There's a lot of negative buzz these days about MySpace.com, a social networking site currently popular among young people. The news reports story after story about predators stalking kids and teens on MySpace, all of which make it sound like a dangerous site that no right-thinking person would visit. Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is even reported to be "cracking down" on "sites like MySpace.com." A dangerous web site that allows sickos to access the personal information of teenagers ought to be shut down, right? Where's my torch and pitchfork?

Trying to shift responsibility to the website provider is entirely the wrong approach. That's like blaming General Motors if you drive your car off a cliff, or Craftsman if you hit your thumb with a hammer. The bad guy is not MySpace, nor any other web host. The predators themselves are at fault. The kids make themselves vulnerable through ignorance and lack of responsibility, both of which can be remedied. Although MySpace could do a better job of screening ads on their site, it's not really their job to police the information users post or teach them caution. They just host free web pages, blogs and photo albums.

Kids are going to do dangerous and stupid things unless they understand the pitfalls -- and will probably do them anyway, if they can get away with it. If it isn't MySpace, it'll be some other site that encourages information exchange. Posting personal information on any Web site is a bit like walking through New York's Central Park at midnight -- you can do it, if you want to, but it's somewhat dangerous. There's unfriendly folks there. Most people know enough to avoid lonely places at midnight, but most of them don't seem to understand the ramifications of personal exposure on the internet. Some people blame MySpace for not combing through every post to remove personal information, like a WWII censor blacking out sections of soldiers' letters. That's like blaming the guy who cuts the grass if you get mugged in Central Park.

Consider the conversation I recently had with a MySpace enthusiast. I was reading a book on a train, minding my own business, when a young woman chatting on her cellphone got on and sat down across from me. I couldn't help but overhear the conversation, which started with school, then went on to MySpace, discussing who wrote a post, who made a comment on whose page, and so on.

When she hung up, I closed my book and looked at her. "MySpace-dot-com, huh?" I said. "I never use it, myself." She launched into a passionate explanation of how much fun it is to post messages and talk to her friends, share pictures, and meet new people online. She told me she had never used a computer much before, but couldn't get enough online time now. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I was using a 300-baud modem to post on bulletin boards before she was even born.

"You know that anything you post online can be read by anyone, even if you don't know them, right?"  I asked. "So I hope you're being careful about posting personal information you don't want everyone to have." From the look on her face, it was apparent she didn't see the need for caution. Why hadn't someone mentioned this to her before? "Not everyone you meet online is friendly, you know," I told her. "Just like in real life."

"For instance, consider what I know about you just from sitting here. I know what you look like and where you go to school." I gestured to the college sweatshirt she wore. "I heard at least two of your friends' names. And once you get off the train, I'll know more or less where you live. How long do you think it would take someone with that knowledge to show up at your house? But it took sitting here while you talked on the phone to learn that. I'll bet a lot of people could get all that information and more from your MySpace page." "I never thought of it like that," she confessed. "Most people don't -- but they should," I answered.

The answer to the MySpace problem, like so many other problems, is education. Too many people go running into the jungle with their arms wide, expecting the critters there to be like the friendly stuffed animals back in their bedroom. Parents and teachers need to constantly warn teenagers: if you're posting pictures and personal information on a web site, you can bet that someone's looking at it.