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News - Should we simplify spelling?


MASHA BELL: The Simplified Spelling Society believes that the spelling of English needs simplifying so children’s literacy can improve.
The US spelling bee’s winner summed up the problem neatly: “Spelling is just a bunch of memorization.”

Vivian Cook

VIVIAN COOK: Obviously anything that can help children become literate in English is worth considering.

MB: If u hav a por memmory yor chances of becumming a good speller ar lo. But wors stil, yor chances of lerning to read ar not good either, because of phonnic nonsens like “cow-crow, dream-dreamt, friend-fiend” and hundreds mor like them.

The problem for the SSS is that most peeple ar not aware of the educational which stem from spelling inconsistencies or how they came about.
VC: Don’t forget English has many other aspects that are a problem for children and adult learners. Our “standard” pronunciation is very hard for many people; our vocabulary is vast and drawn from virtually every language in the world; our grammar is a mystery (try explaining to a speaker of any other language when you say “I have been to Warsaw” rather than “I went to Warsaw”).

This makes it like any other human language, full of features that seem illogical but add up to a whole that works for human beings.

MB: Yes, as a language, English is exceptionally easy to lern. Compared with the six uther European languages which I hav studied (Lithuanian, Russian, German, French, Spanish and Italian), it has almost no grammatical difficulties whatsoever.

I did not begin to lern English until the age of 14, and the onely linguistic aspects I found tricky wer idiomatic expressions like “get off, back up, turn up”. - “I have been” and “I went” wer easy. The difference between them is consistent and logical.
VC: English is a great success story, used by hundreds of millions of natives and being used and learnt by a billion non-natives: it is so efficient that there are problems about it wiping out other languages.

I cannot agree that it is absolutely easier or more difficult than any other language: it depends on what first language you start from and many other circumstances of learning.
MB: But the alphabetic of English spelling is a huge problem. Foreign lerners can never be sure how to pronounce an English word without hearing it first sun - sugar, and - ask, on - once. That’s why onely English dictionaries have pronunciation guides and why I regularly annotated the words I was lerning: woman wooman, women wimmen.
VC: A problem for what? When reading simple words I don’t turn letters into words but words into meanings: “the” is not “t+h+e” but a whole symbol “the” like “@”.

Perhaps you could explain how any changes to spelling would affect the issue of English globally and how you would change spelling in a way that would help children and not hinder the rest of the English-using world?
MB: The most serious disadvantage of English spelling lies in making literacy acquisition for Anglophone children exceptionally slo and difficult - roughly three times sloer than the European average, acording to the most recent reserch (Seymour, 2003).

In English, even practised newsreaders occasionally still mispronounce words. (I hav herd Anna Ford struggle with “counterfeited” or “reneging”). That’s why moast English speakers stick to a fairly simple vocabulary.
VC: Well I think this brings us to the crunch of the problems with spelling reform: the mistaken idea that spelling exists for reading aloud and the belief that the human mind works better with a few rules rather than with lots of individual items.
MB: Children certainly learn to read and write much faster with a logically consistent spelling system than with an irregular one. When in 1963-4 the London Institute of Education together with the National Foundation for Education Research compared children’s literacy acquisition using the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA) and normal English spelling, they found that the ITA users learned roughly three times as fast.

ITA also left far fewer children making the sort of really poor progress that invariably occurs with normal English spelling.

VC: There are two broad types of writing system in the world: those that link written forms primarily to meaning like Chinese and those that relate written forms chiefly to spoken sounds like Italian. English has aspects of both; we treat the 20 most frequent words like “the” and “for” as single signs that relate to meanings, just like “%” and “” - it does not really matter how eccentric their spellings are as they are recognised as wholes.

The rest we link to sounds via a complex system of rules that relate the letter “a” to particular sounds in “at”, “tart”, “date”, “away” etc and that sometimes rely on so-called silent letters like “e” and “u” to show the different spellings of “mat/mate” and “guest/gesture”.

MB: Unlike Chinese pictograms, the spellings of English words give us no clue to their meaning. And much of the irregularity is down to history.

There is no advantage in spelling the most often used words unalphabetically. Quite the opposite: the irregular spellings of common words like “to, you, your, very, many” are particularly noxious because they keep undermining the basic English spelling system and so make it harder for children to learn it. If they obeyed the basic English code too tu, u, yor, verry, menny they would help them to grasp the whole system much faster.

Children cope with the regular complex spellings, such as “mat - mate, guest - gesture, dine - dinner”, easily enough. Their reading and spelling difficulties are all caused by random irregular spellings: laid, paid - said; our, sour - your; chat, chart - character; fatter, latter, late, latent - lateral.
VC: The human mind can deal with a vast number of individual signs; a Chinese dictionary has about 30,000; Japanese children have to learn 1,945 in primary school. Cutting down on the number of individual words, we need to know as wholes is no particular advantage. If Chinese can manage to learn so many symbols so can English children.

By the way most Chinese characters are no more pictures than are English letters - turn a capital “A” upside down and you will see the animal it once pictured, as remote from its origins as most Chinese characters.
MB: A few minds can deal with a vast number of individual signs or spellings with relative ease, but the vast majority can’t. Many rural Chinese are reportedly still completely illiterate. Literacy acquisition is certainly very difficult in both Chinese and Japanese. Children learn to read and write with an easy phonetic system first and then gradually acquire the more difficult traditional orthographies.

VC: Yet some researchers claim that Japanese children do not have dyslexia. The problem is that spelling reform and indeed much school teaching expects all of English to link spellings and sounds rather than whole symbols. Only a few of us need to read aloud seriously, such as the handful of trained and highly selected newsreaders; otherwise we read aloud rarely, except perhaps to children.

MB: Worldwide, English spelling wastes zillions, not onely in terms of time and effort, but in real munny too: for remedial education and to suport functionally illiterate adults. The latter ar also mor likely to becum yung singl parents, end up in jail, be adicted tu drugs and alcohol and hav poor helth.

Spellings that make learning to read, and therefor getting a footing onto the road to educational success, exeptionally difficult ar particularly nasty. Having to waste time on memorising thousands of quirky spellings wun by wun is of no bennefit tu ennywun either. I can sugest a cupl of simpl mesures for reducing this lerning burden verry substantially too.

VC: The danger is that if children are encouraged to think of reading as turning letters into sounds and we change spelling to make this easier, they will forever be reading only as fast as they can speak rather than at the reading speed two or three times greater than speech that fluent readers reach. We want children to be able to read and understand what they read, not just to read it aloud.

MB: Sweden and Denmark show most clearly what spelling reform can do. The two languages are very similar and children in those two countries are also educated in similar ways. Sweden has gradually given itself a fairly sound spelling system. Denmark has been far more indifferent to the consistency of its orthography. In international comparisons of literacy standards, the Swedes invariably come near the top. The Danes are usually nearer the bottom, along with countries.

VC: How can spelling reform help silent reading and reading for understanding?
MB: Logically highly consistent spellings like Finnish or Korean do not hinder silent reading or understanding. Regular spelling systems merely make getting to this stage much easier and faster.

What spelling reform would do is drastically reduce the time it takes children to learn to read and write, thereby cutting teaching costs and freeing up time for other. More importantly still, it would reduce our high rate of functional illiteracy which has persisted at around 20% for at least a century and keeps entailing enormous costs. In Finland it is just 4%, in Sweden 8% and in Germany 10%.

