Janie Grace Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 (edited) I was googling Justin Bieber because a couple of my kids like his music and I wanted to read up on him. I clicked on an innocent-looking link and it was p*rn. Nasty close-ups of genitals. Gross. I know it's hard to believe but I have never come across material online like this before... I don't go looking for it, and I've never had a site look okay but turn out to be nasty. So I'm totally disturbed, for the sake of my kids (and personally... I mean -- gross!). I don't let my kids google and click on unknown links but someday I will. My (safari) browser doesn't seem to have content filters except a parental control where I can restrict access to only certain sites. I don't want to do that b/c I want them to be able to use the internet for research and learning. But sheesh... if what looks like a fan site for JB is raunchy, how can you ever really know? :( Edited October 26, 2011 by Janie Grace Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Hey, I have been there. I once found po7n by accident by looking up a famous pizza restaurant. Go figure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quad Shot Academy Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 The only really gross site I have ever been too, was after googling "Charlotte's Web pig coloring sheet." I could see the image of Wilbur on the preview, clicked on it and, well, :001_huh::eek::blink::cursing: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 The only really gross site I have ever been too, was after googling "Charlotte's Web pig coloring sheet." I could see the image of Wilbur on the preview, clicked on it and, well, :001_huh::eek::blink::cursing: That's really sick... it seems like the intent is to lure kids in. I felt the same way about the Justin Bieber thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 That's really sick... it seems like the intent is to lure kids in. I felt the same way about the Justin Bieber thing. I've also thought so after early exploration of the WWW, in the mid-nineties, led me to horrible stuff when I typed in usmaps.com, looking for, duh, a map! That was back in the day before pop-up blockers and it just kept opening new windows all over my computer. At work :glare:. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 whitehouse.com is NOT a place to find out about our govt, for that, go to whitehouse.org! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 and when my brother was going to order an American Girl Doll for dd ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassoonaroo Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 and when my brother was going to order an American Girl Doll for dd ... That happened to me years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 The people that do that stuff are predators, trying to lure kids in. It's sickening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thea Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Sadly, this is how my ds came across it last year--he was searching for Harry Potter. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest submarines Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Oh wow, I seriously had no idea. Sites that look kid-friendly and are actually p$%n? That's sick! The worst that happened to me was when hotmail.com was just starting and I was eager to show it to a friend, and I accidently typed it as 'hotmale.com'. Even that was pretty tame, or at least all I remember that we laughed and laughed and at first couldn't figure out what went wrong. And once a book store manager suggested I check out abebooks.com for a rare book I was looking for, and he kept repeating to NOT go to just abe dot com, because it was some disturbing p#%n and he had other customers go to the wrong site and complain. Not sure if this is true, I never checked, but every time I need a used book I make sure I don't make any typos :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mom2jjka Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 My daughter wanted a Hello Kitty birthday cake one year. I need brain bleach to erase the images that popped up for that search. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I have so much protection on my computer that I haven't had that happen in years but yeah, I am familiar with the experience. :glare: Which reminds me I need to run security updates on the kids computers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RegularMom Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Sadly, this is how my ds came across it last year.... :( Yes. This happened to my dd11 at the end of the summer. She searched for "Justin Bieber" and got a lot more than she was expecting. (sigh) We've locked down the computers since then and had many talks with her. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 It's not perfect, but do you guys know about google safe search? If you go to Google.com, click on the gear in the upper right of the screen. Choose Search Settings. Scroll down and look for SafeSearch filtering. Once you change it, it stays unless you clear cookies or change it back. If you want to lock the search settings, you need to log in. Google accounts are free. If you already have a gmail account, you can use that. Again, it's not perfect and if you are searching for medical things, you will lose some pertinent results, but it's worth it not to get "surprised!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrissySC Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I was googling Justin Bieber because a couple of my kids like his music and I wanted to read up on him. I clicked on an innocent-looking link and it was p*rn. Nasty close-ups of genitals. Gross. I know it's hard to believe but I have never come across material online like this before... I don't go looking for it, and I've never had a site look okay but turn out to be nasty. So I'm totally disturbed, for the sake of my kids (and personally... I mean -- gross!). I don't let my kids google and click on unknown links but someday I will. My (safari) browser doesn't seem to have content filters except a parental control where I can restrict access to only certain sites. I don't want to do that b/c I want them to be able to use the internet for research and learning. But sheesh... if what looks like a fan site for JB is raunchy, how can you ever really know? :( I do not like Google for this very reason. They do not filter. Try Yippy.com ... it is very similiar and more exact than Google for searching content and not viewing the nasty "p". Edit: And just so you know, Google keeps an archiver FOREVER of every search and visit from their search page. Just thought that you would like to know that it can be submitted as evidence in court too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kate in Arabia Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I have so much protection on my computer that I haven't had that happen in years but yeah, I am familiar with the experience. The internet is censored over here so for the most part I don't have this worry. My concern is that the kids are so used to having (mostly) free use here that when we visit the States they aren't conditioned to being careful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 We use OpenDNS here and it seems much better than Verizon parental controls at discerning dodgy sites. Bonus: it's network wide level, so I don't have to redo it for anything added to my wifi. I hate (!!!) those sites. Just be what you are, for pete's sake! People looking for genitals will find you. