What are some techniques for protecting kids from Internet porn? I know Internet Explorer has that Content Advisor feature. What about software like Net Nanny? How well does that work?
Protecting Kids From Internet
- Thread starter owensdj
- Start date
its a battle you can never win, but you listed the best choices, blocking software.
By far the best approach however is a pre-emtive explanation with the kid of what they can and cannot do (your rules), and then make it a point to observe what they're doing online, and point them toward constructive and interesting things. Every once in a while just comb through the browser's history to make sure. If the history has stuff, or is empty, you know you've got a "chat" coming up.
"don't childproof the world, worldproof the child"
bart
By far the best approach however is a pre-emtive explanation with the kid of what they can and cannot do (your rules), and then make it a point to observe what they're doing online, and point them toward constructive and interesting things. Every once in a while just comb through the browser's history to make sure. If the history has stuff, or is empty, you know you've got a "chat" coming up.
"don't childproof the world, worldproof the child"
bart
Here is a PC Mag Article which discusses several options. My Netgear router has these parental control features, but it seems like they could be a real nightmare to set up and still wouldn't be very effective. We had Net Nanny at one point and it seemed to cause all sort of problems with the machines so we got rid of it.
Another option to go along with Barts advice is to place the computer is an open location. This way if he doesn't know who might be watching he'll be more cautious of the sites that he chooses to persue. Its like keeping the honest person honest, or innocent person innocent.
One thing that really annoys me is porn email being sent to kids. I find that rather offensive. Any good ways to deal with that?
It's a rather complex way to handle the situation, but perhaps you could set up some software (it's not too hard to do in linux, I've been told) that would download the email from your ISP's POP3 (presumably) server, filter it for pr0n spam, then serve it again to the computers on your LAN via IMAP or something.
My question would be, how do the porn spammers get ahold of their email addresses? I have an email I don't use for signing up for anything and I get 0 spam messages on it. My Hotmail account (the one I use to sign up for things online, not porn, gets lots of spam). I think you should have a talk with them about not giving out their email online.
Internet filters SUCK. They are all badly programmed and easily circumvented. They can only prevent you child from accidently stumbling accross something and they are piss-poor at doing that.
The BEST WAY TO PROTECT your kids from the internet:
Teach them to only give out false (or better yet NO) information! <----- very important
Put the computer in a family room, were they have very little to no privacy. Don't let them use it with out at least random supervison.
Restrict their hours online.
If they have computers in their bedroom, don't allow internet access there.
Learn how to use you computer. Be sure to learn howto view their history. Know howto look up were sites they visited. Be sneaky.
*****If they try to circumvent your efforts to monitor them. They are doing something you wouldn't approve of and are trying to stop you from finding out.********
BEWARE OF CHAT ROOMS!!!!!!!! (evil evil evil)
if you pussy-foot your way around them and their internet use, then it's worse than doing nothing.
The BEST WAY TO PROTECT your kids from the internet:
Teach them to only give out false (or better yet NO) information! <----- very important
Put the computer in a family room, were they have very little to no privacy. Don't let them use it with out at least random supervison.
Restrict their hours online.
If they have computers in their bedroom, don't allow internet access there.
Learn how to use you computer. Be sure to learn howto view their history. Know howto look up were sites they visited. Be sneaky.
*****If they try to circumvent your efforts to monitor them. They are doing something you wouldn't approve of and are trying to stop you from finding out.********
BEWARE OF CHAT ROOMS!!!!!!!! (evil evil evil)
if you pussy-foot your way around them and their internet use, then it's worse than doing nothing.
To piggyback on the above post, good way to manage their system is to use profiles and restrict their hours in the profile. This way, even if its in the family room, they can't just jump on in the middle of the night or when they should be doing (book) homework.
Its too bad TVs don't have that kind of capability, IMO.
Its too bad TVs don't have that kind of capability, IMO.
I agree with 99% of what you said. But you have obviously not been to all "chat rooms" in existance. I agree, there are not a small number of "cyber-sex" chat rooms that have done more than a good enough job giving all "chat rooms" a bad name. However, banning all IRC/MSN/AOL messenger programs because some individual places that those programs allow one to visit are bad is like banning all stones because some stones have been used to kill people.
Its just something you have to be very careful of, thats all. I am not saying ban them from chatrooms..... (although IMO chatrooms are just a waste of time)
Ok, sorry I probably came across a little harsh on that one. I just misunderstood what you meant to say.
To make this post more worthwhile, I'll throw in another option, if you have a network with a Win2k Server system routing a dialup connection (it might be possible with DSL or cable too, but I'm not sure). Anyway, if you use RRAS (routing and remote access services) to route the connection for your network, you can set times at which the connection will be available. This means, of course, that at other times it will not be available. Using this option would allow you to let them log into the computer at any time (perhaps they forgot a report that's due tomorrow and it's 10:00P.M. now, and they need to type it), but they will only be able to get on the internet during the period you specify on the server.
The methods you choose should be dependent on how old your kid is. I have a 12 year old brother and he just knows not to visit those kind of sites. Strangely enough, he gets porn spam in his Hotmail account even though it hasn't been used to sign up for anything, as far as I know (which is probably not enough).
Of course, there's a big difference between a 12 year old and a 8 year old. Being proactive is key, since you can't monitor everything that goes on. Explain what kind of sites are acceptable and what kind of sites are not. Also make it very clear that your child is not to give out any personal information ever, not even an email address. Reassure him or her that if there's anything they don't understand, they should come to you for help. I might also suggest shared browsing sessions where both you and your kid surf at the same time so you can actively demonstrate the proper way to go about the internet. Of course, this assumes that you have the time to do something like that.
Of course, there's a big difference between a 12 year old and a 8 year old. Being proactive is key, since you can't monitor everything that goes on. Explain what kind of sites are acceptable and what kind of sites are not. Also make it very clear that your child is not to give out any personal information ever, not even an email address. Reassure him or her that if there's anything they don't understand, they should come to you for help. I might also suggest shared browsing sessions where both you and your kid surf at the same time so you can actively demonstrate the proper way to go about the internet. Of course, this assumes that you have the time to do something like that.
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