VC: The languages that people cite as having simple, desirable spellings are almost invariably those that had their writing system standardised very recently, like the Scandinavian languages in the 19th Century. As languages grow old their spelling systems apparently drift away from a straight sound-to-letter relationship.

MB: If we could bring ourselves to improve the spellings of just 200 of the most frequently used words that have silly spellings, like “once, only, said”, we would completely transform yung children’s lives and educational progress.

Even just shedding the surplus letters from 100 of them, as in “friend- frend, beautiful - butiful, slow - slo, have - hav” would make initial phonics teaching much easier and mor succesful than it is now. And a brief look at those words makes it clear that regional differences in pronunciation ar not a barrier to this, and there ar not menny such difrences ennyway.

VC: It is precisely the most frequent words that we don’t need to reform because they can be remembered as wholes. Surely most pre-reading children can recognise large numbers of such whole, say McDonald’s and Coke signs? Learning the 200 words as wholes would equip children to read probably most of the running words in any ordinary sentence; treating “say” and “does” as weird exception rather than as unique symbols is what may do the damage.
MB: In the 17th Century hundreds of English words wer shorn of their surplus letters eg atte - at, worde - word, shoppe - shop. We could easily resume such culling again. But this will not happen until mor people understand how English spelling impedes educational progress, or the costs which this entails.
VC: Spelling reform for English based on links between sounds and letters has to relate to a single accent witness the difficulty with Middle English texts spelled in many dialects. This disadvantages once again children with non-standard accents, say those who would naturally spell “bath” as “barf”. It also cuts accents of English off from each other; a Londoner would not be able to read Geordie, a person from Sydney a letter from someone in Ottawa.

The cost of any change would be astronomical. Imagine the number of books in English that would need to be changed. If they were not changed the children taught by the new system would be effectively cut off from their written heritage. Imagine the conversion of every computer, every programme written in English.


Here is a selection of your comments.

Making the english language even simpler is a big mistake. I managed to learn it in half a year while living in America. But her idea is already happening in internet chatrooms where making words shorter is top priority. English pronunciation is tough but I would not be helped by saying ennywun. Also as a high speed reader this would definetly slow me down. And it doesnt make children more literate it just makes them put speech on paper. Look at this classic Shakespeare qoute: Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ‘em. Translates to: Som r born grateor greight?, Som achiv gratenes, and som hav greightnes thrust upon tem. Poetic no?
Felix Schott, Berlin,Germany

Re: “Dumbing down to the lowest common denominator, how awful!” Reforms make life easier and that’s not dumbing down it’s smart. The US adopted decimal dollars hundreds of years ago and the UK clung to pounds-shillings-pence-farthings until 1976(?) Hardly anyone but older Britons can even imagine how to divide a bill for 7 Pounds, 5 Shillings and five Pence among three diners, or the painful calculations involved. The system was absurd, and adoption of decimal currency was good for the “lowest common denominator” and everyone else. There are fast learners and “lowest common denominators”, but it is best if all who can possibly learn to read, do. We have 20% functional illiterates, Sweden 8%. Which is better for society?

Iconic systems of writing take years to master. Alphabetic writing is a brilliant invention that takes about two weeks — in those languages that respect the principles. We have allowed English to degenerate so far that we must waste years on it, just like the Egyptians of 2000 BC. We have wrecked a wonderful tool and should be ashamed. And fix it.
Alan Mole, Boulder Colorado USA

Ms. Bell’s reasoning definitely shows that she has not taken into consideration the universality of the English language. In a country like Uganda, where I come from and where English is the official language, the word “becoming” can be rendered pronunciations like: “bikaming”, “bekkaming” and “bikaamingi” depending on the tribal and linguistic background of the speaker. Does that mean that we should have a pronunciation that makes learning easier for every English speaking child, whether native or non-native? English has already gone through the evolution of American and British spellings, let that be enough. English is a universal language and we should let it preserve its common denominator, i.e. its universal spelling.
Robley Kisitu, Greensboro, NC, USA

Let’s ditch ALL languages, and have everyone embrace esperanto as our unifying saviour.
Luis Cerdas, San Jose, Costa Rica

During a recent holiday in the UK I found myself behind a coach full of teens. As with all teens, they must have amused themselves writing graffiti on the sooty back of the coach. Irrespective of the nature of the comments (we had a good laugh over most of them) my partner and I were mortified to notice that not a single graffiti had been spelled correctly. Having learnt English from my father and from reading books (raised abroad), I wondered if the British education system is failing its pupils or whether the pupils are simply not trying hard enough. It’s not rocket science, for crying out loud, it’s just spelling!
Sandy, Antwerp, Belgium

I was one of the unfortunate one’s who was initially taught to read using the ITA spelling system that MB mentions. I was a prolific reader - and very, very quickly consumed all available books at school and at the public library. I can still remember my frustration when I couldn’t read the “normal” childrens books (or my Dads Glasgow Herald!). Such relief when we moved on to real spelling! I assume this is what it would feel like for someone taught “simplified” English whenever they attempt to read “old English”. The existence of different dialects makes this suggestion a complete nonsense though Im sure it could produce a good joke or two Did you hear about the Scotsman, Englishman and Irishman at the spelling bee? It also must be remembered that English has become the most widely adopted language in the world - we can’t randomly change it now - what chaos worldwide!
Stephen, Cambridge

We’ve been here before with ITA haven’t we look what happened to that. Once you reached 7 or 8 you had to learn the entire English language again this time correctly.
If that was the great success Ms Bell says it was would it not still be in use now?
Why should we dumb down our language, hasn’t that happened enough?
Simon, Hinckley, UK

When I first learned about the ’spelling’ class, I was very curious, for we have no such thing in the Japanese education system. Since Japanese language is always written as it is pronounced, we do not have to master the orders of letters in words, which are often irregular and illogical. But I feel as if by learning spelling, we are acquiring a special and important ability - an ability to recognise words visually thus almost instantaneously. Perhaps it is equivalent to the complicated Kanji (Chinese characters) system in Japanese.
Kiya, Tokyo, Japan

We teach children how to read, write and add-up, but we don’t teach them how to learn or remember. There are simple and powerful techniques that could be taught in schools. The problem is not our language but the Victorian methods we still use to teach it.
Stephen Simpson, Middlesbrough

Don’t forget either that when Germany decided to change some of the spelling rules, it turned out to be catastrophic, some people refused to use them, most of the others didn’t really understand when and what they were supposed to change in the original spelling… and German is a language where spelling and pronunciation are closely linked.
Yann Seal, Marseilles, France

I agree that the way many English words are spelt doesn’t give you any clue to how they should be pronounced(e.g. tomb), which is sometimes bewildering. Nevertheless I’m more convinced by Vivian Cook. And then, if foreign students can cope with it, why should it be a problem for natives?
Natasha, Moscow, Russia

Still not sure how Ms Bells has managed to turn “only” into “onely”, which I kept reading as “won-lee”. Wouldn’t “ownly” be a better spelling? But of course, as soon as you start trying to change things like spelling, you need to have agreement on the new, and who is going to arbitrate?
Richard Peers, Croydon

I notice that the example you gave, anyone -> ennywun implicitly assumes that we all speak with a southern accent. Ennywun from the north knows that it should be spelled ennywon. This highlights the fundamental problem with spelling words phonetically - we all speak differently. And how exactly does making spelling easier make children ‘more literate’.
Chris, Lyon, France

Unsure how changing ‘becoming’ to ‘becumming’ cannot do anything except cause confusion, cause derision, and provide food from which cruder comedians could feast. Shall we just leave this one as ‘becoming’?
paul donnelly, Cambridge

