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Protect your kids

Protect your kids from the seedy side of the Web

Net Nannies and Safe Surfing
If you've ever used an Internet search engine to search for a word that has even remotely naughty connotations, you know that it's not hard to stumble across net-based porn. And, once you're in one of these areas, things can go from bad to worse. Here are some solutions and strategies.

There are a number of software programs that provide "Internet Filtering" capabilities. Essentially, these programs contain an internal (and, via Internet updates, external) database consisting of a list of sites containing inappropriate content. This method of filtering has proven more effective than so-called "keyword" blocking, which may inadvertently filter out useful sites (blocking the word "breast," for example, may restrict access to valuable information on breast cancer) or, worse, may allow pornography to be make its way onto your system, via an innocent search on a number of innocuous terms with more than one meaning (several types of animals spring to mind).

Try one of the following tools, er, utilities:

Product: Net Nanny
From: netnanny.com
For: Windows 95 & 98. Not available for Macintosh
Download: 30 day trial

Product: Cyber Patrol
From: cyberpatrol.com
For: Windows 95 & 98 or Macintosh
Download: 7 day trial

Product: Surf Watch
From: surfwatch.com
For: Windows 95,  for Windows 98, or Macintosh
Download: 15 day trial

Product: Cyber Sitter
From: cybersitter.com
For: Windows 95 (Winsock 2 upgraded) & 98. Not available for Macintosh
Download: 30 day trial

You can download trial versions of any of these access control products.

Of course, the best strategy is to provide in-person parental guidance and teach your kids on how to use bookmarks and approved links that help them get to and navigate around kid-friendly areas, such as the links we've checked and pre-approved for Christmas and Halloween here at PC Buyer's Guide.

Send comments, suggestions, or links to your own favorite access control solutions to Gra...@PCBuyersGuide.com .

For Further Reading

  • Spytech - Parental Snooping Made Easy
  • Internet & Cyber Safety
  • Parental Protection Sites
  • The Internet Filter Assessment Project- Group Assessment
  • Link Archive - Access Control
  • Colorado Valley Internet Parental Control
  • Web Companies and Parents Take In New Rules on Children's Sites New York Times
  • Search www.altavista.com for more info.

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