Internet Filters --- What do you use?

[ncgolf]

What software do you use at home and how would you describe its strengths and weaknesess?

Thanks

 

[stbruno]

I use the parental controls offered by internet service. It seems to work fairly well even with my household of teenagers.

 

[turboEDvo]

There is one built into Internet Explorer (at least from Win XP on), though I have never used it. Internet filters bother me, so I just mastermind ways around them. Where there is a will, there is a way, and I have not yet found an internet blocker that I couldn’t manage to subvert with a tiny bit of effort. This is from three different schools, too.

New linksys routers also have built-in security and parental control rules that you can set. There are some software programs that basically take over your computer and don’t let anything run without a password. Personally, I think they just impede progress (they really really bother me). Who are you planning on protecting? A basic one would do fine for young children. For teens, it all depends how motivated they are to get around the gates (and this is not difficult). I would say teach your teens how to be safe on the internet. That is the most effective tool. And I do mean it, because I have had free reign of the internet at my house for years and will admit that I have gone places that I really shouldn’t have and now regret it, simply because I didn’t have certain limits placed on computer usage.

Eamon

 

[TheGarg]

ncgolf:

What software do you use at home and how would you describe its strengths and weaknesess?

Thanks

one of the best is “we-blocker”

It has complete adminstrative control, and filters 3 different ways…

 

[ncgolf]

turboEDvo:

And I do mean it, because I have had free reign of the internet at my house for years and will admit that I have gone places that I really shouldn’t have and now regret it, simply because I didn’t have certain limits placed on computer usage.

My oldest son (almost 11) visited some sites he should not have, we just need to make it hard enough to buy us time to teach all of our kids about the dangers that do exist on the internet. There is some bad stuff out there and we just can’t let them roam around.

Thanks

 

[buffalo]

Cybersentinel - checks everthing displayed on the screen including IM.

 

[Santa_Cruz]

Set the computer up in a very public room where anybody walking by can see what is on the screen. Limit the time and hours that the computer can be used. The best filter are parent’s that know whats going on in there own homes and have the courage to say …NO.

 

[ktm]

Santa Cruz:

Set the computer up in a very public room where anybody walking by can see what is on the screen. Limit the time and hours that the computer can be used. The best filter are parent’s that know whats going on in there own homes and have the courage to say …NO.

Putting it in a public area is a very good idea. This is the first thing to do.

Also, if you are a little computer savvy and you have a decent version of Windows, you can setup user accounts for your kids and restrict the times during which they can login. This will prevent them from even running the web browser when you don’t want them to.