Presumably we would have to have different spellings depending on where in the UK you live. Barth (south) or Bath (north), Grasss (north), Grarss (south) etc. Not very sensible. English is fun like what she is.
Mike Thompson, Kent, UK

Why is it that we always have fall to the lowest common denominator? Why can’t we have a push to improve standards instead of always catering for those who are too idle to learn the language? Some things simply have to be memorised and it would be much better if the education system simply recognised this instead of constantly inventing new ways to ‘help’ children learn.
John, Bracknell

I found it difficult to understand what Masha Bell was trying to say. Surely I can’t be the only one.
Daniel Smith, London, UK

For God’s sake - can’t we just raise the standard of education? I was the thickie in English classes but I still know how to spell better than anyone under thirty. Stop the dumbing down!
Kerry Murdock, King’s Heath, Birmingham

Text speak and the ‘language’ of hip hop music are bad enough. By Ms Bells reckoning we should actually all be learning Inglish.
Brendan Taggart, Chippenham UK

As others have said, devising a spelling system based on pronunciation is fraught with difficulty and would invariably benefit only those who speak standard English. As a Sheffielder, the spelling ‘poor’ makes much more sense than Ms Bell’s preferred ‘por’ (which to me is a skin feature), although spelling the former ‘pooer’ would be even better.
Helen, Manchester, UK

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News - Why the web is not a safety net

According to Ofcom, which has a regulatory interest in such things, there are around 5.3 million broadband users in the UK and the number is rising by tens of thousands each week.

This is good news indeed for the backers of Broadband Britain, but the impact of a high-speed always-on net connection on our daily lives may not always be as positive as they would hope.

After all, broadband at home means that schoolchildren doing their homework are likely to have a chat session running at the same time as they search Google for information about Hamburg.

And using a webcam or exchanging digital photos is lot faster and easier when you ditch dial-up.

Taking risks


There is a vast amount of research to indicate that children engage in dangerous behaviour online.

They chat to strangers, divulge email and postal addresses, send photos to people they do not know very well, expose personal information and even arrange to meet online friends in the real world.

And they can do it a lot faster and more easily over broadband.

It is not only home broadband that should worry us, of course. Mobile phones with cameras are commonplace, and e-mail, web access and even chat are all possible with the newest models.

As a parent with two net-using children I should therefore welcome this week’s publication of “Child Safety Online”, a digital manifesto from CHIS - the Children’s Charities’ Coalition for Internet Safety.

Every time a child is abused it is a tragedy, and we cannot fail to take steps to reduce the chance of this happening.

But the arguments about child safely online seem to be dominated by the children’s charities, who have a very specific and focus on protecting children and far less concern with protecting the internet.

Bill Thompson


Creating a sense of moral panic and taking away our civil liberties ‘for the sake of the children’ is not the way forward.

Child abuse, in all its forms, is abhorrent and we must act to stop it happening, and prevent those who carry it out from doing so in future.

But we must not overstate the net’s role in child abuse and we must not take wrong or ineffective action just because we are bounced into it by campaigners who choose not to see both sides of the argument.

As a parent I fear for my children, but I also accept that they take risks in all areas of their lives.

This week my son played his first rugby match for his school team, and he was battered and bruised afterwards. Tonight my daughter will be researching homework online and may encounter a potential abuser.

Sanitised system


I do not want Max to stop playing rugby, and nor do I want the net to be controlled, restricted and sanitised so that it presents no risk to thirteen-year olds.

Some of the proposals in the CHIS manifesto would do just that.

For example, they call for the “cyber equivalent of the Indecent Displays Act”, which would require any content not suitable for children to be labelled and for publishers to “require proof that the person looking at the material was an adult”.

But it is a short line from requiring adult content to be labelled to saying that all content should be rated, at which point any uncategorised content is, by definition, unsafe and unacceptable.

It also relies too much on filtering technology, but that cannot provide an adequate solution to this problem.


Agreeing which sites to block is next to impossible, and children are very good at finding ways around limits put on their online activity by their parents.

So asking for filters to be pre-installed, as the CHIS manifesto does, is both nave and doomed to be ineffective.

Many of the initiatives supposed to make us safer sacrifice the freedom of all for very uncertain gains.

Twickenham rugby ground, BBC

A lot of things that children do involve risk

Earlier this year BT launched Cleanfeed, which blocks access to websites believed to contain illegal images of child abuse. It is a good example of the sort of online vigilantism that has replaced real policy-making and law enforcement in this area

The list is drawn up by the Internet Watch Foundation, a self-appointed watchdog, but there is no judicial review of what it does, and no guarantee that the list is complete, correct or up-to-date.

And BT does not even have enough confidence in what it is doing to inform customers that they are visiting a banned site, choosing instead to display an “error 404: file not found” message to their users.

Until they change the policy and show blocked sites for what they are instead of hiding behind this fake “not found” page, they will never gain acceptance for what they are doing from the wider net community.

I am not arguing for a libertarian, unregulated internet. I believe that the law should apply online just as it does offline. But creating a sense of moral panic and taking away our civil liberties “for the sake of the children” is not the way forward.

I asked my daughter what she would recommend, and she was quite clear about it.

Putting up websites full of safety tips will not help because the kids at risk will not visit them; blocking access will not work because new tools and techniques will get around them; and issuing leaflets for kids to take home from school is pointless as they never make it outside the school gate.

She believes that net safety should be a central part of the ICT teaching she gets at school, from reception onwards, and that teachers are the ones to show children what is safe and what is not.

That way it is unavoidable, it does not rely on parents who may not bother, know or be able to explain, and it becomes part of the general awareness of life that you pick up in school.


This is not such a bad idea. What’s more, it equips children to become net-using adults instead of trying the make the net a child-only space.


It’s not the only thing we should be doing, but training teachers might make more of a difference than spending money on child awareness websites, frightening people with tales of online abduction, or passing laws that damage the net and help nobody.



Bill Thompson is a regular on the BBC World Service programme Go Digital.

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Newsround - What makes the perfect family film?

The hit film from the 80’s, Back to The Future, has been given the title of most perfect family film.

So what do you think is the perfect family film and why?

Films which you never get bored of watching like Shrek, Potter or The Jungle Book?

Ones that your mum and dad like to watch with you, like James Bond or E.T?

Or the classic ones which even your grandparents can enjoy like The Wizard of Oz or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?

Whatever you think makes the perfect family film e-mail and let us know.

Unfortunately this topic is now closed but there are Comments pages on other subjects on the main Chat index.

Your comments


Well one of my fave films is Free Willy, and my family like LOTR but at home my sister always wanders off in the middle of the film!
Abbie, 9, Heswall


It has to have a bit of everything comedy, action, romance. My perfect family film is SHREK 1 AND 2
Terri, 12, Winsford


I think the perfect family film would be Cat in the Hat because it is funny and most all ages like it!!!
Samantha, 10, Omaha


I think that yeah, The Incredibles is a good family film that is real hilarious but it depends on what your family are like and stuff in order to pick the best family film I suppose ‘cos everyone is different. I couldn’t really say.
Charis, 12, Coventry


The best family film has got to be The Incredibles! I would say that the Pirates of the Caribbean is a great film too, but not a family film as my little sister and brother get scared of it!
Maryam, 13, Sheffield


I think a perfect family film, should be funny, adventurous and easy to watch. The plot should be easy to follow if there are young children there. My favourite film of all time has got to be….mmmm.. I’ll have to think about this one!
Connie, 11, Sparham


A good family film needs humour, romance, action and suspense. All these factors make the perfect family !! My family’s fave film at the moment is Shrek 2. I love all the Harry Potter movies!!
Krissy, 14, Norwich


Back to the future is the best film ever. Michael J Fox is a legend and Christopher Lloyd is so funny. How can it not be the most perfect family film of all time, it has something for everyone-comedy, action and romance plus a time machine!
Joey, 15


It has to be funny, maybe something like Jumanji or anything with Robin Williams in!

