMS  thinks!

Image: ‘Courtroom One Gavel‘
www.flickr.com/photos/63126465@N00/117048243