What's a good parental control program for general internet?

[Swanny]

Hello all,

A friend of mine is just getting the internet. She has three girls that she doesn't want getting into "naughty" stuff. I know that parental control stuff doesn't work all that well, but I think she wants it just for some peace of mind. So, my not having any knowledge, what is the best parental control program out there? What sort of features should be looked for?

Any suggestions or testimonials would be appreciated.



Thanks,
Swan

 

[SanchoPanza]

I know this topic is old, but I am looking for some parental control too. It will be on a second, kids computer, so I am not too worried if it blocks a few legitimate sites, I just want it to be tough-minded! Any opinions?

 

[computerABUSER]

Heres some tp try

Netpoia


Cyberpatrol

CA

 

[Slogun]

A doctor I work with has been happy with netnanny

 

[PowerEngineer]

I've been using Norton Internet Security, which includes parental controls with its firewall and anti-virus programs.

My experience so far has been relatively good. Like most software, this one tries to sort sites that it knows about into categories that you can allow or block for each XP user account. Of course, new sites are popping up (or being renamed) every day, making it important to regularly update the program (and means you must maintain your yearly subscription to updates too). This also means that some stuff will slip through, so routine parental monitoring is still a good idea. E-mails from less restricted friends can also be a problem. There have also been times when blocking has interfered with legitimate homework searches, such as an investigation into white hate groups.

Good luck