Wed Oct 13, 2004 4:59 pm
The whole "gambling is evil' thing goes a bit to far when they're cracking don on fake games to earn fake money to feed fake paets in cyberspace. Changed my nationality from Aussie to US (changed it to AUssie to see if I could get the promotionitems again) and am glad to play bilge dice again. I'm 27. Why should I not gamble for fun? If theya re so worried about it, scratch the games for those under 13.
What appropriate safegaurds would a virtual site need to take?
My opinion?
stupidity!
"(The website is) luring young people into gambling without . . . appropriate education and appropriate safeguards
What appropriate safegaurds would a virtual site need to take?
My opinion?
stupidity!
Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:00 pm
autechre wrote: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.
But of course!
Must keep their priorities straight you know
Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:24 pm
I can almost imagine how the Australian press will take it when loyal Neopets fans start signing petitions and sending in complaint letters. The following hypothetical news article is totally fictitious:
I am fully on the side of the Neopets players, in case you didn't know. This post is pure sarcasm.
Outraged Neopets Fans Strike Back!
After discovering that they have been banned from playing "luck-chance" games on Neopets, enraged Australian Neopets players send in inflammatory letters, pointing out that the gambling aspects of the sites are "educational" and should be unbanned.
One Neopets player claimed that she did not develop an addiction to gambling due to the "luck-chance" games on the site, yet was upset enough to write in a long letter asking the press to retract their "flawed" comments and reopen the gambling games to everyone.
Another Neopets player got many Australian players to sign an online petition so that they could have their gambling games resumed.
This goes to show how deep-rooted the obsession of Neopets is in the players, and how much influence the site can exert on undiscerning youngsters. We believe, more firmly than ever, that Neopets is a powerful negative influence towards players, and can seriously affect the mindsets of innocent children.
I am fully on the side of the Neopets players, in case you didn't know. This post is pure sarcasm.
Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:28 pm
*cracks up* Very nice, Qanda You should take up journalism as a career.
There are posts in the Neopianrants community, for those of you who are members. They're set to members-only security level, but anyone is able to join.
http://www.livejournal.com/community/ne ... 41766.html
http://www.livejournal.com/community/ne ... 41512.html
A note of warning: There are a couple of profanities there. Click at your own risk
You should take up journalism as a career.
There are posts in the Neopianrants community, for those of you who are members. They're set to members-only security level, but anyone is able to join.
http://www.livejournal.com/community/ne ... 41766.html
http://www.livejournal.com/community/ne ... 41512.html
A note of warning: There are a couple of profanities there. Click at your own risk
Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:36 pm
Qanda wrote:I can almost imagine how the Australian press will take it when loyal Neopets fans start signing petitions and sending in complaint letters. The following hypothetical news article is totally fictitious:Outraged Neopets Fans Strike Back!
After discovering that they have been banned from playing "luck-chance" games on Neopets, enraged Australian Neopets players send in inflammatory letters, pointing out that the gambling aspects of the sites are "educational" and should be unbanned.
One Neopets player claimed that she did not develop an addiction to gambling due to the "luck-chance" games on the site, yet was upset enough to write in a long letter asking the press to retract their "flawed" comments and reopen the gambling games to everyone.
Another Neopets player got many Australian players to sign an online petition so that they could have their gambling games resumed.
This goes to show how deep-rooted the obsession of Neopets is in the players, and how much influence the site can exert on undiscerning youngsters. We believe, more firmly than ever, that Neopets is a powerful negative influence towards players, and can seriously affect the mindsets of innocent children.
I am fully on the side of the Neopets players, in case you didn't know. This post is pure sarcasm.
*tuts* Silly, they'd spell Neopets wrong y'know!
Like Meopets. Or Neoprts. Or NeiPey.
Or IsmEll.
Wed Oct 13, 2004 5:57 pm
Heck, you could probably call Pokemon Cards gambling, but even kids that were like, 7, played with those.
How?
Anyways, call me a stupid, dumb, weird idiot, but I kind of agree with those people. Sure, its a game.. but gambling is gambling in my honest opinion. I wouldn't mind one bit if they got rid of those kind of games, or atleast put an age restriction on them. (Like you can't play them untill you are over 15)
Wed Oct 13, 2004 6:02 pm
Kitten Medli wrote:Heck, you could probably call Pokemon Cards gambling, but even kids that were like, 7, played with those.