Ellie, 14, USA


I agree that Pirates of the Caribbean is the best family movie around at the moment. The old ones like Wizard of Oz are good too!
Miranda, 14, Twickenham


Our family all watch 50 first dates together. My sister, mum and dad all enjoy it and we all adore the penguin!
Katie, 10, Beckenham


Well, this is easy, but hard. Definitely Harry Potter! I only need one more book and I’ve got all the films released so far!!!
Anna, 9, Grantham


Our family’s favourite family film is School Of Rock. It is funny but quite serious. You don’t have to like music to watch it!
Christina, 10, Norwich


My favourite family films are School Of Rock and Grease! We just all watch them!
Ella, 9, Brighton


I think that Mary Poppins is a great family film because it’s a classic and every time I watch it all my family sing the songs and we have a good old laugh.
Georgia, 11, Northumberland


The Parent Trap - Definitely! It’s my favourite…and it’s also a great family movie because it’s funny, cool, and really makes me appreciate that my parent’s are together.
Hannah, 10, Belfast


Our family’s ideas of a family film has to include Comedy, Action, Fantasy, Adventure & maybe a bit of Sci-Fi.
Like Around the world in 80 days
William, 12, Sutton


My perfect family film is Shrek, Harry Potter or Pirates Of The Caribbean (because it’s so funny!). But when all the year 6 went on our school holiday we all watched Finding Nemo!!
Evie, 10,


I think that Cheaper by the Dozen is the perfect family movie. CBTD is filled with family comedy and can be watched over and over.
Alina, 13, Hong Kong


Our family’s perfect film is Harry Potter. It’s just the best, and is packed with humour and mystery! We just LOVE it!

Genna, 14, Derby


Our family watch LOTR together. Even though my youngest sister is only five, we all really enjoy them-after all they are modern ! A good comedy goes down well, but action movies are the best!

Eleanor, 14, Loughborough


I think a family film must be funny so you and your family can laugh together. My best family film is Racing Stripes.

Vicky, 13, Cape Town, South Africa


Pirates of the Caribbean, because Orlando Bloom and Johnny Depp are in it!

Rebecca, 14, Essex


Obviously FINDING NEMO! It is so good!
Alice, 11


It has to have heroes and villains, adventure and romance and must have a feel-good ending.

James, 15, Sandridge


I think that the perfect family film is one like Pirates Of The Caribbean which is funny and all the family can watch (number 1 film in my book)

Amy, 14, Gwent


It should be suitable for children, but have some subtle grown-up humour in for the adults.
Lara, 11, Notts


I reckon any of the old Disney movies! Like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin etc.’ Coz they have great songs, they’re really funny, in a sort of childish way, and you can sing along to all the songs!
Kate, 14, Aylesbury


A good comedy or musical is perfect for my family! Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen and Phantom of the Opera are our favourites!
Laurie, 14, Birkhill


Well all my family like completely different films - so we don’t really have a fave one!
Lydia, 11, USA


My fave family film has to be Parent Trap because there is loads of action, drama, romance and of course comedy!
Iona, 11, London


My family likes to watch James Bond films and funny films like The Incredibles and Shrek 2. We also saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid together which I thought was fantastic! My sister and I are the only ones who like watching Pirates of the Caribbean though!
Rachael, 14, London


Our family don’t really have a perfect film as we are aged from 2-7-11 -adult!!
Eden, 11, Newcastle


My family’s fave film is quite old, it’s Forest Gump. It’s the most upsetting film there is. I think that Tom Hanks is a wicked actor and plays the part brilliantly.
Zahra, 13, Blackburn


I think the Harry Potter films are good family films because they are funny, mysterious and both adults, children, boys and girls like them.
Katherine, 10, Isle of Wight


It has to be Pirates of the Caribbean!!!
It’s got pirates, love, treasure and even a monkey!! It’s funny witty and doesn’t have a boring bit in it!!! All you can do is fall for the lovely blacksmith Will (Orland Bloom) or fall for the mysterious but very funny Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp)!! A great family film all round!
Emily, 15, Fleet


A film that everyone will enjoy has to be funny. Everyone likes to get a bit of a laugh every now and then!
Amy, 13, Essex


All sorts! The perfect family film to me is The Goonies! It’s just an amazingly good film, and it’s one of the only Spielberg films my family will watch without cringing!
Lora, 15, Cornwall


I have to say I don’t agree with their choice - the Back to the Future movies are rubbish, not to mention a bit confusing for younger kids… the best family films are usually Disney/Pixar , like Toy Story, The Incredibles, etc, because they’re not too ‘mature’ for us, but not too juvenile for adults. The best family film of all time, in my opinion? Probably Finding Nemo.
E, 12, Italy


My parents like enjoy watching The Wizard Of Oz together - they think it’s great but I find it rather boring.
Nosheen, 12, London


I think that a perfect family film is a film that you can watch over and over again without getting bored. My fave family film has got to be Men In Black!
Asha, 12, Barking


A film that everyone can have a good giggle at, it doesn’t contain anything that may raise an eyebrow or have someone shuffling in their seat - and it helps if it has an element that is in no way realistic.
Gem, 15, Lee on Solent


My family likes to watch crime films, at night at weekends we all snuggle up in the couch and watch till really late.
Esra, 13, Bolton


My family’s fave film at the moment is The Incredibles ‘cos we all find it funny and we can watch it again and again.
Ben, 12, Doncaster

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Posted by on 02-27-2008 at 08:02 pm
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Sport - 1st Test, day five - England v India as it happened

Monty’s done him! Arpy is suckered in by a flighted beauty, aims an insane big swing and is cleaned up. Unbelievable. One wicket needed, rain seconds away, darkness like a coal cellar. Sensational scenes.


1514: India 263-8
Damp palms all round Lord’s, but with tension rather than rain. For now. Vaughan twirls away desperately and Glamour thrashes him for one four to midwicket before turning down all singles to protect RP. It’s got to be Monty from the other end too - anything above trundle pace and the umps will surely haul them all off. 1510: India 259-8
This doesn’t look good - Umpo Taufs is waving his light-meter around after every ball. He’s now strolling over to Bucks for a chat - what’s the result? They’re staying on - but Michael Vaughan is going to have to bowl himself…


1506: India 256-8
RP Singh joins Glamour in the breach and survives the remaining ball from Tremmers. Lordy but it’s dark out there - but the rain is holding off…


1502: WICKET - Zaheer c Prior b Tremlett 0, India 254-8

Wicket falls

He’s got him! Tremmers’ lifter surprises Zaheer, there’s a tickle off the glove and Prior pouches. England celebrate - but what’s this? Uh-oh - it’s the first spit-spats of moisture in the air. The Indian players gather on their balcony and look hopefully at the encroaching clouds. It’s the most exciting race against time since Phileas Fogg beat his global deadline.


1458: India 251-7
Zaheer’s bang up for this - there’s no hiding and no skiiving as Siders attacks him with three chin-grazers before pitching one up in search of another ell bee scream.


1453: India 250-7

That's 50

Jabber into the off-side from Glamourpuss, and that’s his half-ton - super effort for his team, despite some racey moments. That’s the slowest of his five Test 50s, but there’ll be no complaints from his compadres if he sees them through the storm.


1449: India 248-7
Siders steams in, Glamour steals a single and Zaheer is left in the lurch. Three slips, gully, short square leg - but Zaheer hangs on with gritty blocking skills.


1445: India 248-7
Suddenly England believe again - Tremmers pins back Glamour, with Zaheer gulping anxiously at the other end.


1439: WICKET - Kumble lbw Sidebottom 3, India 247-7

Wicket falls

Hold on - this match refuses to roll over and snooze - Siders zips one into Anil’s pads and he’s a goner. Three wickets needed, rain approaching - it’s edge-of-seat stuff…


1435: India 244-6
Jim’s straining too hard out there. You can’t blame him, of course, but a wide heading towards second slip isn’t quite the dish that Vaughan thought he’d ordered. Glamour’s now moved to 46, and he’s looking increasingly relaxed.


From Robert Calvert: “Pah, your complaints about giant birds sickens me. Until you’ve been confronted by a pack of startled baboons on a secluded road leading to a hotel in Kenya can you have anything to complain about. Look into the eyes of an angry monkey and you will know true evil.”


1429: India 241-6
There we go - with Siders about to return, Vaughan requests the cherry and Bucks hands it over to the corkscrew-haired swingman. Poor use of the weapon, though, and Kumble watches happily at three leggish loopers.


From Kev in Hereford: “My wife had to slap a swan the other day for spitting at our youngest daughter. The incident inspired me to search online for a swan recipe. Encouragingly, there are several - it used to be known as ‘glasgow goose’.”


1425: India 241-6
New ball or not new ball? Vaughan keeps it tucked away with Bucks for the mo as Tremmers fails to crease Glamour’s brow. Darker and darker overhead.


From Ged in Manchester: “Not sure of the Brussels ruling on chipolata size (Wikipedia has it as a ’small’ sausage). I do think that 8 inches moves it up into the ’snorker’ category.”


1422: India 238-6
Fielders crowd Kumble like you wouldn’t believe - two slips, a silly point, silly mid-off and short square leg. Plus the ever-gassing Prior. Glamour gets on strike and drives with 90% bottom hand for four through long-on.


1418: India 233-6
Tremmers to an anxious-looking Anil K, who pulls his willow sharply out of the way of a rapid one and is a centimentre away from being castled. Increasing greyness overhead.


1414: India 232-6
Monty attacks Glamour from over the wicket again, and the mulleted stumper kicks them all away. “Going nowhere, Monts!” yells a bug-eyed Prior.


1410: WICKET - Laxman b Tremlett 39, India 231-6

Wicket falls

Brilliant ball from Tremmers, bringing one back sharply down the slope and destroying the surprised Laxman’s timbers. England neededthat desperately - and they’re now into the tail. Can they wrestle the rest out before the heavens open?


1406: India 229-5
Maiden from Monty as he twirls into the rough outside Glamour’s leg stump. Instead of kicking the ball away, Glamour tries a succession of bizarre slap-sweeps that bring him nothing but a whole heap of risky trouble.


From Viv C: “Is ‘behind the Queen’ a safe hiding place for a swan, given the Queen’s legal right to eat the preening, self-regarding sandwich thieves?”


1402: India 229-5
Anderson drops short and Glamourpuss cuts him in the air right between gully and point for four. Where’s the next wicket going to come from?


From Owen Knight: “Re: Harold Davidson - I thought he actually died some time after the lion mauled him. He was in hospital, recovering from his wounds when the doctors diagnosed him with diabetes without actually testing him. Apparently they gave him insulin which promptly put him in a coma and shortly after, he died.”


1359: India 223-5
Laxman looks right in the groove here. He has all the time in the world to play Mont’s tweak, and then casually bottom-hands him against the spin to deep square leg for a walked single. Increasing noise from the exuberant Indian fans in the crowd.


1355: India 222-5
Come on Jim - let’s raise it… An over-cooked inswinger flies down leg for four byes, and Laxman then leans back to pop a shorter one outside off through point for three. I think I just heard Prior chirping, “Here we go, guys - we’re all legends here.” Interesting chat.


From Mark Shepherd: “Re: messages from Glen Tregoiing and Ben Hampson. The popular belief is that a strike from a swan’s wing can break an arm; but has anyone ever had their arm broken by a swan? I reckon the swans just have a very good spin doctor who makes them sound harder than they really are.”


1351: India 214-5
Monty to the rescue - Dhoni slaps him away for a strolled single before VVS plays it safe. Strangely, England don’t seem in that much of a hurry - Ian Bell takes an age sticking in his shin-pads before perching at silly mid-off.


From Angharad: “Swans? What about Canadian Geese? They come over here, don’t even try and get cosy with the queen, and attack unsuspecting toddlers. It may have been 22 years ago, but I am still not over it.”


1343: India 213-5
Ouch - first ball after lunch, Anderson catches Laxman’s poking edge, only for the ball to fly at hand-height through the vacant third slip spot. Chat from meterologists isn’t good, either - they reckon light rain is half an hour away, with heavy stuff moving in within the hour. It’s threatening to skid away from England…


From Jonathon Barnes: “Ref Geoff McHugh, surely the moral of your tragic lions story is to not go to Blackpool. You never said, though, what happened to the lion. Was it sent to London Zoo? Could it be one of the three my great-great aunt killed. Its a small world.”


LUNCH


1302: India 207-5
That’s lunch, and England’s cut-crust sarnies won’t be tasting quite as good with this partnership unbroken on 62. India now need 173 more to win, England those five wickets. It’s on a knife-edge once again…


1257: India 202-5
Glamour goes on the attack, high-hooking Anderson for a gambler’s two and then flicking a leg-stump full one past Siders at fine leg for four. There’s then a huge appeal for a caught behind, but Taufs shakes his head. Partisans in the commentary box heap abuse on him, only to backtrap massively when replays show he’s made a sensational decision.


From Pete Rowden: “You’re not wrong about big birds. Only this weekend a seagull stole an eight-inch chipolata from son’s plate that he’d left in the garden whilst he went to the loo.”


1253: India 196-5
And here’s Siders too, getting definite in-dip to the right-handers. Smiles off the England faces now, with Glamour and VVS looking increasingly relaxed.


From Glen Tregoiing: “Beware of those swans as they act in packs, the arrogant little bullies. I was picnicking with a young lady in Windsor when confronted by 3-4 swans giving it large in front of us. Unbeknown to us they were the distraction and a further two swans were sneaking up behind us and grabbed the food out of our hands. I was on the receiving end of a swift head butt from one of them as I tried to protect her honour (and save my sandwiches). They hide behind the Queen and think they can lord it over the rest of us.”


1248: India 194-5
Jimmy A comes back on for a quick skirmish before lunch, and he almost has Dhoni three times in three balls - once with an edge that bounces just in front of Strauss at first slip and twice with rippers past the outside edge at nipple height. Vaughan applauds with furrowed brow.


1243: India 193-5
Tremmers, get your radar back on - Laxman leans lazily onto two short ones and pops them to the cover fence with so little effort he could have redecorated his bathroom at the same time. Partnership up to 48, and it’s officially tricky for England now.


