 A family guide to Internet content
censoring and
access controlPart 1: Overview
Parents are in a tough spot these
days because of the proliferation of computers throughout
the home and 'always on' Internet connections. Back when families
had a single computer - probably in the living room - Internet
control was easy. Your kids always had someone looking over their
shoulder at what they were doing. They stayed clear of the 'bad
stuff' because they were being watched.
 As parents upgrade to newer models of
computers, the old ones end up in the kid's bedroom - out of
parental sight. Many of these computers have full-time Internet
connections too because of the popularity of broadband modems and
Internet connection sharing devices (broadband routers). Some schools of thought say that children should
simply be 'taught' what content to stay away from. Others say that
no matter how much teaching you do, they're kids and will look
at the stuff anyway. In the end, it is a parent's choice. The level
of censorship, blocking and monitoring are family decisions that
should be decided and handled in the home - not in the courts. This
series of articles will explain the tools available to parents
wishing to exercise their right to censor and block what their
children have access to on the Internet.
Classes of Tools and
Methods  There are four primary categories for Family
Internet Control. They are:
Physical Monitoring
Access Blocking
Censorship
by ISP (including aol)
by Hardware
by Software
Electronic Monitoring
Physical Monitoring  This is the old standby. Simply put the
computer in a public area of the house and walk by now and then.
Your kids will understand that they need to stick to the family
agreeable Internet content. They will still sneak stuff in, but the
intimidation factor will be enough to deter most things. If the kids
are ever home alone, you need to pair this with Access Blocking.
Access Blocking:
In Windows:
Simply put, add user ID's and passwords to
your computers and don't give them to the kids! This does not work
with Windows 95/98/ME since simply pressing 'cancel' at the login
prompt will bypass anything that looks like security (nice going
Microsoft). Windows 2000 and Windows XP have robust security models
that can not be easily bypassed. When you want your kids to have
access to the computer, log in for them.
In a broadband Router:
Access blocking can also be done on the ROUTER
level. Some broadband routers will allow you to specify times that
the Internet is accessible. Others allow different ports to be
accessible under one schedule and other ports under other schedules.
Using one of these routers, email and IM traffic could be allowed
while web traffic is blocked. Some research needs to be done to find
a router that works for you if you need port based and time based
Internet access blocking. If I get a chance, I will dig through
some of my demo products to find and example soon.
Outside Links of
interest:
Childnet International sponsored
website giving advice to parents and children on teenage safety on
the internet - especially as it pertains to chat rooms
DMOZ Internet Child Safety
Links
| 
Part 1: Overview
Menu:
