[Lynk Former]

Here we go again...

ABC news alert: "Predators are using Nintendo DS"
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?sectio...id=3905371

Many people have sent in their complaint about this article, here's one by a guy I know on another forum...

To whom it may concern:

I just finished reading your article about the Nintendo DS and the internet privacy and safety concerns involved with it. I'm going to be frank with you: as a frequent internet users, I've heard some bullshit stories before, but this takes the cake.

Let me point out the first two errors in this article. Right in the first paragraph, you introduce Nintendo's WiFi service. Just a hint, ABC, when you're writing an article all about one specific product or service, you should at least start by KNOWING the name of that service. It's called "Nintendo WiFi Connection." If you can't even use the correct name, why should I bother reading your crap anyways? Oh, right, because as a concerned Nintendo fan, I need to be able to tell you what sort of shit you're trying to pull.

Another thing: the article focuses on the DS's built-in "PictoChat" feature. However, as you are very apparently NOT aware, PictoChat uses a local-range wireless connection, meaning that you can only chat with someone who's less than 100 ft from you, and they also have to be waiting to chat in PictoChat at the same time. Because of this, most people only use the feature when they're PLANNING to chat with friends, so the chances of meeting up with a random stranger in PictoChat are infinitesimally small. And even when you do, you have to be so close together that if you look around for anyone with another DS system, that's probably the person you're talking to. Also, because PictoChat does not use the internet, that means that you're primary source of information, one "Keith Dunn/Internet Safety Expert," is an irrelavant souce who knows little to nothing about the subject matter. Yes, I understand that the writer of this article probably has very strong credentials in the field of writing and journalism. But even in my freshman year in high school I was well educated enough that you NEVER try to make a point in an article by using a quote from someone who is not an expert on the subject of the article, which in this case, is NOT internet safety.

but, as long as we're talking about internet safety, let me tell you a thing or two about Nintendo's internet safety. So far, there are three really popular games playable over Nintendo's WiFi service. If you still don't know the name of this service, please re-read my first paragraph. One of these games, Mario Kart DS, allows NO communication between players at all. Two to four people are matched up automatically, they race, and then they are disconnected. In another game, Animal Crossin: Wild World, you can chat with other players, but only using text. Here's the little catch, though: you can only play against people if you've exchanged a certain code with them. If you don't have theirs or they don't have yours, you can't play together at all. Meaning there is a zero percent chance of ever chatting with a stranger. And in addition, the chat has a built in word filter to censor offensive words. The last game, Metroid Prime Hunters, allows voice chat over the internet, but only before and after a match. and again, though this game does allow you to play with random strangers, you can only CHAT with players if you have exchanged codes.

Nintendo has always made their best effort to protect their customer's safety, yet here you sit, attacking them without any real knowledge of the sucject matter. Hell, as I've already explained, I don't even think you know what the subject matter IS. Let me point somehting out to you: ever heard of a videogame called Halo? Microsoft's Xbox Live online service allows 100% unregulated voice chat with anyone else you're playing against, in all online-enabled games. Why hasn't anyone called out Microsoft over children's online safety?

ABC, reading this article has made me completely confident that your news team is 100% incompetent, and will rely solely on two totally unreliable sources without doing any of their own investigation. If you ever, EVER want to regain any miniscule shred of credibility you might have, I demand that you not only remove the previous article, but post a retraction apologizing for reporting information incorrectly, clearly without doing any of your own research into the subject of the article. I know you may think that one reader doesn't matter, but I also know for a fact that there are a LOT of people who actually know something about this subject, and I also know that many of these people have been sending in similar complaints about this article.

I am myself a journalist in the video game industry, and I have written many articles on the subject of video games, many relating specifically to the Nintendo DS. but would I dare write an article about sports, or politics? Absolutely not, becuase I am aware that I don't know anything about these fields. Oh, and I don't think I mentioned: I'm only 16. If your combined news team doesn't have enough common sense to not post an article on a subject you know nothing about, I don't know why you even bother reporting any news.

I would very much like to recieve your response.

Sincerely,

Connor Graham

Want to file your own complaint about this article? Here ya go: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?sectio...id=3293957