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Note to Mods: I consider this more a parenting issue than a Computer issue and I also have only been to the Computer board once since I've been here. Just a friendly request to leave the topic in the Parenting section.
With that said, what is the best parental control software for us to use? We discovered recently that our daughter has discovered the History section of the computer and figured out she can delete her online prescence while my son has yet to figure this out. We'd like a good parental software program that tells us everywhere they go. For the most part, so far it's not the where they go part that bothers us, just that they get online at all when we are not at home.
(On the old computer, we had three accounts set us -- one for us and one each for them. All were password protected, but we were admins of the computer and could go in and set time limits for when they could be on the computer. Not just when, but for how long. With the new computer, we can't figure out how to do this yet, but even when we do, we want the software.)
I use Norton Family Monitor,
you add it from the Admin side and turn it on/off of each account on the computer(s), and define each user,
So your DD and DS can have different levels of access. It logs each site they go to up to the Norton Server, so clearing the history will not remove where they went to.
- You can white list site that can go to.
- You can black list site that they can't go to.
- It reports all attempts to go to 'bad' sites.
- They can fill out form to request you whitelist a site, and you can white list it remotely from norton's Website. So they can have access to it while they are home alone, and you are at work.
For some reason Norton Blacklisted my Son's school's website. (It flagged due one of its targeted words in the Norton supplied Black list that was in school's mailing address).
- My companies software also flagged it, and we had to get them to open it also @ work.
There are several existing threads on this but let me offer my two cents:
I like Microsoft Security Essentials. It is free. I see everything. I get a weekly email showing what my kids searched for and what they viewed. I control their website access and when they can access the internet.
However at this time I don't have a good way to control their access using their Androids and iPhone.
"Parental control" isn't something a computer should enforce. Real, "parental control" is a parent taking the time to talk to their children and explain the dangers of the world and what we should stay away from.
Remember that it is easy to get around any web filters you can set up. No parental control is impassable and Ultrasurf, which is 2-megabyte program , can get around nearly every web filter you can set. And if by some chance you manage to block that, the kid can use OPHcrack or boot into a separate operating system where all your Window/Mac parental controls are gone. If a kid wants to, they will get around all your censoring. Even if they do it by going to somebody's house and does it there.
Relying on computer parental controls is not enough. Open and honest conversation is the best form of "parental control" there is.
I'm a college student that grew up with the computer, my question is what exactly are you afraid of? I'm not trying to be rude or malicious. The only thing my parents regulated was how much time we spent.
When I was on the computer, I was usually playing games or something (Barbie.com, Disneychannel.com, cartoonnetwork.com, funbrain.com). I was aware of predators and that anything that I posted would be there forever. I knew not to use my real name or give out my address/phone number (unless I was ordering something, but my parents were ALWAYS aware of ordering stuff because we had to ask for their debit card).
Block out the really harmful stuff. Talk with her about everything else.
Sure she will go on bad websites, you'll never be able to prevent that. However you can prevent it in your own home during the week when she's with you. Make your house a safe zone. Allowing kids exposure to things in small bits and bites (like a sleep over at someone elses house) isn't necessarily a bad thing. Allowing it under your own roof 24/7, not good.
Oh and keep the cell phone out of her hands when she's home. Ipod touch, fine.
I'm a college student that grew up with the computer, my question is what exactly are you afraid of? I'm not trying to be rude or malicious. The only thing my parents regulated was how much time we spent.
When I was on the computer, I was usually playing games or something (Barbie.com, Disneychannel.com, cartoonnetwork.com, funbrain.com). I was aware of predators and that anything that I posted would be there forever. I knew not to use my real name or give out my address/phone number (unless I was ordering something, but my parents were ALWAYS aware of ordering stuff because we had to ask for their debit card).
There were not sites like omegal, stickAM, Ask.fm, etc when you were a kid right? those are the sites that are most dangerous, also porn of course..
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