From Geoff McHugh: “On the subject of lions, I’m just reading a book about a chap called Harold Davidson. He was a vicar in the 1930s who helped to find the working girls of Soho other occupations. He was defrocked after a sex scandal (the lion will be along soon) and after a series of jobs ended up in a tableau on Blackpool seafront of Daniel in the Lion’s den. Unfortunately one day he trod on the lion’s tail and it killed him. There’s a moral in the story somewhere. ”


1239: India 185-5
Big escape for Glamourpuss again, going back to a straightener from Monty and being hit on his back leg in front of leg stump. It looks out all the way, but Taufel’s having nothing to do with it. Vaughan oohs from mid-on.


From Ben Hampson: “You need to tell your aunt to watch out for these big birds, Liz. My sister once had her entire packed lunch eaten by a swan at Little Morton Hall when she was about eight. Queen’s bird or not, it got a fair kicking from my dad.”


1235: India 182-5
Disbelief around the ground as Tremmers’ radar goes loopy, allowing Dhoni to aim a leaden-footed drive at a wide full one and crack a lusty four to the cover boundary. England could do with another back in the hutch before luncheon, you sense.


1231: India 178-5
Voosh - Dhoni slashes at Mont’s offie again and gets a rapid edge, but Colly, diving to his left, can’t hang on. Ian Bell, perched at silly mid-on, pirouettes with anguish.


1228: India 173-5
Guess what - Tremmers bangs in another maiden. Admirable scenes. Mind you, it’s been an hour since a wicket fell. Hmmm.


1224: India 173-5
There we go - Vaughan was just swapping Tremmers and Monts around. Monts returns at the Nursery End and immediately gets some turn down the slope. Glamourpuss aims a lusty blow and is done like a dozy kipper.


1221: India 173-5
Tremmers does his tying-up-of-ends routine to perfection, leaving Laxman prodding sleepily outside off.


1216: India 173-5
Colly comes on for a brief wobble, surely just to allow Tremmo to swap ends. A short wide one is slapped away by Glamour for four beforea leg-stump help-yourselfer disappears to midwicket for two more.


1212: India 167-5
Wave your hands in the air - it’s Monty o’clock! The excitable tweaker starts well, allowing just two singles. Interesting little period here - England need another couple before lunch, particularly with rumours of post-prandial rain-drops on their way.


1208: India 166-5
Here comes the towering Tremmers for his first joust of the day. Not quite hitting the biscuit early on, but he clocks up a maiden as Laxman retreats into his shell.


From Jonathon Barnes: “My great-great aunt fell into the lion enclosure at London Zoo many years ago. They went nuts. However, she killed three of them before the keepers could drag her off.”


1202: India 166-5
Anderson continues with his plan of trying to puncture rib-cage, and the housewife’s favourite dives desperately out of the line of fire. He then punches a fuller one through midwicket for two. Time for a beverage break.


1158: India 164-5
Siders is trying to transform himself into Jeff Thomson here, sizzling nose-breakers past Laxman’s grille and following through to deliver a verbal slap to the chops. VVS slashes widly at a wide one and gets lucky with another edge over the slips.


1152: India 160-5
Glamourpuss isn’t enjoying this - he plays a woeful half-cut/hlaf-leave a Jimmy body-shot and gets a looping edge high over the slips. He then attempts to tennis-serve a bouncer into Regent’s Park and misses by a mile.


From Gordon Hill: “Re Steve in London - I fear the ’schoolboy’ look you are going for will have you found out in no time. Surely the most effective disguise would be hoodie, oversized jeans hanging around the knees and an ability to walk without actually lifting your feet. Avoiding eye contact with anybody and communicating with a series of mumbles will add the air of authenticity and should have you through the gates in time to see Monty clearing up the tail.”


1147: India 154-5
Maiden from Siders to VVS, who’s batting in strangely stooping manner. No sign of rain yet.


From Angharad: “Chris - thanks for the tip. Luckily we only have the one bathroom which is therefore unisex, otherwise I’m sure the added humilation of being caught in the men’s when I am in fact not a man would make the fear of being caught bunking off rather irrelevant.”


1142: India 154-5
Laxman scoops Jimmy past a tumbling Tremmers for three, before Glamourpuss ducks out of the way as a wayward booming in-swinger misses everything on its way to the fine leg fence.


From Liz in Accrington: “Actually Angharad, my elderly aunt DID fall into the pelican enclosure at London Zoo once and it’s no laughing matter. Ruined her pac-a-mac.”


1136: India 143-5
Glamourpuss Dhoni purrs in, to theatrical screams from the female Indian fans in the echoing stands. Siders rips one past his whiskers and then beats a nervous paw outside off.


From Steve in London: “Am currently embroiled in an argument with my mate as to who’s going to wear the shorts, plimsolls and cap as we attempt to secure discounted entry to Lords.”


1131: WICKET - Karthik c Collingwood b Anderson 60, India 143-5

Wicket falls

Bingo! Jimmy pitches one very full, nips it away at the very last mo and celebrates wildly as Dinesh slashes it straight down Colly’s throat at second slip. England on the march here, and they can smell blood.


From Chris: “Angharad - skipping out of work should follow the same principal as a blind date gone wrong - a visit to the gents, followed by deep breathes and a Monty-like ‘run for your life’ exit. Cannot stress the importance of not looking back over your shoulder.”


1128: India 143-4
Siders chugs in to Laxman, and he feeds him a slice of bouncer pie early doors. Whispers from the England is that they reckon VVS doesn’t like it up him - and sure enough, he’s hopping like a panicked flea. Another maiden, and India have only scored six runs in this first half an hour.


1124: India 143-4
Karthik up to face Jim, and he’s tugging his blade frantically out of the way of everything. Replays of Gangool’s dismissal indicate Bucko made the right decision. VVS bustles in to take up his post at the non-striker’s.


From Peter in Colchester: “It’s my eldest daughter’s ninth birthday today, and although she actively dislikes cricket, she has been whisked off to Lord’s with the rest of her cricket mad family as a birthday ‘treat’.”


1116: WICKET - Ganguly lbw Sidebottom 40, India 143-4

Wicket falls

Left-arm over from Siders, the ball straightens a touch, Gangools is hit bang in front - and that’s out! Bucks failed to shake his head immediately and you knew Sourav was in trouble, and sure enough the Slow Finger Of Doom swings upwards.


1112: India 142-3
Jimmy doesn’t quite adjust the radar enough for the leftie Gangools, and is flipped away to fine leg for the first four of the day. If you want to come down to Lord’s, it’s 20 for adults but free for under-16s accompanied by an adult. So find some random kid on the street, bring them in with you and make them pay “half the joint entrance fee”. Bingo.


1108: India 138-3
Anything Jim can do, Siders can do better - he booms one in to Karthik first ball and screams an appeal, only for Bucko to shake his sleepy head. Fraction too high. Siders then sends one the other way, and Karthik prods helplessly at thin air. Applause from the lurking slips.


From Jim in Leeds: “Don’t you hate it on a Monday when you wake up with a random injury sustained over the course of the weekend, but you don’t know where it came from? Currently, I’m suffering what feels like a paper cut on the bit of skin between thumb and forefinger. to look at, but hurts more than throwing away the Open by an inch on the 18th green.”


1102: India 138-3
Good stuff from Jimbo, bending them into Karthik until he shovels away a single, and then beating a stretching Ganguly with a zippy out-dipper.


From Angharad: “I am desperately, DESPERATELY, trying to think of an excuse to skip out of work and pop up to Lord’s, but so far I have nothing. Would anyone like to volunteer as my elderly aunt who has gone and injured herself by falling into the pelican enclosure in London Zoo?”


