"It's the most advanced online communication tool for kids," said Merrifield.Ĭommunications enhancements: The new version of Club Penguin's chat system will enable predictive text and typing. The Disney unit has nine filed patents on the system and keeps five years of chat logs. "There are just too many nuances." Like most of its systems, Club Penguin's filtering system is proprietary. "Our filtering system has a heavy dose of tech, but we've never found a technology that can replace human moderators," said Merrifield. For instance, the word lollipop can be fine one day and then be deemed inappropriate when used in a rap song. The trick for Club Penguin is discovering new references. Club Penguin's filtering system is based on white lists-phrases that are approved.
Why? That's how fast pop culture can change. "We modify filters 100 times a week," said Merrifield. Regulations on targeting children and the filtering necessary means that many companies have avoided targeting an audience under 13. Safety and security: For Club Penguin to exist, safety is everything.
The goal here is to give the kids the best cardboard box, best markers and scissors so they can play games and role play." These kids bug their parents for subscriptions and they ultimately cave. It's like when you give your kids a gift and the cardboard box becomes the main attraction. "Kids don't socialize the way adults do on Facebook," said Merrifield. On Club Penguin, play is front and center. Merrifield's aim is simple, but difficult to pull off: Provide social networking experiences for children, who engage in different ways than adults do on Facebook. The strategy: Club Penguin is a subscription service that has been profitable since its early days. I caught up with Merrifield to talk shop in an interview that had my two daughters (penguins, right) stoked about what I do for the first time since-well ever.
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