Web filters aren't perfect. Some keywords can be used for legitimate searches. Remember AOL had banned searches for the word "breast," which hurt the breast cancer communities. There are ways around those filters, using special characters; MySpace and other communities also need users to report violations when their filters don't catch a violation.

I don't believe in censorship. If someone hates someone else, for any reason, s/he should have the right to say so. Again, I want to know what people think and feel. It gives me more power over who I associate with.

As for "smut," I have the right to look at smut anytime I want. I'm an adult. What one person calls porn, another might simply call erotica. Who gets to decide what is or isn't porn? I also have the right to choose to participate in adult content if I choose. Child porn is one thing, but don't tell me what I can and can't look at if everyone involved is a consenting adult. I can make the same arguments about religion. Lex is right, we need to be free to our own beliefs and expressing those beliefs, even if others think it's wrong.

Harmful action is what is meant to be governed in the U.S. (can't speak for other countries). Not speech.

And _Sky is right, that you can make statistics read any way you want, and you can find statistics to support your own views. Those stats she posted can be viewed any way you want. How was pornography defined for those statistics? What is pornography?

When authorities arrest pedophiles, they usually find a lot of videotapes, magazines, photos and other content besides what they find on the perp's computers. Child porn isn't just on the computer, and it's traded and sold in the real world.

A predator doesn't necessarily have to approach a child online. If a child posts his or her personal information online, even if it's just the school s/he goes to, a predator can simply use that information to find him/her. There doesn't have to be any conversations or adult content posted.

I'm not saying there shouldn't be restrictions for kids; I'm saying most of them have to be done by the parents. If parents monitor their children's actions online and know who their online friends are, they'll be there if someone sends an instant message to the child to try to lure them. The parent will know what kinds of photos the child puts on his/her page. You can't monitor them 100% of the time--they can get on the computer of a friend whose parent doesn't monitor them--but many parents aren't doing enough. And you should make it clear to your kids' friends' parents that you expect your child to not be allowed to use their computers unless the parent can watch. If you're watching, you'll know who your child talks to and what they're saying, and who's talking to them.