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trish Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 K9 web protection is free, and pretty effective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 There are lots of web filtering software out there. Some are free or cheap.My hubby has something or other on my sons's, and it blocks any objectionable website, including ones about drugs, alcohol, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 OH, and my worst strory happened at work. I am a vet tech, and we had a dog come in that we suspected was a hermaphrodite. My boss asked me to try to find more info on diagnosing this online. Do not EVER google "hermaphrodite dog". EVER. I came back a few minutes later and told my boss I flat out was NOT going to keep searching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 OH, and my worst strory happened at work. I am a vet tech, and we had a dog come in that we suspected was a hermaphrodite. My boss asked me to try to find more info on diagnosing this online. Do not EVER google "hermaphrodite dog". EVER. I came back a few minutes later and told my boss I flat out was NOT going to keep searching. There are lots of good academic sites to search usually using the library's online resources, but there is a quick way that I search to find things on the more academic side. Google allows you to search on a specific site using the "site:" command and you can use an * as a wildcard. So if you are searching for serious information on something that will give you spurious results, like too many ads or awful pictures, add the phrase site:*.edu (no spaces) to your search. It will only pull results from schools and universities, culling most of the junk. So when I was searching for anti-inflammatory diet information, I searched: inflammatory foods site:*.edu Again, it's not perfect but helps a great deal. And if you ever use Google to search, go ahead and turn the SafeSearch on. It only takes a minute and won't interfere with any other protections that you have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 It's not perfect, but do you guys know about google safe search? If you go to Google.com, click on the gear in the upper right of the screen. Choose Search Settings. Scroll down and look for SafeSearch filtering. Once you change it, it stays unless you clear cookies or change it back. If you want to lock the search settings, you need to log in. Google accounts are free. If you already have a gmail account, you can use that. Again, it's not perfect and if you are searching for medical things, you will lose some pertinent results, but it's worth it not to get "surprised!" Thanks! I just locked our Google to strict. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 :(:(:( We have an internet filter, but some things slip through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In the Rain Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 It doesn't seem like kids would be p*rn consumers, so I don't see why they would want to lure kids in. :confused: I hit an undesirable site this week when trying to type in the url of our local bookstore. :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twoforjoy Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I really don't think stuff like this is, in general, an attempt to "lure" kids. I think it's just people trying to use non-porn-sounding URLs for porn. I don't have any filters on my computer, but pretty much never come across porn. I don't click on links that I'm not pretty sure are legit. If I were looking up info on Justin Bieber, for example, I'd go to the Wikipedia link, rather than something that looked like a fan site. The internet has loads of porn on it. I wouldn't be surprised if porn is most looked-at thing on the internet. So, I assume that, if my search terms could bring up something pornographic, they will. I try to define my search in a way that won't, only use links that I can tell are legitimate, and don't let DS use Google without adult supervision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 I really don't think stuff like this is, in general, an attempt to "lure" kids. I think it's just people trying to use non-porn-sounding URLs for porn. I don't have any filters on my computer, but pretty much never come across porn. I don't click on links that I'm not pretty sure are legit. If I were looking up info on Justin Bieber, for example, I'd go to the Wikipedia link, rather than something that looked like a fan site. The internet has loads of porn on it. I wouldn't be surprised if porn is most looked-at thing on the internet. So, I assume that, if my search terms could bring up something pornographic, they will. I try to define my search in a way that won't, only use links that I can tell are legitimate, and don't let DS use Google without adult supervision. I used to be this cautious, but after years and years of never stumbling upon porn, I guess I was overly optimistic. I learned my lesson, that's for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 It's not perfect, but do you guys know about google safe search? If you go to Google.com, click on the gear in the upper right of the screen. Choose Search Settings. Scroll down and look for SafeSearch filtering. Once you change it, it stays unless you clear cookies or change it back. If you want to lock the search settings, you need to log in. Google accounts are free. If you already have a gmail account, you can use that. Again, it's not perfect and if you are searching for medical things, you will lose some pertinent results, but it's worth it not to get "surprised!" Thanks. I just switched it to "strict." It was set on "moderate" which is supposed to filter explicit images, so