After-School Online Safety from InternetSafety.com: 10 'Home Alone' Tips for Working Parents.ATLANTA -- With the school year just starting, working parents may breathe a sigh of relief that the children are safely back in school for the next nine months, but what happens after 3 pm when the kids are home alone with unsupervised computer access? For many parents, these are the danger hours when children are most likely to visit inappropriate websites and are also most vulnerable to Internet predators. In these cases as well as when parents are home, Internet filtering See Web filtering and firewall. software can serve as a virtual online babysitter babysitter A person, often an intelligent family member, who stays by the bedside of a Pt requiring mechanical ventilation, and guards for equipment malfunctions or other problems . InternetSafety.com, developer of the award-winning Safe Eyes[TM] parental control software A special browser or filtering program designed to reject Web sites not suited for children. Such programs may screen pages by word content, site rating or by URL, using an updated database of objectionable sites, or any combination of these techniques. See PICS and ICRA. (www.SafeEyes.com), recommends that parents select a software program with advanced controls and alert mechanisms for managing website access as well as social network postings, email correspondents, instant messenger AOL's instant messaging service. See AIM and instant messaging. usage and peer-to-peer file sharing Copying files from one computer to another. See peer-to-peer network, file sharing protocol and file and printer sharing. programs. Choose a program that allows you to: 1. Block objectionable websites by category, URL URL in full Uniform Resource Locator Address of a resource on the Internet. The resource can be any type of file stored on a server, such as a Web page, a text file, a graphics file, or an application program. and/or keyword -- You should be able to select which website categories will be filtered (adult, alcohol, dating/personals, drugs, gambling, hate sites, pornography, profanity Irreverence towards sacred things; particularly, an irreverent or blasphemous use of the name of God. Vulgar, irreverent, or coarse language. The use of certain profane or obscene language on the radio or television is a federal offense, but in other situations, profanity , sex, violence, weapons, etc.) so that kids can't reach sites in those areas. The more categories you can dictate, the better. You should also be able to define specific websites and/or keywords that are off limits. 2. Set time limits -- Some programs allow you to limit time spent online, allocate specific blocks of time for Internet access See how to access the Internet. , and/or grant permission to connect by the day of the week. Limiting late-night Internet use, for example, can help safeguard children against predators inclined to night-time prowling prowl v. prowled, prowl·ing, prowls v.tr. To roam through stealthily, as in search of prey or plunder: prowled the alleys of the city after dark. v.intr. of social networking sites A Web site that provides a virtual community for people interested in a particular subject or just to "hang out" together. Members create their own online "profile" with biographical data, pictures, likes, dislikes and any other information they choose to post. and chat rooms. 3. Block as well as record Instant Messenger chats -- You should have the option to bar children from using specific IM programs or all of them. (You might want to keep one available for communicating with your children yourself.) You should also have the option to save the full text of IM conversations for later review. 4. Block computer programs by name -- It can be useful to prevent access to certain games as well as peer-to-peer file sharing programs like BitTorrent that may expose children to inappropriate photos or other objectionable material. 5. Restrict email use to designated addresses -- There is no reason for younger children to correspond with anyone other than family members, close friends and perhaps teachers. 6. Receive email, text or phone alerts about inappropriate online behavior -- Some programs are able to alert parents when children attempt to access restricted websites or post personal information such as their name and address on social networks. 7. Remotely change program settings from work or elsewhere -- If you receive automated alerts about worrisome online behavior or concern from a caregiver, it is helpful to be able to reconfigure the program from your office or hotel room. 8. Receive automatic updates of website blacklists - This eliminates the need for parents to download database updates manually, saving considerable time and ensuring that objectionable new websites don't slip through the cracks. 9. Handle multiple children with one program and customize settings for each child - Your 8-year-old may need stricter controls than your 11-year-old. You should be able to create separate profiles for each child and use them on any machine in the house. 10. Control PCs and Macs with the same filtering software - This simplifies the process of maintaining a safe online environment in households with computer with both operating systems Operating systems can be categorized by technology, ownership, licensing, working state, usage, and by many other characteristics. In practice, many of these groupings may overlap. . More information is available at www.SafeEyes.com About InternetSafety.com Established in 1999, InternetSafety.com specializes in providing Internet safety solutions. Its flagship software, Safe Eyes, is the two-time recipient of the PC Magazine Editors' Choice Award, earned a separate Editor's Choice Award from LAPTOP magazine, and was rated as the #1 parental control solution by America's leading consumer advocacy publication. The company's Safe Eyes and EtherShield products are providing online protection for PCs and Macs in homes, businesses and schools across more than 125 countries. |
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