EDITORIAL A PLUS FOR PARENTS.WITH all the dangers lurking See lurk. (messaging, jargon) lurking - The activity of one of the "silent majority" in a electronic forum such as Usenet; posting occasionally or not at all but reading the group's postings regularly. in cyberspace Coined by William Gibson in his 1984 novel "Neuromancer," it is a futuristic computer network that people use by plugging their minds into it! The term now refers to the Internet or to the online or digital world in general. See Internet and virtual reality. Contrast with meatspace. , for parents, the Internet can be scary scar·y adj. scar·i·er, scar·i·est 1. Causing fright or alarm. 2. Easily scared; very timid. scar . But thanks to the California Attorney General's Office, the Internet is now making parents feel safer in their own neighborhoods. The state's Megan's Law Megan's Laws are named for Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old girl from New Jersey who was sexually assaulted and murdered in 1994 by a neighbor who, unknown to the victim's family, had been previously convicted for Sex Offenses against children. Web site (which can be reached by going to the Online Extra section of dailynews.com, where it will be a permanent link, or going directly to meganslaw.ca.gov), was launched last week and offers Californians the ability to determine whether any sex offenders sex offender n. generic term for all persons convicted of crimes involving sex, including rape, molestation, sexual harassment and pornography production or distribution. live in the area. It also provides home addresses and pictures of the offenders, which helps parents let their kids know which homes or people to avoid. The site is a great tool, although it could be even better. For example, it should also list sex offenders' specific crimes, thus enabling neighbors to get a sense of how great a threat they face in their communities, and it needs more up-to-date information. Still, it's a terrific asset for parents, one that may very well save lives. |
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