And here we go again ...A local Fox News affiliate in Milwaukee, WI is showing parents the "dangers" of the Nintendo DS Pictochat. Of course, their arguments explaining the dangers of the handheld lack any kind of credible backing. See, they explain that you can communicate, via Pictochat, with another DS over "long distances," stating that due to the lack of advertising for this feature, parents should be worried about molesters contacting their children over the DS.
Honestly, if that's going to happen, they have to be relatively close, like say in your neighborhood. Now, if a convicted child molester lives in your neighborhood, you're going to know about it. Also, if their is someone planning an evil deed of that nature, they're going to find a different way other than using a DS. Not only does the recipient of the message have to be in Pictochat (which I'm sure a child is rarely going to be in, they want to play games!), they have to be within wireless range.
How does the reporter prove that horrible things can happen? He uses the Pictochat feature with two children. While they're upstairs in their room, he sits downstairs. We won't even bother going into the ridiculous "proof" THAT provides. After that, he goes to a shopping mall and attempts to debunk Nintendo's documented 65 feet range for wireless communication. Of course, he is successful in sending messages up to 300 feet, but what does that prove? Following his logic, even in that range a predator is going to have to be within somewhat close proximity, with their DS in Pictochat constantly looking for children (the odds of a predator finding someone are also insanely slim). This guy makes it sound like there are a roving pack of molesters going from town to town, trying to find children in Pictochat so he/she can get addresses. Get real, guy!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
2-08-2007 @ 2:00PM
ssuk said...
Fox news knowing their stuff? That'll be the day.
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2-08-2007 @ 2:03PM
superpixel said...
WOW! thanks buddy, you just gave predators a new tool! ;)
yeah, all we need to do now is keep an eye out for creepy guys hanging around Gymboree with their DS held up, scanning around and tapping on the screen... "No signs of molestable life, captain"
this guy realizes that a criminal can pick locks too, right? and see through windows? and drive around neighborhoods? oh no! lock up your children!
*sigh*
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2-08-2007 @ 2:06PM
Plant.mt said...
That pink ds lite suits him.
What an idiot.
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2-08-2007 @ 2:57PM
Stephan said...
To Fox news guy: Dude, just kill yourself. Seriously. Just do it, and save yourself the series of embarrassments that you call your life. You're clearly not suited for life. Therefore, just kill yourself.
Thank you, and god bless America
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2-08-2007 @ 3:31PM
RDX said...
I'm only about a minute in and I'm already disgusted. How can this douche be so ignorant? Plus, I loved it when he said "gaming gurus" and then cut to Reggie. As if he isn't going to say the DS is going to kickass.
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2-08-2007 @ 3:50PM
Richie said...
This is my local Fox station... I'd just like to apologize collectively for the entire southeastern Wisconsin region.
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2-08-2007 @ 4:10PM
Graham said...
ugh! can't they just do research first? or even test the product?! I was outside my girlfriends house once in my car on the side of the street. Now just think of your house, and the curb on the sidewalk. We tried playing a game of clubhouse games (lol picto chat included lololl) and we connected, but it was a baaaaaaaaad connection. Infact it just died after about 1 min of being in the game. Now that distance is not far at all.
The way I see a predator EVER trying to get children in the same room is quite hilarious.
Picture this:
A man sees a kid with a ds
He then pulls out his...
He goes into picto chat, frustrated to find NO ONES IN THERE (im hardly ever using it)
he goes up to the kid, "Hey ....can you join me in a round of picto chat?!"
He goes back to his seat
The kid joins
The man smiles.
THATS THE ONLY WAY IT WOULD EVER WORK OUT!!! Imagine wifi games with your friends, THATS HOW IT WORKS WITH NINTENDO! "DUDE WHATS YOUR FRIEND CODE? UH HUH! OK! SWEET! HERES MINE! OK NOW JOIN THE GAME IN 3....2......1.! ALRIGHT......I dont see you.....nope....not yet......OH THERE WE GO!! HURRAY!!!!"
ugh....this just grinds my gears
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2-08-2007 @ 5:28PM
maximilianous said...
This is also my local channel, and it's news is crapola. However, I do watch it because it was a great warm up to Geraldo at Large.