1058: Here come England - down the pavillion steps and straight into their arms-around-shoulders huddle. Jimmy A to open up, I’d say. Grey-ish clouds but no immediate chance of rain. Here we go…


1052: Empty stands at Lord’s so far, so if you’re thinking about sacking off work and coming down, you’ll definitely be spotted by your boss.


From Callum Wheeler: “Got some splendid sunburn from Lord’s yesterday, nursing a tremedous hangover, and back at my desk. So in answer to your question - no, not rested and raring to go. In fact I am frankly annoyed at my Indian chum who took today off to get over yesterday’s excesses, and is doubtless sitting high in the stands again to enjoy the end of the game. Still at least he shouldn’t have a win to gloat about. Probably.”


1046, from BBC Sport’s Oliver Brett at Lord’s: “Monty Panesar, Michael Vaughan and Ian Bell are all practising their catching in the deep. Vaughany - wearing lycra ’skins’ under his gear - just dropped a sitter and Monty flapped blindly at another chance.”


From Mike Goldsmith: “Is it just me or is everyone really excited about today’s play? I’m unsure how today’s play is going to unfold but I have a butterfly feeling in my stomach so I hope it’s going to be good.”


1030: Morning all - trust you’re rested and raring to go after the weekend. Early chat from here is all about the weather - it’s not raining. Sure, there’s no immediate need for sun-cream and shades, but at least we’ll be underway on time.

Posted by on 02-26-2008 at 08:02 pm
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News - Silver surfers say net is ‘vital’

Technology use across the age groups in the UK is on the rise, even though a recent report said older generations are still alienated by technology.


Two polls marking Silver Surfers’ day, suggest technologies like the net are considered essential by older people.


More than half of over-55s online say the net gives them a new lease of life. Seven percent look for love online, and 22% play games.


The annual Silver Surfers’ day tries to introduce older groups to technologies.


The day, which gets support from the European Union’s social fund, aims to ease 10,000 “digitally excluded” older people into a digital life by showing them how technologies might add to their lives.


I love playing poker and bingo online with people all over the world. I find websites are a great way to meet new friends. My grandchildren call me ‘cybergran’!
Elizabeth Sheridan, 73
Computing awareness is more than knowing how to use a mouse

The attitudes towards technologies across the generations is levelling out, thinks technology giant Hewlett Packard (HP).


But there are still millions who feel technology is for younger generations. Only 35% of people over-55s are using the net, according to the Office of National Statistics.


A report by the Independent Consumer Panel for the UK communications watchdog Ofcom earlier this month found that older and lower income people felt alienated from digital life.


They felt technology companies were not looking closely at their needs, and older age groups felt particularly frustrated when it came to understanding information they were given about technologies.


Only one in five were interested in keeping up-to-date with technological developments, according to the research.

WHAT OVER 50s DO ONLINE
43% search for far-flung friends and family
22% play web games such as bingo
7% regularly visit online dating services and chat rooms
Source: Telewest Broadband survey 2005

Technology is seen as playing a crucial role in health matters for people, according to a survey of more than 1,000 adults for HP.


Two-thirds of all age groups say technology has a positive influence on their lives too. Fifty-eight percent of over-65s said it had made life better in some way for them.


Bingo online


A separate survey of nearly 1,500 people for Telewest Broadband found that technology, especially the net, is helping older people find new interests.


Fifty-seven percent of over-50s in the survey said being online had introduced them to new experiences.


“I love playing poker and bingo online with people all over the world. I find websites are a great way to meet new friends. My grandchildren call me ‘cybergran’!” said Bradford surfer, Elizabeth Sheridan, 73.


Another surfer, Caroline Tovey, 68, has been online for four years.


“Shortly after I was widowed, my family organised internet connection for me at home and it has completely broadened my horizons.

RJ45 cables
QUICK GUIDE

Broadband

“Not only can I keep in regular contact with friends and relatives in Australia and America. But I’ve had the opportunity to make new ones and rediscover old school friends, one of whom I hadn’t had contact with in over 30 years.”


Half of over-50s said life without the net was unimaginable.


The rise of fast net means people are more able to browse web pages at high speed, download files such as music or films and play online games.


As a result, according to experts, this is changing what people do in their spare time.


A study by analysts Jupiter Research found that 40% of households with broadband net in Europe were spending less time watching TV.


“The internet can be an effective means of delivering access to vital services and information about health, hobbies and employment, as well as helping older people keep in touch with friends and family and access vital public services,” commented David Sinclair, social inclusion policy manager of charity Help the Aged.


But, he said, better information, education and advice was vital in closing the digital divide.


For the people, by the people


To help find out what people want from technology, HP is launching a campaign, Generation Nation.


As part of the campaign, it wants people of all ages to take part in a series of forums in London, Manchester and Glasgow.


They will be chaired by former BBC Tomorrow’s World presenter, Philippa Forrester, and aim to find out what people actually want out of technology.


“Through Tomorrow’s World, I experienced, first hand, the real passion British people have for technology, from famous inventors like Tim Berners-Lee and the world wide web, to ordinary people with a great idea that will make life easier,” she said.


In April, the UK government unveiled a seven-point plan to tackle Britain’s digital divide.


It will try to remove barriers such as cost, lack of training and confidence that keep some people off the internet.

Posted by on 02-25-2008 at 08:02 pm
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News - Lure of the chatroom

Shevaun Pennington, the 12-year-old who ran off with a man she met on the web, is hardly alone in chatting to an older man on the internet.

Making friends on the web and internet dating is a growing culture among her contemporaries, researchers say.

Some of Shevaun’s 12-year-old friends from Lowton High School described to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme how popular chatrooms were, particularly among the girls.

“In my class they don’t like a lot of the boys, they don’t find us very nice so they go after older people,” said Jordan Brookes.

“You can go into chatrooms and get e-mail addresses from all over the world, that’s how people order boyfriends,” said Jack Charles.



You can go into chatrooms and get e-mail addresses from all over the world, that’s how people order boyfriends


Jack Charles, Shevaun’s classmate


Shevaun’s friends talk about their

Jack said most of his friends were aware of the potential dangers of paedophiles disguising themselves as children on the web, and did their best to check people’s identities.

“There’s quite a lot of paedophiles over the internet,” he said.

“If you click on the right e-mail name and see the e-mail address, you click on it and you can go on profile, and it tells you all the details.

“I go on profiles and see their age and stuff, it’s dead popular.

“But half of them they don’t even fill in the profiles, you don’t know who you’re talking to, don’t know what they’re like.”

Paedophile lurking

If he found he was talking to somebody whose profile was empty, he said, “there’s no real point in talking to them, so I’d just click off.”

Dr Rachel O’Connell, director of the Cyberspace Research Centre at the University of Central Lancashire, is presenting a paper on children’s use of chatrooms to the Home Office on Thursday.



Paedophiles regard chatrooms for teens and children, in terms of picking up kids, as akin to shooting fish in a barrel


Rachel O’Connell, Cyberspace Research Centre

She said the two friends of Shevaun seemed absolutely typical in their use of the internet.

“We travelled around to 42 schools in the UK and conducted a large piece of research involving 1,400 children,” she said.

“We found that one in five of them aged between nine and 16 used chat on a regular basis.

“Over half of them reported engaging in conversations of a sexual nature.

“A quarter of them had received requests to meet .

“And one in 10 had had accepted those requests and had met.”

Danger signs

Those children who had face-to-face meetings on the whole reported having a “really good time”, she pointed out - typically meeting other children, rather than an adult paedophile.

