Mom-ninja. Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 In light of the thread about 11 yr old boys and the internet, it got me thinking it's time to get a program to put on my computers. So what do you recommend for this type of thing? Please be specific as I have no clue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted February 23, 2012 Share Posted February 23, 2012 http://www.opendns.com/ is free Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 24, 2012 Author Share Posted February 24, 2012 http://www.opendns.com/ is free Thanks. Anyone else? I really thought I'd get a ton of suggestions. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 i missed the thread you are referring too, but we use K9 for our kids. it's perfect and it's free. hth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I remember reading a book some years ago (Steal This Computer book or something like that) that described how to disable such programs in such a way that they still appeared to function correctly. I tend to think that they may give a false sense of security. If I were considering one, I would research exactly how secure it really is and which one is the hardest to defeat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I have heard good things about Covenant Eyes. http://www.covenanteyes.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 We also use k-9. I love it because you can customize what you block, including kids trying to look for codes to try and go around the blocks (I forget what those are called). I can also log them into certain sites like facebook or youtube for certain periods of time (15, 30, or 60 minutes). This way there is no arguing about how long they have been on, and when their time is up. I have those sites and game sites blocked on the school computer, so they can work on school work, but not get distracted by other stuff. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tntgoodwin Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 I remember reading a book some years ago (Steal This Computer book or something like that) that described how to disable such programs in such a way that they still appeared to function correctly. I tend to think that they may give a false sense of security. If I were considering one, I would research exactly how secure it really is and which one is the hardest to defeat. Yeah, pretty much no filter will fully block a determined teenager. The best thing to do is use a filter, if you must, in order to prevent accidental viewing of inappropriate material. Keep the computer in a public room like a living room or family room where anyone can see what is on the screen at any time. Keep up to date with what your kid is doing online. Make sure you know who they are talking to online, what kind of information they are sharing, etc. Do not trust a filter or program to keep them from intentionally viewing things you don't want them to see or read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BatmansWife Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 (edited) We have SecureIt. But, it sometimes blocks things that I want to see. Like...on the curriculum board there was this thread about a science experiment from the 50's where you needed to blow cigarette smoke into a bottle. I can't open the thread; SecureIt blocks it. I haven't gotten the SecureIt parental controls completely figured out yet, so I don't even know how to unblock it. Oh well....I guess I won't know what that thread was about. :lol: Is there any way to make You Tube safe? I find I get raunchy stuff popping up in the "related videos" bar no matter how innocuous the video I'm watching is. I hate that. Is there a way to prevent it? There is a Safety on Youtube. You need to be logged in. Go all the way to the bottom of the page and you should see it. It will say Safety: On or Safety: Off. I don't know why, but often ours is off when nobody takes it off. So, it's not perfect, but it does help a little (I just have to remember to check each day that it says On). Edited February 24, 2012 by ~AprilMay~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZooRho Posted February 24, 2012 Share Posted February 24, 2012 we used Spector soft. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted February 25, 2012 Author Share Posted February 25, 2012 Yeah, pretty much no filter will fully block a determined teenager. The best thing to do is use a filter, if you must, in order to prevent accidental viewing of inappropriate material. Keep the computer in a public room like a living room or family room where anyone can see what is on the screen at any time. Keep up to date with what your kid is doing online. Make sure you know who they are talking to online, what kind of information they are sharing, etc. Do not trust a filter or program to keep them from intentionally viewing things you don't want them to see or read. :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iucounu Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 We use Windows Live Family Safety, which is free for Windows users. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
workingmom Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 We use K9 for the iMac/desktop works great but when we installed it on the laptop (macbook) it crashes daily. i think basically it searches for wifii and when it relogs into the connection it doesn't allow anything to load and you have to restart the computer. very annoying. so i took it off the laptop but i know i need to put it up again. any advice on how to have k9 work well on a wireless laptop? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmyontheFarm Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 We use Bsecure. I love being able to set up different security levels for different kids, plus be able to block specific programs on certain computers where I don't want to have to worry about them downloading music and filling up the hard drive. The only problem I had was my eldest in bible college was doing a study on other religions and whenever she had to type in something about wicca the bsecure on her computer would freeze up and I'd end up with an email letting me know she was attempting the access the info. I called and they explained how to lighten up one setting and she was good to go again. Definitely worth the small amount of cash knowing that I can see that all six computer are secure and I can see where they've been from anywhere in the world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightly Salted Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 i missed the thread you are referring too, but we use K9 for our kids. it's perfect and it's free. hth. Thanks for this suggestion! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
*Inna* Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 There is a Safety on Youtube. You need to be logged in. Go all the way to the bottom of the page and you should see it. It will say Safety: On or Safety: Off. I don't know why, but often ours is off when nobody takes it off. So, it's not perfect, but it does help a little (I just have to remember to check each day that it says On). Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brenda in FL Posted February 25, 2012 Share Posted February 25, 2012 We use K9 for the iMac/desktop works great but when we installed it on the laptop (macbook) it crashes daily. i think basically it searches for wifii and when it relogs into the connection it doesn't allow anything to load and you have to restart the computer. very annoying. so i took it off the laptop but i know i need to put it up again. any advice on how to have k9 work well on a wireless laptop? I can't help - but to tell you that it works fine on our laptop using wireless. Maybe make sure you have all the current updates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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