Comments on: The Byron Review http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/ Protecting your rights in the digital age Wed, 23 Jul 2008 16:04:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3 By: Becky Hogge http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-207 Becky Hogge Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:28:23 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-207 I raised this with Tanya Byron when I met her at the beginning of the month. From our discussions I concluded that she used it as shorthand for "the risks you have identified". IE - the risks you have identified may be real, or they not be, potentially they are risks, potentially they are not. You may think that your child is at risk from being swallowed inside the computer and teleported to another dimension where children are put to work as slaves (my example, not hers). Therefore, of these things you have identified that are potentially risks, how do you manage them? I'm not sure if this totally dismisses the problems others have identified in the comments (ie leading language), but it certainly made things clearer for me. I raised this with Tanya Byron when I met her at the beginning of the month. From our discussions I concluded that she used it as shorthand for “the risks you have identified”. IE - the risks you have identified may be real, or they not be, potentially they are risks, potentially they are not. You may think that your child is at risk from being swallowed inside the computer and teleported to another dimension where children are put to work as slaves (my example, not hers). Therefore, of these things you have identified that are potentially risks, how do you manage them?

I’m not sure if this totally dismisses the problems others have identified in the comments (ie leading language), but it certainly made things clearer for me.

]]> By: Jim Valentine http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-199 Jim Valentine Tue, 20 Nov 2007 12:59:39 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-199 Hey - thanks for posting this, came up before the offical page and I love the blue bar comments :) By the way - the links are broken - they are trying to open on your own website rather than DCSF's Hey - thanks for posting this, came up before the offical page and I love the blue bar comments :)

By the way - the links are broken - they are trying to open on your own website rather than DCSF’s

]]> By: Simon Gibbs http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-197 Simon Gibbs Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:20:06 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-197 Films might be a useful analogy here. My parents hadn't watched every single film in the store, but still knew what films I should watch. I believe this is because the medium of film did not pre-date their own childhood and they recognised the genres and themes available. The current or - at worst - the next generation will all have similar knowledge. Eventually this will hold true even of mobile gaming and mobile internet. Films might be a useful analogy here. My parents hadn’t watched every single film in the store, but still knew what films I should watch. I believe this is because the medium of film did not pre-date their own childhood and they recognised the genres and themes available.

The current or - at worst - the next generation will all have similar knowledge. Eventually this will hold true even of mobile gaming and mobile internet.

]]> By: Simon Gibbs http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-196 Simon Gibbs Mon, 19 Nov 2007 23:11:45 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-196 Are the benefits really so mysterious? I'm not a gamer but have seen that games are typically based around either: - Skills be they physical such as reaction time and accuracy analogous to sports training, or intellectual / problem solving analogous to board games, cross words and Soduko. - Stories, with associated cultural themes, references, philosophical and even political content. You might as well ask what the benefits are to films or novels. As well as these structural elements there is the artistic and creative element. Pictures, music, sounds, and even acting. All of which would not be questioned in other circumstances. Are the benefits really so mysterious? I’m not a gamer but have seen that games are typically based around either:

- Skills be they physical such as reaction time and accuracy analogous to sports training, or intellectual / problem solving analogous to board games, cross words and Soduko.
- Stories, with associated cultural themes, references, philosophical and even political content. You might as well ask what the benefits are to films or novels.

As well as these structural elements there is the artistic and creative element. Pictures, music, sounds, and even acting. All of which would not be questioned in other circumstances.

]]> By: Simon Gibbs http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-195 Simon Gibbs Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:55:35 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-195 The benefits are stupendously obvious, and by asking such a question they set up the situation where they have a small list of benefits that people took the trouble to brainstorm and submit and can "weigh" that against a longer list of people's unsubstantiated and unquantified fears. The result predetermined. The benefits are stupendously obvious, and by asking such a question they set up the situation where they have a small list of benefits that people took the trouble to brainstorm and submit and can “weigh” that against a longer list of people’s unsubstantiated and unquantified fears. The result predetermined.

]]> By: Simon Gibbs http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-194 Simon Gibbs Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:49:49 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-194 Broken analogy, the real world has real dangers like cars and poor weather conditions that materially affect a child's physical safety. Physical safety is not endangered by exploring the Internet. Broken analogy, the real world has real dangers like cars and poor weather conditions that materially affect a child’s physical safety. Physical safety is not endangered by exploring the Internet.

]]> By: Simon Gibbs http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-193 Simon Gibbs Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:46:06 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-193 "we need to check that games are suitable for the children who play them" sounds suspiciously like a conclusion being made e.g. in favour of censorship measures. “we need to check that games are suitable for the children who play them” sounds suspiciously like a conclusion being made e.g. in favour of censorship measures.

]]> By: Simon Gibbs http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-192 Simon Gibbs Mon, 19 Nov 2007 22:38:31 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-192 There is an assumption in here that there are in fact some high levels of risk that may be unacceptable risks. This seems to make a conclusion that the risks are low and therefore acceptable an unlikely one. There is an assumption in here that there are in fact some high levels of risk that may be unacceptable risks. This seems to make a conclusion that the risks are low and therefore acceptable an unlikely one.

]]> By: AJ Finch http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-138 AJ Finch Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:34:15 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-138 I immediately think of the "Child of our Time" episode where the video-game addict was very popular at school. The hypothesis was that he had experiences which the other children did not have, and this gave him something to talk about with them. So, at least some of the opportunities are not restriced to a technological sphere. I immediately think of the “Child of our Time” episode where the video-game addict was very popular at school. The hypothesis was that he had experiences which the other children did not have, and this gave him something to talk about with them. So, at least some of the opportunities are not restriced to a technological sphere.

]]> By: AJ Finch http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-136 AJ Finch Wed, 07 Nov 2007 11:31:00 +0000 http://www.openrightsgroup.org/consult/the-byron-review/#comment-136 Society benefits by having more people who are technically able. Playing video games, and operating the required hardware and software increases an individual's technical ability and makes them more comfortable with technical equipment generally. Society benefits by having more people who are technically able.
Playing video games, and operating the required hardware and software increases an individual’s technical ability and makes them more comfortable with technical equipment generally.

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