Usually i watch PBS
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2-08-2007 @ 6:03PM
chris said...
this is also my local station, sorry guys, at least most of us here are quick to apologize :P......
They are doing a whole series this month on things going badly, they are planning on talking about big city drugs like "smack" are in our small towns, and a "new" kind of "super dope" is putting people in danger around here. Sure to be a retarded month.
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2-08-2007 @ 8:34PM
atsui said...
It's no wonder since it's foxnews. They are big on selling fear and bull shit
"great warm up to Geraldo at Large."
Wow, watch the daily show. They had a skit about him, and that guy cried like a baby in a pre written script with billo. Went off trying to say only loosers watch CC and it was pretty funny what the daily show had to say about the whole situation, funny as hell.
Yes, this guy should die.
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2-08-2007 @ 11:36PM
Konosuke said...
This is why i never watch the news anymore and trust it from those close to me who knows whats really going on.
Its obvious this guy doesnt know crap. Seriously, he needs to just go crawl in a hole and die. Even if he was FORCED into this report, he should go crawl into and die.
Hopefully, the media will one day be reformed from the ratings hungry corps it is now to something better =/
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2-08-2007 @ 11:39PM
bishless said...
I actually just finished giving them 'feedback' via their online form.
What a crock. Their next story: "Bathroom Stall Walls Attractive to Molesters"
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2-09-2007 @ 12:14AM
sgtpoliteness said...
please email the reporter with your thoughts:
brad.hicks@foxtv.com
...I too apologize on behalf of the entire Metro Milwaukee region.
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2-09-2007 @ 12:38AM
Michael said...
to all of you who think the reporter should die, all of you are stupid. sure it was an incredibly dumb thing to report, but it probably wasn't even his own reporting to begin with. he was probably just reading stuff some other reporter wrote. it is quite harsh you people saying he should die. and another thing, at least fox news reports about dangers to children and society (DS is a good thing in society) unlike abc or nbc constantly condemning the military and attacking good people.
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2-09-2007 @ 8:58AM
atsui said...
Why are you defending fox? It is well known by colleges, the daily show(easy target for them), other networks, people who are smart enough to think for themselves that fox is biased.
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2-09-2007 @ 11:04AM
Aden_Nak said...
Here's the thing. They didn't care if it was real. They didn't care if it was even plausible. All they cared about was filling a few minutes of airtime with a "danger in your neighborhood" story. It's not journalism. It's not even local news. It's bullshit.
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2-09-2007 @ 11:43AM
Ken Seang said...
You know this is going to suck if your an older person in his 30's or 40's playing a DS in the mall casually then all of a sudden get arrested by the the mall cops... Also this is FOX news, do they ever have anything real...
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2-09-2007 @ 6:36PM
Apollo said...
If anything at all, I think the guy just gave a bunch of molesters a reason to purchase a DS unit. =/
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2-13-2007 @ 10:28PM
Dustin said...
I can see how this went down in fox HQ.
"JOHNSON! we have nothing to report tonight to freak the ever loving shit out of the mindless drones who actually depend on up for news!!"
"Oh SHI-... Malaria?"
"already done"
"Ebola virus from tofu? bout time we gave something for them vegans to shit their pants about"
"Nah... we will save that for later.... good thinking!"
"Ummm... how bout...."
At this point an intern playing the nintendo ds walks by.
"HEY! isnt that the thing where kids can download porn? why not run that story again!"
"Yeah! hey intern gimme yer PSP!"
"uh... its a nintendo DS. not a psp"
"A What? can it download porn???"
"well... no (do not mention web browser... do not mention web browser...)"
"Can you talk to other people on it??"
"well... yeah but you gotta be like.. in my general area."
"PERFECT! Its a molestor magnet!!! Stop the presses!!! DS! Pedofile Haven!"
Intern looks at them like the tools they are, shakes his head and walks away.
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2-19-2007 @ 10:22PM
Dev said...
You know, as mentioned before, to use pictochat, you hve to be in within 65 feet, which means that posibly, a preditor could pictochat your kids in your house, only if they have your address first, and are standing right at your curb, and if that happens, (a) why would they even talk to your kids? and (b) if they already have the address of your kids who have DSs, pictochat shouldn't even be on your radar of problems.
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