Posting Date: September 26, 2002

FTC's turtle advises Americans on information security -- "The Federal Trade Commission has created this website for consumers and businesses as a source of information about computer security and safeguarding personal information. All over the site, you’ll see Dewie the e-Turtle." (Jack comments: Finally a mascot with a good, trusting smile and a congenial personality that makes me stand up and take notice. By the way, WebWord is turtle-green.)

Reader Comments...

Now in some way do you think the FTC and Dewie are speaking down to it's audience?

Posted by: JB on September 26, 2002 07:32 PM

We need a 'battle of the mascots'.
My money's on Cap'n Wacky

Posted by: Mac on September 27, 2002 06:18 AM

WebWord Mascot

NNGroup Mascot

Lyle Mascot

MadMan Mascot

Jack Mascot

Zeldman Mascot

Mac Mascot

Posted by: Mac on September 27, 2002 08:21 AM

Satire on Dewie via Ridiculopathy.

Posted by: Ron Zeno on September 27, 2002 11:01 AM

Mac, you nailed The Z-man's mascot... A barber for little blind girls.

They cannot tell the difference between a wizard and a hack -- but boy does he talk a good haircut -- and if the girls figure out their hair has been butchered, they're too little to fight back.

Posted by: Jack on September 27, 2002 11:10 AM

Dunno, seems like a good idea to me. Most of the people concerned with online security are parents, and maybe Dewie being there means they can get their kids to sit still long enough to look through the site?

Posted by: Lydia on September 27, 2002 12:13 PM

I think that these sites are aimed at the adults not the kids and if they want to be more effective they would be better off helping the parents/teachers rather than trying to appeal to 7 year old boys ala Ninja Turtles.

Jack, now I look at the picture again I see he is a barber! When I originally looked at it I saw a designer showing a protege how to create a paper prototype of a web design !

Posted by: Mac on September 27, 2002 12:30 PM

Choose from the Orphanage of Cast-off Mascots.

Lileks is a font of web goodness that never ends!

I'm tempted by Comfy and Minty, myself.

Posted by: Anita Rowland on September 27, 2002 01:39 PM

Anita, I think I'll adopt Kwik 'n Eezy to advertise my new web development methodology.

Posted by: Mac on September 27, 2002 02:00 PM

Am I the only one who finds the usage of a turtle vaguely insulting? When do we favorable associate people and turles in everyday speach? I doubt that there is a hidden message of "weak cowardly freak" in Dewey but still. At turtle? Come on.

On the up side perhaps we can get a danger scale that jives with our mascott. Rather than color we can use different varieties of lettuce.

"Privacy Condition Bib"

Posted by: kevin D. white on September 29, 2002 08:32 PM

Kevin, I do not associate turtles with "weak cowardly freak."

Without telling my wife the context, I asked her what qualities she associates with turtles. She said:
1) Persistence
2) Longevity
3) Self preservation

I say:

1) Wisdom (e.g., long-living animals)
2) Nobility (e.g., the great sea turtle)
3) Patience (racing that wascally wabbit)
4) Sexual prowess or hard-headedness (I saw a particularly impressive PBS show about the mating habits of turtles. This one particular persistent little fellow repeatedly rammed his head against her shell to get her attention. He was a mighty green battering ram.)

Posted by: Jack on September 29, 2002 10:37 PM

Yeah, when I think of turtles I only think of good qualities. Dependability, too.

Posted by: Lydia on September 30, 2002 05:34 PM

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