Australian Users -- Problem with Neopets

Alex · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:13 am

Clearly, it was a slow news week, if they had to resort to attacking an American children's site.

The problem with age restrictions is there's always a way to get around it. TNT has no possible way of determining that the users are the age they say they are, so it's hard to regulate.

On the matter of the letter, SL has recommended I add in this link: http://pinkpt.com/index.php?page=sub_neopetslessons - I'm going to shove it in the letter somewhere

Jasujo · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:17 am

What gets me is that these parents have a problem playing these games which are at carnivals and taught to children when they are young (the card games) because of a reason that the children *might* abuse gambling when they are older. They have no problem with their children eating the greasy McD's fast food to begin with, though. -.-

Medusa · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:22 am

hallucinating wrote:

trying to make the 'scandal' into something huge

You know, thinking about it now it is indeed turned into a "scandal" especially when you look at the Neoboards and how every man and his dog are running off to complain. I'm just concerned about the fact that some of the more logical and fair arguments against the story are going to be buried amongst a whole tonne of rubbish like "It's totally unfair and the kid that said all the stuff is an idiot!". I mean yes, in essence, that's what all the complaints are saying but it can be put a lot more professionally so that it doesn't sound like they've had a load of reports from 5 year olds.

Shellie · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:29 am

heres the link to the petition guys!!!

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/16389neo/petition.html

Jasujo · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:41 am

You might want to sign the petition with your full names as well as your State, Australia for location. If you want the petition to be seriously looked at, it needs to be signed seriously. (Not that I'm saying you aren't, but you know what I mean.)

CrewWolf · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:42 am

Well apparently Australians can't play Fruit Machine or Tombola or who knows what else. Of course there's the simple solution of changing your country to Antarctica...but I'm not suggesting anything

Medusa · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 10:51 am

Hmmm... I watched it aired in Perth, I sent it to Alex but I though some others might make use of it even though the television was not much different to the articles.

Quote:

Turns out the segment of Today Tonight was pretty much the same as the article that goes along with it, in fact a number of the quotes are exactly the same. I took some brief notes though mostly about what the boy's mother said, here they are, anything in brackets is to help with the context:

I do not wish for him to know how to gamble.
("him" is her son of course)

Were they so desperate for ideas?
(Were they so desperate that they had to resort of gambling?)

The one from earlier:

Automatically go to the orphanage.

Some specialist mentioned something about children not being critical enough to understand gambling.

Its not a "Health hazard but a wealth hazard"

McDonalds is failing to act in the best interests of children
(I assume you can infer its a stab at TNT too)

There was also a question at the end of the episode that was something along the lines of is:

McDonalds as informed as we now are?

(I bring that up because obviously they aren't as informed as what they think they are).

Jasujo · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:00 am

"Some specialist mentioned something about children not being critical enough to understand gambling. "

Seriously, do you know what I'm going to do when Morgan (almost 7) and Jasmine (5 1/2) come home from school today? I am going to have a little talk with them explaining gambling and see what comes of it. I really hate these statements saying children are stupid. What are wrong with these children they are interviewing or whatever?

smudgeoffudge · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:54 am

A guy walks into a bar. He turns to his friend and says "I just turned twenty one. I can't wait to start gambling. You know, I've been waiting for this for so long. I just know I'll be good at this, I played neopets!"

Seriously, if someone actually does this, they need help.....
and parents who think their children are going to turn out like this need help too. They don't have very high hopes for their children do they?

Alex · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 11:57 am

Actually, it's 18 in Australia.

I sent off the email to Today Tonight, and I'm debating whether or not to write one to the Herald Sun as well. If I do, I'll probably end up sending it tomorrow though.

smudgeoffudge · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:08 pm

Well they need to change the gambling age to twenty one then. I think eighteen is too young. And why not just outlaw gambling if you have a problem with it? Why waste your time, money, and energy fighting about pixels when you can take on what is really bothering you. I mean, if gambling is the problem, why take on a simulation of it?

autechre · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:31 pm

hallucinating wrote:

I'm pretty sure they've taken down all the betting games temporarily, until they can put the age restriction on them. They'll be back eventually.

Though I agree that the Australian media is jumping on this bandwagon and trying to make the 'scandal' into something huge. Which is unnecessary. Perhaps they had nothing better to write about.

yeh it was. the only thing to get more publicity was deltas goodrems new underwear range.

my letter is a bit more scathing... its 5 pages handwritten :oops:

and.. in wa the drinking age is 18, same for ciggarettes. however you can drive half a tonne of metal around at the lovely age of 16 :roll:

and get married o_O

x-eevee · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:33 pm

I think I shall move away... after the elections, and this, I don't really want to be an Australian any more.

*off topic*

I haven't posted in ages... and I tried to then just to find out my account was gone.. poor me

Shifty · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:35 pm

The beggining of the article sounded like they were trying to make neopets sound good ..
Anyway, I think they have a point... Neo should make it so, what ever age you regester with, it determines if you can play the luck games...

Mistykal · **Posted:** Wed Oct 13, 2004 12:42 pm

Wow, this is pretty outrageous.. I just don't understand why people have to look for little flaws in everything. Neopets is a large comunity and yes, it has some gambeling games, but it's not the real thing. There is a lot of difference between real life gambeling and computer gambeling, that's not even for real money.. I don't think the kids that gamble on Neopets, really now what it's all about in the real life, the just think it's a fun game on the computer. I dont think they would remeber how when they were 10 they played on the computer a gambeling game, and got addicted to it and had to gamble on real money, that's just putting things out of proportion. If they really had to take the gambeling games off the site, they should have restricted it only for 8 and under or even 9 to 12.

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