Issue 30.11
If there are children or teenagers in the home, it is critical that some type of protection is available, not only to discourage improper use of the internet, but to avoid accidental viewing of adult or inappropriate content. A few years back (before I knew better), one of my children came to me crying because some very adult images had flashed up on the screen and he couldn’t get rid of them. Every time he would close one, three more would pop up. It was traumatic, but I was glad he came to me immediately to fix the problem.
There are many products that can filter websites, blocking the ones with objectionable types of content. If you have a lot of computer experience, you can try using a proxy server (a dedicated computer that will filter your internet requests for you, blocking the offensive ones) such as http://www.opendns.com/landings/familyshield. It’s limited in some ways and very technical and would take two or three pages to explain. For the rest of us, there are a number of good filtering programs available.
NetNanny – is a well-known company that has a good track record. With their software you can filter known objectionable sites and add ones you want to block specifically, even if they are not objectionable (such as chat or social networking sites if they become a problem.) You can also block internet access at certain times of the day or night (such as after 10 PM and before 7 AM). You can protect up to three computers for a year for $60.
Cybersitter – has also been around for a while. They have most of the same features as NetNanny but their price is $40 for 3 computers for a year. They also have a very cool program called the Keyboard Monitor available for $30 per year (also for 3 computers). It reports to you all the things that are typed on the keyboard of each computer. This is especially nice to have if you are suspicious about what sites are being visited or what children are typing to their friends on chats. It is stealthy (not obvious to the user) and sends you emails to report on what it finds.
Kidswatch – this is the program I have used with my kids because it does a good job filtering, but mostly because I can set specific times each of my kids can use the computer and cumulative time they can be on for the day or week. Now the computer is the bad guy instead of me or my wife having to argue with the kids about whether or not they get 5 more minutes. $46 for 3 PCs.
SafeEyes – promoted by Dave Ramsey (author of “Total Money Makeover”) and McAfee Antivirus, this is a quality program with most of the same features as the others mentioned. $50 for up to 3 computers
K-9 from Bluecoat – This is the next one I will be trying out, partly because it is free and is getting good reviews. It has many of the same features as the others, including turning off access to the internet at specified times and it also helps detect dangerous websites and downloads that can damage your computer.
It is getting more and more important to protect our young people from garbage on the internet, but it is even worthwhile to protect ourselves from some websites and content. Be careful, and remember to make sure you have a backup of anything important.
Shaun McCausland has been in the computer industry for 30 years (locally with Musicomp & Bits ‘N’ Bytes) and currently does in-home and on-site computer consultation, service, training and repair. If you have questions, you can reach him through his website at www.bitsnbytescomputers.com or at 668-7118.