RE: OT : Keeping the kid safe...

["Malcolm Surgenor" <malcolm@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

both my kids have CyberPatrol [ http://www.cyberpatrol.com/ ] on
their PCs
and I'm very happy with it...  It's a annual subscription of around ?25
which I've considered worth it.  We've used it for a few years now and it's
successful at restricting their surfing to safe sites, limiting the total
time they spend surfing and also the time of day they surf (I restrict them
after 22:00).

It's very unobtrusive and I've never had any problems with it crashing the
PC or not interacting with other software properly. It occasionally gets
things wrong by restricting access to a site that looks okay but the kids
let me know, I check it out and then add it to the list of allowed sites.
I've only had to do this two or three times.

My eldest is 13 now and I thought he might have tried to bypass it by now,
I
think he's tried! but so far been unsuccessful...

CyberPatrol has suggested restrictions based on age and I've used these to
raise his access levels as he's got older.

I've a friend who have gone further and added another piece of software [ I
am Big Brother - http://www.iambigbrother.com/ ]
that monitors and captures
keystrokes so they can read what their kids say in chat rooms or on IM - I
haven't felt the need to go that far (yet!).

My main concern at the moment is on-line games on the PS2.  Both my sons
play online quite a bit and there doesn't appear to be anything around to
monitor these.  I've listened in a couple of times and the chat (verbal)
is,
for me, sometimes inappropriate - and not always related to the games!

Hope that helps?

Malcolm


-----Original Message-----
From: Phil Harris [mailto:phil@xxxxxxx]
Sent: 03 May 2004 23:59
To: ukha_d@xxxxxxx
Subject: [ukha_d] OT : Keeping the kid safe...



Demon Spawn has been bugging me for internet access on his PC and I'm
tempted to give in if for no other reason than I want to spare the laptop
that is set up downstairs for Jo (my lovely Compaq Armada M300 which is
one
of the best built lappies I've ever seen) from the keyboard pounding that
it
gets when DS decides to play those ruddy games on the CBBC website.

Anyway - are any of you running any of the NetNanny or CyberSitter type
software and would care to post back whether you find it effective and
easy
to implement/administer?

Phil



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