Re: coin operated TeeVee

[J Wynia <jwynia@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>
>>If your kids are like most.
>>They will figure out how to get around the system as fast a you can
>>put it in.
>>
>>This definitely sounds like a case for  a quick backhander to their
>>heads if they insist on watching too long.

That is a genuine concern, but not insurmountable. I've built software
systems and hardware setups that had "tamper-proof" as part of their
design. For any kid where a "quick backhander" would be adequate, a
system can easily be built to both prevent tampering as well as alert
you to tampering.

I've heard these same arguments for keeping kids off the wrong sites on
the Internet and monitoring when something gets through and that
problem's solvable as well. I know because I've set successful systems
into place for this problem where people had been told over and over
again that the kids were just too smart and would certainly get around
it. When they described the proposed solutions, it was clear why they
said the kids would get around them. Their solutions were amateur at
best and demonstrated a clear lack of imagination and proper planning
for the inevitable attempts.

For any project where this may be a problem, you need to gauge the
severity of the problem and apply the appropriate amount of planning.
I'd definitely plan entirely differently for limiting TV watching or
computer use in a common family room than for in a kid's bedroom. I'd
plan entirely differently for kids who have a history of circumventing
the rules than for kids who just lose track of time and need a reminder.

In this instance, there are several control points and circumventions
that a kid has the skills to pull off. The TV needs power (which is why
X10 is a logical choice). If you have both logging of power sent to the
TV and when it is turned on and off, you have a control point. The
probable circumvention is to plug the TV into a non-controlled
electrical outlet. If that's likely, you should plan for that. Either
using one of the outdoor locked outlet boxes mentioned earlier or in
some other way, make sure that anywhere that the 125 pound TV can be
moved by the child has a controlled outlet. At that point, the only
circumvention method is cutting the TV cord and splicing a new end on
it. While not beyond some older children, you're quickly reaching a
point of absurdity for the typical family's children. However, even this
can be dealt with by keeping the TV itself locked in a box. And, if
channel selection needs to be controlled and can't be directly through
cable or satellite box, removing access to the IR sensor for the
original remote, instead using an IR relay through the computer, etc. In
short, somewhere along the process from wide open access to prison-level
TV lockdown there's a solution that will prevent what you want prevented
and won't be circumvented without you knowing it. And, oftentimes, just
knowing that it's been circumvented is exactly what parents want in the
first place.

They want to limit the TV to x hours per week, but aren't able to easily
track it themselves. This solution will work FAR better than some chart
on the refrigerator and the honor system.