Comments on: Internet Task Forces, Net Nannies, and the Stupidity of Not Parenting

By: Filter Reviewer

Filter Reviewer — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:10:45 +0000

I think Net Nanny tools have evolved quite a bit. You can monitor you child’s myspace or facebook profiles. It gives a list of where they’ve been online and who they’ve been chatting with. I know the new Net Nanny is going to have tools that actually display the myspace profiles, pictures and all. Here is a list of common Net Nanny filters: http://child-internet-safety.com/netnanny.php

By: Yuffles

Yuffles — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 17:04:39 +0000

I absolutely agree that parents are slacking off on their parenting. With computers kids often know much more than parents, unless he/she works with computers at the job site. Even then trusting some “net-nanny” is never going to work, and i know this for a fact.

My parents attempted to install yahoo’s “online protection” on my pc. I for one do not want this on my computer as it slows things down and is absolutely useless because i don’t use the yahoo browser extension of IE that SBC/yahoo bundled with the service. There are ways to get around all internet monitors, whether it is disabling it on startup or just using a different web browser.

Parents should be aware and just check up on their children online. Ask them what they are doing and educate them of things to watch for. Not only do they need to be educated but they need experience as well. You can’t give them experience with things like viruses and phishing if it is neutralized on contact by some program you bought.

By: Digital

Digital — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:25:37 +0000

Buckykat:

I agree that a smart kid online is a lot safer but there comes in two problems.

A: That kids intentions may not match with the parents. If they don’t want the child surfing porn or going to hate websites (simple examples, there are more reasons of course)

B: That kid isn’t experienced. I know this is hard to mesure, but things like phishing sites, or other similar tricks. Let alone people who are experienced at gathering information from children. Hell, adults fall for it, it’s just another layer of filters for safety.

Granted there really aren’t nearly as many ‘evil peoples’ out there trying to get you… regardless of what Fox News will tell you… but that doesn’t mean taking the time to be involved in what the kid is doing when learning the world (no offence intended) is unnessisary.

By: Digital

Digital — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:11:40 +0000

It’s for the children though! Lets set up another task force with your taxes, giving another group of no-talent hacks who can’t get real jobs something to do… and then when we’ll pass some laws (with a few of my own personal addons in the law) for the children!

The day the common man makes use of the fact he has the sum-total of human knowlage at his finger tips and begins to learn is the day our government collapses under it’s own stupidity

By: buckykat

buckykat — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:05:10 +0000

hello, actual kid here. in my opinion, the best way for kids to stay safe online is to not be idiots. that is, to know how things work, and what does, and doesn’t, belong on the internet.

By: debsalmi

debsalmi — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 08:08:29 +0000

As a former educational technology specialist in the GA school system, I understand this discussion. My county used content blocking filters as the technological answer to online safety. Teachers would talk about online safety to their kids, but monitoring was more efficient (and preceived to be pro-active) with filters. However, filters were the “cure, “not a preventative. I believe that educating kids to make an intelligent choice, and giving them some guidance while learning, instead of simply keeping them from “danger” is key.

Here’s one tool that is a technological AND social solution combined–Web of Trust. (full disclosure: my employer) WOT is an online community for reputation rating that allows users to rate sites based on trustworthiness, vendor reliability, privacy and child safety. It’s people-driven security that I think would be valuable for kids and their parents.

As a user searches on Google, Yahoo!, Wikipedia, etc, a tiny traffic light style icon appears next to the links—green for go, yellow for proceed with caution and red for stop. This gives kids a visual clue, making them more aware of their environment, and when they land on a “dangerous” page, WOT’s big red stop sign makes a dramatic impact. Then they have a choice whether to proceed or not, and parents and teachers have an entry into the conversation.

Please check it out, http://www.mywot.com

By: Cleis Oda

Cleis Oda — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 05:48:55 +0000

Excellent point Cyndy. Parents DO want to push blame and responsibility onto everyone. I am asked to speak to parents about internet safty and it always surprising how much parents have no clue. Most of the time parents have no time!!! I ususally send them to the FBI parents page or i-SAFE. Parents need to learn that internet safety is not just a school issue. It is a home issue.

By: Cyndy Aleo-Carreira

Cyndy Aleo-Carreira — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 01:28:14 +0000

Thank you all for your comments. I don’t understand why the technology angle is always pushed over the social issue, but my experience seems to indicate there is a tendency for parents to want to push blame and responsibility onto everyone. I had a school principal look at me shocked when I saw her and mentioned I knew one of my kids had been a problem and the steps I’d taken with the appropriate staff to make sure it didn’t happen again. I take my job as a parent seriously, and that includes monitoring my kids online.

By: Dane Chapin

Dane Chapin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:11:05 +0000

I am a teacher and have been teaching internet safety for 4 years now. The federal governement needs to continue funding for programs like i-SAFE America. (www.isafe.org). They have some awesome videos, presentations, and training resources for kids, parents, and seniors. The best part is that it is all FREE to schools and parents!!!! So why not promote those organizations keeping our kids safe online!

By: Internet Safety Training for Parents

Internet Safety Training for Parents — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 05:33:16 +0000

Hi Cyndy,

Great post and I couldn’t agree more. Our company, Palaestra Training, has created a video training series for parents that is a comprehensive series covering everything from computer basics to online predators and identity theft. The training is very similar to what someone would find in a classroom setting. The instructor is a former police detective and computer expert who specialized in computer/cyber crimes.

Interestingly enough, this training series has not been a big seller for us, and the main reason I believe is parent’s not taking the initiative until it’s too late. Just as you stated in your article, parents must take an active role in monitoring their children online, and keep up to speed with the emerging technologies, new social networking sites, etc. It doesn’t mean they have to become computer experts, but they at least need to have a basic idea of what’s out there and what’s possible - so their children don’t pull the electronic “wool over their eyes”. Burying your head in the sand and pretending it doesn’t exist unfortunately isn’t going to make it go away.

Perhaps the scariest part of that scenario is the fact that predators know all too well how lazy or disinterested some parents are - and they prey on that fact. It makes it all the more easy for them to contact their victims and in some cases teach their victims how to hide things from their parents and circumvent the controls put in place (if there even are any).

Bottom line, parents need training to keep up with the things their children are learning and to stay ahead of the curve if at all possible.

If anyone knows of any Internet Safety training sessions, conventions, seminars, etc., that would like a few free copies of our training, please visit us at http://www.palaestratraining.com and drop me an e-mail. We’d like to help however we can, and getting training into the hands of parents that need it (ours or anyone else’s for that matter) is an important first step in keeping our children safe, online and off.

Christopher Rees
Palaestra Training
http://www.PalaestraTraining.com
1-800-324-0946