As an internet software developer, I’ll give you my ‘professional’ opinion on the internet…. lol… don’t use it!!!  (just kidding)

…….You are 100% responsible for what comes into your house, and that includes internet.  If someone in your house is downloading child pornography, you better have a great excuse for it.  Cyber bullying, etc, all of it will come back to haunt the owner/renter of the property.

I use a program on my kid’s computer that is very secure called Advanced Parental Controls…….

http://www.parentalsoftware.org/parental-control.html 

- It is so secure that it will not allow my kids to go to Youtube unless I have that listed as an ‘acceptable’ website.  I have separate accounts on the kid’s computer, so when they turn on the PC, they see 3 accounts – child, child, Mom... they each have their own account for privacy.  Then, I have my parental account.  The kids have limited usage within their accounts so they cannot even download programs, change specs on pc, etc..  On my account I have complete Administrative control over the computer.  I can view reports on what websites are visited on each child’s account right down to specific reports that show every keystroke on each account (and even gives screenshots).  One time cost per computer is $39.95.

I’ve used Refog and other controls before, like Net Nanny, but Refog, Net Nanny and the others were too easy for a kid to get into and to get around on the internet (you can use the browser history to get into sites that Net Nanny supposedly blocked).  When one of my kids cannot get into a website, they either suck it up and sulk, or they contact me.  They now know if they contact me, I’ll check the website and if I think it’s kid-approved, I’ll log on and set the URL to ok for visits.

I also will use the parental controls on our modem and shut down the Internet/PC after 11pm at night.  My daughter knows this, and if she needs to be online for longer, she can use my laptop, which will be stationed in the dining room where we can keep an eye on it.  We are also setting up on our modem that all wireless internet features will be shut down at 11pm… THAT prevents Itouch connection as well as other wireless laptops that kids bring in.

Also I highly recommend you change your passwords on your computers every 90 days.  Pain in the neck, but I personally thought my daughter couldn’t break my code and she did 2 weeks ago.   She got into a PC on my PC account and turned it off… I’ve done fixed that!

AND one more thing.. kids are using www.EBuddy.com as their msn account.  I’ve blocked this site as well. It’s a cool site for the kids, however it’s not safe for your PC’s… the servers that EBuddy uses are not installed with proper encryption/filters, and viruses are getting through.  The Ebuddy servers have also been black-listed, so I cannot imagine the site will remain online in another 6 months.  I found that out the hard way a few weeks ago about the viruses when my daughter first logged on.  As well, EBuddy.com doesn’t keep a history of chat (and neither does Facebook btw).. MSN does, and that’s my main rule of MSN is to keep the history on, I WANT to know who the heck they are talking to.   I’ve told my kids that if a PC shows one more time that MSN history is shut off, there will be no internet access for that perpetrator, period.  That means Itouch and anything else using internet is gone, too.  I told them I do not care what they are saying (although I blocked many words using a PC lol), I’m not concerned who’s playing kissy-face with who, or who hates their parents…... I’m concerned about who is actually contacting my kids.

But the beauty of Advanced Parental Control software is that even if my child is chatting with facebook chat, she thinks I don’t see what’s going on, yet I still get screenshots of who she’s chatting with and partial screenshots of most of her conversations ….. I’m true to my word, I’m not concerned about what she’s saying, unless it’s going to hurt her or this family…my child thinks I trust her and I’m still feeling she’s safe.

M.D., a super mom

Safe Family Computering

Links to family safe internet rules........

Internet safety for families

Kids and Myspace...information

Family Computing....age appropriate time limits, etc.