But that did not mean the paedophiles were not out there.

CHATROOMS AND CHILDREN
One in five children aged nine to 16 regularly use chatrooms

More than half have engaged in sex chat

A quarter have received requests to meet face-to-face

One in 10 had met face-to-face

Source: Cyberspace Research Centre

“Paedophiles regard chatrooms for teens and children, in terms of picking up kids, as akin to shooting fish in a barrel.

“They’ll try their luck with one and if it doesn’t work they’ll move on very quickly to another.”

Parents could not realistically be expected to watch their children all the time they were on the internet, she said.

But they could give their children some protection by making them aware of danger signs.

“It is a difficult issue, I admit, to discuss with children - but there are very obvious points at which adults can set boundaries.”

Stages to sex

She said there was a “fairly consistent” pattern in the way paedophiles approached children in chatrooms.

“The initial one being a friendship forming phase in which they’ll say to the child ‘oh you sound lovely, let’s talk in a private chatroom’.

USUAL PHASES
1: Friendship: Flattering a child into a private chatroom

2: Relationship-forming: Asking the child what problems they have

3: Mutuality: Identifying with those problems to create bond

4: Risk-assessment: Asking about location of computer etc

5: Exclusivity: Using powerful language to create trust and often love

6: Starting sex chat

Source: Cyberspace Research Centre

“So they isolate the child from the chatroom which contains many chat users into a one-to-one private chatroom.

“They’ll move then onto a relationship-forming phase and ask the child for a photograph.”

They would also then try to establish where the child is having problems in life, she said.

“Whether it’s with schoolmates, whether it’s parents, they’ll use that as a leverage point to create a sense of mutuality.”

‘Powerful language’

They then move onto a phase where it would be clear to a researcher, although not necessarily to a child, that the chatter was an adult or an adolescent with a sexual interest, she said.



Often victims really do believe they’ve actually fallen in love


Rachel O’Connell

“There are questions about where the computer is located, who else uses the computer, be sure you don’t save copies of conversations.”

The next phase was an “exclusivity” one, building on the sense of mutual love and trust between the pair, she said.

“The language that they use is very, very powerful. And often the reports that we get of victims they really do believe they’ve actually fallen in love, that this is the fairytale romance that’s come true in a chatroom.”

The paedophile may then reach the point where they engaged in sex chat, asked questions about sex or asked for a naked photograph, she said.

Posted by on 02-24-2008 at 08:02 pm
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News - The Magazine Monitor

/asianadultdating.twentyninthings.com/2008/01/25/news-dig-clues-point-to-roman-murder/”>Adult asian dating
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particular Friday afternoon is to convert, using your skill and judgement, some popular BBC features into less popular BBC features. Windowbox Force, for example.


The least attractive will be added to the running order here throughout Friday afternoon. (Entries now closed)


(Contestants please note. The Friday Objective is nothing to do with the Friday Challenge, which has now left the BBC following persistent absenteeism. Any similarity is purely coincidental.)

Your entries so far:

Wirelesstubbies
Stephen Buxton, Coventry, UK

Eastended
Robb, Basingstoke, UK

Ready, Steady, Wash-up;
Men Behaving Reasonably Well;
News at 03.25;
Strictly Ballroom Cleaning;
Adult Education College Challenge;
Fame Pre-School;
Breakfast with Noreen;
Panorama (R)

Stig, London, UK

“Flame Academy”. Smokers evaluate the nation’s best lighters, with the least-liked one being extinguished live on air.
Sarah, Reading, UK

Nine O’Clock Newts
Stephen Buxton, Coventry, UK

“Strictly Bathroom”

Richard York, Wakefield, UK

Fame Academy becomes Tame Academy. Casualty becomes Where’s the Plasters. Eastenders becomes Ruislipers. Cracker becomes Slightly Scratched. The Bill becomes Prince William. The Antiques Roadshow becomes Sunday in B&Q.
Kip, Norwich UK

Panorama into Tunnel Vision
Jen, London/

The National Lottery Train Set.
Caroline Brown, Rochester UK

The Skylight at Night
Stephen Buxton, Coventry, UK

Leaving rooms as they are.
London’s getting a bit warm.
Helping a Little Old Lady across the Road - Watch.

Maggie, South London

Commentary from The Oval on the Fourth Test-Card.
Kieran Boyle, Oxford, England

Monarch of the back garden;

Sarah, Maidstone, UK

Reverse Gear
Brian Ritchie, Oxford, UK

My Dad the Opposition Spokesman on Rural Affairs

S Jones, Wigan

Slightly Fabulous
Two Halves of Lager and a Packet of Peanuts
Mark Gillies, London, UK

Breakfast with Frosties
John C, Oldham, UK

Brian Saxby, Gateshead, UK

First Year Medical Student Who
Doug McKerracher, Swindon, UK

(Entries now closed. No thanks to all.)

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Many politicians sleep deprived, 1 March, I am left pondering this question: “Solicitors, HOW can they sleep at night?”
David,
Bournemouth

Re: Philip Chillag’s query about the difference between House arrest and Imprisonment (Monitor letters, 3 March), I think Martha Stewart may be best qualified to answer that as she leaves prison to enter house arrest at her “153-acre estate in Katonah”.
Eric,
Bristol

I am shocked by some of the comments in the story on hairdressers (More highlights than most, 3 March). I had no idea so many of your readers were intellectual snobs! John, Leicester and Dave, Swindon: does your work give you high levels of autonomy, creativity and job satisfaction? If not, who’s the thick one?
Sam Leader,
Sydney, Australia

A few weeks ago there was talk about the Monitor launching Da Vinci Watch - which aimed to look for signs of a grand conspiracy. I couldn’t help noticing that until the final hour of voting in your Best Books poll, The Curious Incident of the Dog was in the lead, until DVC suddenly overtook it. Weird supernatural forces at work?
Edward Higgins,
Plumstead

I wonder if I could initiate a new game “Brent Watch” - the rules are simple. Readers are invited to highlight any stories on the BBC news website in which references to the Office or David Brent have been shamelessly shoe-horned. I’ll start with MBAs must drop the machismo.
Paul Gitsham,
Manchester, UK

I see that the Friday Challenge has been sacked. It may decide to go to the Unfair Dismisals Tribunal. Did it have three warnings first is what we want to know?
Mark,
Guildford, UK

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It’s time for the winning entries to our caption competition.

This week it’s Prince Charles on tour Down Under, emerging from that great Australian institution, the ‘dunny’, while visiting Alice Springs.

6. Norm Brown, Branxton, NSW
“It’s a real credit to the builders.The hole in the ground is absolutely circular”.


5. Jeff, UK
The new Doctor Who is a surprise, but I don’t think much of the Tardis.


4. Chris Shaw, Fareham, England
The Royal Wee.


3. Aidan, Thaxted, UK
“Cripes, it’s organic in here!”


2. Gavin, Cannes, France
The expression “going for a Charles the Third” enters the cockney rhyming slang dictionary.


1. Aidan, Thaxted, UK
“Nothing beats a Royal Flush.”

FAQs about the Caption Competition
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Today’s front pages

Burning issue from today’s papers: Q: So the parties are scrapping over a woman’s broken shoulder? Blimey, the election campaign really must have started.
A: Really? Are you sure? It’s not like any party leaders have been on chat shows yet. When that happens, we really know we’re in business.

When walls have ears, 2 March, states: “It’s unlikely that a suspect would be detained in his own home … instead that means a detached property with CCTV on all sid