Date: Fri, 16 Jul 1999 00:27:24 -0500
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Comments: Resent-From: crispen@netsquirrel.com
Comments: Originally-From: Patrick Douglas Crispen
From: Patrick Douglas Crispen
Subject: TOURBUS -- 8 JUNE 1999 -- PROTECTING YOUR KIDS ONLINE AND OFF
(PART 2)
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TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S):
PROTECTING YOUR KIDS ONLINE AND OFF (PART 2)
TODAY'S TOURBUS ADDRESS(ES):
http://www.safekids.com/
http://www.safeteens.com/
http://www.safekids.com/contract.htm
http://www.safekids.com/search.htm
http://www.safekids.com/filters.htm
http://www.safeteens.com/safeteens.htm
Howdy, y'all, and greetings from balmy Alabama!
Since I was in Chicago all last week, I am still about a week behind
schedule. That's why today's TOURBUS post is seven days late. :)
TOURBUS is made possible by the kind support of our sponsors. I want
to thank the folks at "Affordable Computer Supply Marketplace,"
"BulletMail," and "eRock" for making today's post possible. As
always, please visit our wonderful sponsors and thank them for keeping
the bus rolling!
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On with the show ...
As I said in my 25 June 1998 post, child safety -- especially child
safety on the Internet-- is a subject close to my heart. Today's
TOURBUS post gives you a few more online resources that will help you
protect your children online.
-------------------------
The Online Safety Project
-------------------------
Back in 1994, Larry Magid, a syndicated columnist for the Los Angeles
Times, wrote a free pamphlet titled "Child Safety on the Information
Highway" for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
[that pamphlet can still be found on the World Wide Web at
http://www.missingkids.org/html/ncmec_default_child_safety.html ].
According to Magid,
[a]t that time, there were two extreme views on child safety.
Some thought that the Internet was a dangerous place which kids
should avoid. Others had a Pollyanna attitude about child safety
on the Internet, acting as if there were no problems at all.
The truth, of course, lies in the middle. Like any aspect of
society, the Internet does pose some concerns for children. But,
just as we learn to be "street smart" in cities and towns, we can
greatly minimize any danger by teaching our kids to be "Net
Smart" on the Internet.
In September of 1998, Magid and the folks at the Online Safety Project
launched two new Web sites: SafeKids.com at
http://www.safekids.com/
and SafeTeens.com at
http://www.safeteens.com/ .
Both sites provide specific steps parents can take to teach their
children critical thinking about safety and privacy and to improve
communication with children and teens about what is or is not good for
them. The two sites use different methodologies, though. Magid notes
that
[w]hile young children usually pay attention and obey what their
parents teach them, teens have a tendency to push up against
authority. At SafeKids.Com, we educate parents about how to work
with their children. At SafeTeens.Com, we communicate directly
with teens to empower their Internet skills, encourage them to
avoid the unsavory side of the Internet and help them educate
their parents about the online world."
A good example of SafeKids.com's goal to foster cooperation between
parents and children is the site's "Family Contract for Online Safety"
at
http://www.safekids.com/contract.htm .
The Family Contract is actually a set of two different contracts: a
six point "Parent's Pledge" that you make with your children and an
eight point "Kid's Pledge" that you children make with you. Print
both of these pledges and use them with your family! Both contain
simple rules that will make your family's online adventures much
happier. [I do have one complaint, though: both pledges could use
some "tightening up." A good example is the fourth point in the
parent's pledge -- it is a GREAT sentiment, but the words "as
computers" are unnecessary.]
SafeKids.com also includes links to interesting sites for kids,
parents, and teachers. The site also includes links to over a dozen
child-safe search engines and Internet directories (these are search
engines and directories that promise to steer your kids clear of some
of the Net's more objectionable material). You can find
SafeKids.com's child-safe search engine links at
http://www.safekids.com/search.htm .
Finally, the SafeKids.com site offers a complete directory of parental
control (also known as "filtering" or "blocking") programs. Anne
Bubnic maintains this directory for SafeKids.Com, and The Online
Safety Project does not actually endorse any specific filtering
program. Still, if you are looking for information about the methods
used and features offered by most of the major blocking software
packages, check out
http://www.safekids.com/filters.htm .
The SafeTeens.com site is similar to SafeKids.com, but it is designed
in such a way that teens can browse it by themselves. For example,
the site offers a document at
http://www.safeteens.com/safeteens.htm
called "Teen Safety on the Information Highway." One of that
document's sections is titled "Educate Your Parents." I still get a
kick out of that. :)
The SafeTeens.com site also offers a collection of links for teens
that focuses on homework information, sports, and stuff like that.
Are the SafeKids.com and SafeTeens.com sites worth visiting and
bookmarking? YES! In fact, the Online Safety Project -- the parent
organization behind SafeKids.Com and SafeTeens.Com -- was recently
inducted into the Smithsonian Institution's Permanent Research
Collection of Information Technology. The permanent collection,
established in 1989, is the world's premier historical record of
computing applications and innovations.
That's it for this week. Have a safe and happy weekend, and we'll
talk again in a few days. :)
TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP(S):
PROTECTING YOUR KIDS ONLINE AND OFF (PART 2)
TODAY'S TOURBUS ADDRESS(ES):
http://www.safekids.com/
http://www.safeteens.com/
http://www.safekids.com/contract.htm
http://www.safekids.com/search.htm
http://www.safekids.com/filters.htm
http://www.safeteens.com/safeteens.htm
---------------------------------
TODAY'S SOUTHERN WORD OF THE WEEK
---------------------------------
PROLLY (adverb). Without much doubt.
Usage: "I'm tired. I'll prolly jus go to bed."
[Special thanks to Nigel Burne for today's wurd]
You can find all of the old Southern Words of the day at
http://netsquirrel.com/crispen/word.html
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