How?
Well, when you play for keeps you're gambling your card and if you win you get the other, and if you lose you lose it. And some -really- super-nitpicky people could interpret this as gambling
Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:04 pm
I think this all boils down to some good old fashioned over reacting.
Where are the parents? If they don't want to have their children playing those games...then they shouldn't be playing them. Why? Because the parents should be monitoring their activity.
I find it intresting that pixels and fake money is making this much of an uproar. My dorm room is open if any Aussies need to make an escape to the US
Where are the parents? If they don't want to have their children playing those games...then they shouldn't be playing them. Why? Because the parents should be monitoring their activity.
I find it intresting that pixels and fake money is making this much of an uproar. My dorm room is open if any Aussies need to make an escape to the US
Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:22 pm
meowth1982 wrote:I find it intresting that pixels and fake money is making this much of an uproar. My dorm room is open if any Aussies need to make an escape to the US
Yeah, I have already offered my couch to several PPTers. We'll have a big Neopets-inspired gambling party.
lol
I wonder what all the responses are going to do, though. I mean, the well-spoken, educated responses are very appreciated, but how many will they receive in chatspeak from irrate neoboarders? Not to offend anyone, but something to think about before you write to them. Make sure you sound professional/adult.
I also wonder how long it is going to be before we start to hear a response from the media or if we'll hear one at all. Things like this have a way of being pushed under the carpet if someone is proved wrong.
Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:27 pm
IMO, the australian media over-react about a LOT of stuff, i mean ask my bro, he wrote one letter to the editorial of a newspaper and it ended up on a national tv program.
i've been playing neopets for 40 months, so since i was 16, and none of the gambling games have influenced me in anyway, to be honest, i have learnt more 'gambling games' by playing cards with my parents/family etc.
It's the same as marbles, and i bet no1 was in out cry in the victorian times when their kids lost all their marbles and accused them of being addicted to gambling.
The whole concept of neopets encouraging gambling is stupid. however, i do see a point in restricting the gambling games to younger players, but then where would you stop? that would essentially rule out 1/3 of the games on neopets, as well as the tombola and fruitmachine etc (even though you dont have to pay for them).
If parents are worried, they should ask/tell their kids to only play on the action/puzzle games, or whatever. as everyone else has said already, it's up to the parents to monitor what they're kids are doing.
(apologies for not really making much sence, i'm soooo tired!)
i've been playing neopets for 40 months, so since i was 16, and none of the gambling games have influenced me in anyway, to be honest, i have learnt more 'gambling games' by playing cards with my parents/family etc.
jellyoflight wrote:Kitten Medli wrote:Heck, you could probably call Pokemon Cards gambling, but even kids that were like, 7, played with those.
How?
Well, when you play for keeps you're gambling your card and if you win you get the other, and if you lose you lose it. And some -really- super-nitpicky people could interpret this as gambling
It's the same as marbles, and i bet no1 was in out cry in the victorian times when their kids lost all their marbles and accused them of being addicted to gambling.
The whole concept of neopets encouraging gambling is stupid. however, i do see a point in restricting the gambling games to younger players, but then where would you stop? that would essentially rule out 1/3 of the games on neopets, as well as the tombola and fruitmachine etc (even though you dont have to pay for them).
If parents are worried, they should ask/tell their kids to only play on the action/puzzle games, or whatever. as everyone else has said already, it's up to the parents to monitor what they're kids are doing.
(apologies for not really making much sence, i'm soooo tired!)
Wed Oct 13, 2004 7:48 pm
Oh no, there is a pirate paint brush, Neopets is teaching kids to become pirates, some of the worst people humanity has ever known! Oh no, there is a ghost paint brush, neopets is teaching kids about ghosts, someone might kill themselves! There is a christmas paint brush and a halloween paint brush, I guess that means they are teaching our kids religion too! Neopets teaches kids animal cruelty, as they might try to get their real pets to fight one another, or they might put make up on their cat and pretend it is an aisha! Neopets teaches kids that you can steal things and it is ok as long as you don't get caught (by the snowager). I mean, if you want to nit pick, I guess you could come up with thousands of nit picky things that neopets may or may not teach your kids while you are too lazy to monitor what they are doing online.
Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:06 pm
Gee, that argument is a whole pot of dung. No one is forcing those kids to play those games, in my opinion it was unneeded, they are there for fun, and lets keep it that way.
more to say
Wed Oct 13, 2004 8:54 pm
Does this remind anybody of that big Harry Potter *blarg* where (a certain type of) people, who had never read the book, was quoting an article about how BAD the books were for children. Turns out that the article quoted was a satirical piece written by the wonderful on-line news source, The Onion? They looked like Muggles.
I could SO see this being a result of a moog reading a satired piece of literature and agree with it at face value.
Some people just can't take a joke.
BTW - Qanda's "Outraged Neopets Fans Strike Back! " Is a real GEM! OUTRAGEOUS!
EDIT: How can they say that the game encourages gambling without any consequesnces then say that if you lose, your pets have to go to the virtual soup kitchen? Logic .. escapes .. me
I could SO see this being a result of a moog reading a satired piece of literature and agree with it at face value.
Some people just can't take a joke.
BTW - Qanda's "Outraged Neopets Fans Strike Back! " Is a real GEM! OUTRAGEOUS!
EDIT: How can they say that the game encourages gambling without any consequesnces then say that if you lose, your pets have to go to the virtual soup kitchen? Logic .. escapes .. me
Wed Oct 13, 2004 9:08 pm
Well, I'm also going to be writing to today tonight, the herald, the 'no pokies' MP and the mother from that story (care of TT) about this, because it's simply outrageous.
The mother especially... No, it won't be hatemail. It will be nice and polite and asking her to get her facts straight. It's ignorant people like that smurfing stuff up for the rest of us that I hate. Really, Really hate.
Come on Australia! Let's revolt against these Media hounds in force and get them to take back the idioticd things they've said!
Edit: They've blocked Grumpy King too. This is getting more and more rediculous.
The mother especially... No, it won't be hatemail. It will be nice and polite and asking her to get her facts straight. It's ignorant people like that smurfing stuff up for the rest of us that I hate. Really, Really hate.
Come on Australia! Let's revolt against these Media hounds in force and get them to take back the idioticd things they've said!
Edit: They've blocked Grumpy King too. This is getting more and more rediculous.
Last edited by Ledi on Wed Oct 13, 2004 9:20 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Wed Oct 13, 2004 9:17 pm
I feel sorry for the Aussie people..
[rant]
The media is just making this into a big deal because of a few parents are annoyed that THEY let their kid go on a website that has them gabling with virtual points. The parents need to do a better job monitering their kids, then. I'm 12, and a Neopets user for 30 months.. I don't even care about games like poker. The thing that would be considered gambling that I play is Cheat, and that was only for the trophy.
I hate those articles that are incorrect. If they have to publish something like that, get an adult to look at it. Not using infomation that you got from a 9 year old. You don't have to gamble to get Neopoints. You can play other games, the stocks, and there are tons more.
Neopets has helped me alot, prolly that and a game online called Furcadia have helped me with grammer, HTML, logic, typing skills, spelling, computer skills, reading, and even helped me with things like learning about the Stockmarket.
You are betting with FAKE money. It does not turn you into a betting addict.. If anything it helps you learn to manage money better, and even not bet and gamble addictivly when you are older.
[/rant]
[rant]
The media is just making this into a big deal because of a few parents are annoyed that THEY let their kid go on a website that has them gabling with virtual points. The parents need to do a better job monitering their kids, then. I'm 12, and a Neopets user for 30 months.. I don't even care about games like poker. The thing that would be considered gambling that I play is Cheat, and that was only for the trophy.
I hate those articles that are incorrect. If they have to publish something like that, get an adult to look at it. Not using infomation that you got from a 9 year old. You don't have to gamble to get Neopoints. You can play other games, the stocks, and there are tons more.
Neopets has helped me alot, prolly that and a game online called Furcadia have helped me with grammer, HTML, logic, typing skills, spelling, computer skills, reading, and even helped me with things like learning about the Stockmarket.
You are betting with FAKE money. It does not turn you into a betting addict.. If anything it helps you learn to manage money better, and even not bet and gamble addictivly when you are older.
[/rant]