Did You Know? Pedophiles Love MySpace!

If you've been watching the news over the past several months, then you know that sexual predators use MySpace to target kids online. While there's no way to completely eliminate your children's access to this nefarious website, there are steps you can take to make it hard to access.

In addition to the Parental Controls in Windows Vista, which allow you to block access to certain websites, there's another way in Windows XP. There is a text file buried in your Windows XP files that you can use to block access to certain websites. It is called the HOSTS file. Go to Start, Run, type the following, and press the Enter key.

notepad C:\windows\system32\drivers\etc\hosts

The HOSTS file will open in Notepad. One line will say 127.0.0.1 localhost. That is your machine. The addresses for MySpace servers can be entered in HOSTS, thus blocking access to MySpace. Here are some (perhaps not all) MySpace servers. There must be at least one space between the number and name:

127.0.0.1 myspace.com
127.0.0.1 www.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 addressbook.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 blog.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 browseusers.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 bulletin.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 collect.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 events.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 favorites.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 forum.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 groups.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 home.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 invite.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 mail.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 music.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 musicsearch.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 profile.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 profiles.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 search.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 signup.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 topartists.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 vids.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 videos.myspace.com
127.0.0.1 viewmorepics.myspace.com

Be aware, however, that kids determined to get onto MySpace will use the Internet and any friends who are hackers to circumvent the measures you take. Therefore, in addition to using all available technology to block your children's access to MySpace, you should discuss the dangers of using MySpace, and especially of posting personal information anywhere online. Try to eliminate the desire to get on MySpace before they start looking for ways to circumvent your technological safeguards.