apparently it's not foolproof but I'm sure nothing is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 It doesn't seem like kids would be p*rn consumers, so I don't see why they would want to lure kids in. :confused: I hit an undesirable site this week when trying to type in the url of our local bookstore. :001_huh: I don't know that they'd be trying to make kids consumers, necessarily (in an economic sense) -- but maybe some perverts get their thrills imagining kids stumbling upon stuff. IDK, but the Justin Bieber, Hello Kitty and Charlotte's Web stories make me think it's not unintentional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mothersweets Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 It's not perfect, but do you guys know about google safe search? If you go to Google.com, click on the gear in the upper right of the screen. Choose Search Settings. Scroll down and look for SafeSearch filtering. Once you change it, it stays unless you clear cookies or change it back. If you want to lock the search settings, you need to log in. Google accounts are free. If you already have a gmail account, you can use that. Again, it's not perfect and if you are searching for medical things, you will lose some pertinent results, but it's worth it not to get "surprised!" Thanks for this! I didn't realize it was there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 and when my brother was going to order an American Girl Doll for dd ... I've done that! Dh kept telling me I should have known. I really hadn't thought of anything but dolls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaz Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 There are lots of web filtering software out there. Some are free or cheap.My hubby has something or other on my sons's, and it blocks any objectionable website, including ones about drugs, alcohol, etc. We've been really pleased with SafeEyes. Nothing has slipped by. It's been well worth the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy22alyns Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 That's horrible! So low that they're trying to reel kids in like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeetime Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 The people that do that stuff are predators, trying to lure kids in. It's sickening. :iagree: At this point, my children don't use the internet at all except for already trusted sights. They don't even know how to open Safari or google. When I do decide to allow them more access I will be using an internet safety program such as "Safe Eyes". There are so many predators out there, it makes me absolutely sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 K9 web protection is free, and pretty effective. This is what we use. It blocks more than what is necessary imo but I'd rather have to unlock a site for the kids than have something nasty pop up. Sites like YouTube supposedly have filters that can be used but I tested it one day and found it completely useless. That's when we decided to use K9. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caitlinsmom Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 whitehouse.com is NOT a place to find out about our govt, for that, go to whitehouse.org! I found that out when I was reasearching for my senior paper years ago. I nearly fell off my chair!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thea Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 We use OpenDNS here and it seems much better than Verizon parental controls at discerning dodgy sites. Bonus: it's network wide level, so I don't have to redo it for anything added to my wifi. I hate (!!!) those sites. Just be what you are, for pete's sake! People looking for genitals will find you. :glare: We have OpenDNS as well now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WeeBeaks Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 OP, how awful. Thanks for the tips in this thread. I just set my own google to safe searches. I didn't know that. I appreciate the info. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caitlinsmom Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 I don't know that they'd be trying to make kids consumers, necessarily (in an economic sense) -- but maybe some perverts get their thrills imagining kids stumbling upon stuff. IDK, but the Justin Bieber, Hello Kitty and Charlotte's Web stories make me think it's not unintentional. It is intentional. After talking with someone who was involved in the business I was shocked. If they can get a child/teen to stumble upon a glimpse here or there the curiosity is usually peaked in the kid. So they will return again and again over a time period. Once that child has become used to it they will search for more expicit content. Eventually they have a loyal adult consumer. I have never in my life been disgusted by a conversation more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janie Grace Posted October 26, 2011 Author Share Posted October 26, 2011 It is intentional. After talking with someone who was involved in the business I was shocked. If they can get a child/teen to stumble upon a glimpse here or there the curiosity is usually peaked in the kid. So they will return again and again over a time period. Once that child has become used to it they will search for more expicit content. Eventually they have a loyal adult consumer. I have never in my life been disgusted by a conversation more. You. are. kidding. me. I don't know how someone in "the business" could tell a mom that without fear of getting decked. That makes me so angry and sick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymilkies Posted October 26, 2011 Share Posted October 26, 2011 Oh yes...I make the kids leave the room if I google, and they are not allowed to without me and it set to "strict". Even then, a lot of questionable material seeps through. It's terrible. I have a Mac. Would k9 or SafeEyes or something work on a mac? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grover Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 I vividly remember searching for "girl's school uniforms" in the early days of my internet usage as a young teen. Our school was planning a new uniform and had asked for input from students and I wanted some ideas. <shudder> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mynyel Posted October 27, 2011 Share Posted October 27, 2011 Ahh yes... I found things I didn't want to see by trying to find MCT on ebay. Yup don't type that in.. unless you want to see... ahem... things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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