texascamps Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Youtube.com is our startup page on my kids browser. We are on it daily for music lessons and all sorts of stuff. Today, it forces you to watch a very graphic commercial for "Haunting in Connecticut". There is an option to "hide advertisement" which then minimizes it to a box on the right hand of the monitor, still the biggest item on the screen. There is no way to delete this. I went looking for instructions on how to either remove the ad. There is no way to do it! There is no way I can see to send a quick email to YouTube to ask for a how to. So, I told the kids that YouTube is off limits today and I've changed the startup page. All I can do is WRITE and I mean Snail Mail a letter to YouTube telling them that not all of their customers are degenerates. Does someone out there know how to control YouTube?:confused::confused::confused::confused::confused::confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 well, it's my kids. But I just logged on and I don't get any commercials. I have my settings to auto log on and remember password, so I go directly to my kid's channel. They are signed up as under 18, so they don't get too much racy stuff (I won't say they get none...). Perhaps you can sign up as a minor and avoid some of the yucky stuff. hth K Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Oh my gosh! How disgusting! I did notice that it offers you to 'customize' the page by signing up for a You Tube account. Have you tried that? Ginger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensummervillian Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I had to check it out. I thought you meant sexually graphic. That is disturbing and scary. This is what I found for contact info. YouTube, LLC 901 Cherry Ave. San Bruno, CA 94066 USA Phone: +1 650-253-0000 Fax: +1 650-253-0001 I tried calling, and it says my call cannot be completed as dialed. Has anyone else tried? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamnkats Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Aw c'mon. YouTube isn't forcing you to watch anything. Personally, I would never have YouTube as a startup page. Just too much "stuff" out there. And honestly, I don't really care too much what my kids watch. Change your startup page to google or blank or something. You Tube is really a very poor choice if you're trying to shelter your kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 I've never thought of YouTube as a kid friendly site. Between the many inappropriate videos that are posted and the language that people use when commenting on videos, I've always put that in the Only-when-mom-calls-you-to-the-computer-to-see-something category. YouTube is not a kid site, nor does it advertise itself as such. I would just chalk this up to a lesson learned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phathui5 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Another "You Tube isn't for children to use unattended" here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 (edited) There is an option to "hide advertisement" which then minimizes it to a box on the right hand of the monitor, still the biggest item on the screen. There is no way to delete this. That's why I keep a piece of printer paper handy in front of the monitor at all times. Our computer is in the living room. What any one is doing, everyone can see. Many, many ads are not appropriate for my three-year-old. I don't really want my kids to see ads about weight loss, either; I want them to have good body image so long as they're healthy. Still, I don't expect a corporation to make their website safe for little kids. Pain in the butt as it is, it's my job as a parent to protect my kids and preview their internet viewing, even their daily, routine viewing, especially on sites like YouTube where the content changes constantly and there's so much to click. But it is annoying. Edited March 20, 2009 by dragons in the flower bed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtb1999 Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Aw c'mon. YouTube isn't forcing you to watch anything. Personally, I would never have YouTube as a startup page. Just too much "stuff" out there. And honestly, I don't really care too much what my kids watch. Change your startup page to google or blank or something. You Tube is really a very poor choice if you're trying to shelter your kids. :iagree: And calling people who like scary movies degenerates is a bit much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greensummervillian Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Good point about it not being a site for children. I think my strong reaction came from my being disturbed by it. I don't like scary previews on TV either because I'm really overly sensitive about scary movies. They make me scared of the dark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fivetails Posted March 20, 2009 Share Posted March 20, 2009 Odd...I'm not getting that :001_huh:... youtube looks exactly like it always looks for me.. (not logged in or anything - I don't have a youtube user account)... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marylou Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Just an hour or so ago I went to Youtube b/c my kids wanted to see the "United States Song" we found there the other day. As soon as I clicked and saw that disgusting image I told them to close their eyes and turn around. From now on I will send them away when I click there. I've been going to Youtube for years and never even noticed the ads until today. . . And honestly, I don't really care too much what my kids watch. And regarding this quote . . . did you really mean to type that :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ria Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Another "You Tube isn't for children to use unattended" here. :iagree: Ria Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Alte Veste Academy Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I've never thought of YouTube as a kid friendly site. Between the many inappropriate videos that are posted and the language that people use when commenting on videos, I've always put that in the Only-when-mom-calls-you-to-the-computer-to-see-something category. Yes, it's sad that even for some of the better videos, you can't feel safe because many times people leave horribly inappropriate comments. Plus, it's like a case of Six Degrees of Separation from lovely vintage Sesame Street clips about cats invading a dollhouse tea party and flat. out. smut. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 yeah...and be careful if you actually TYPE in "y-o-u-t-u-b-e.com" -- if you leave out the 'y', it's a Very. Graphic. Porn Site. :ack2: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keptwoman Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 yeah...and be careful if you actually TYPE in "y-o-u-t-u-b-e.com" -- if you leave out the 'y', it's a Very. Graphic. Porn Site. :ack2: There are a lot of very dodgy sites got to by mis-typing of common URLs. It's revolting really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I can't join in the outrage because I'm frankly puzzled you'd use Youtube for your children's start-up page. Would I want to be subjected to the commericial you mentioned ~ or have it foisted upon my boys? No. I don't want to be exposed (or again, have my kids exposed) to a great deal of junk on Youtube. It's a very cool place, in many respects. It's also a free-for-all. If you choose to expose your kids to a free-for-all, don't be surprised when that's just what's delivered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 My kids know that if I'm looking for something on YouTube they have to clear the room before I even go there. There is a block for YouTube. I read about it awhile back and I will try to track it down for you. I didn't bother with it because I have the "exit" rule in place. Anyways, from what I read, the block (that's probably not the best word to describe it, not sure) covers over objectional images and text with a block of script that displays a daily Bible passage. I don't know how well it would work but you may want to search around for something like that. I'll see if I can track the info. down and I'll post it here if I can find it. And, we've been using Teacher Tube alot. It's fun and so far, no problems there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donna T. Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 Well, this isn't exactly what I had read about, but maybe it will help someone. I guess it doesn't work on ads, just the videos. http://www.internetsafety.com/press-youtube-filter.php Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texascamps Posted March 21, 2009 Author Share Posted March 21, 2009 Thanks to those that suggested some options on Youtube.com. In my naivete I expect the front page/home of most business sites like youtube to be innocent. Even the porn sites I've come across have a warning page asking me to click on the button to say I'm 18. The responsibility to where we take ourselves after page one is obviously up to us since we have to type in our searches. We haven't had any issues come up before. We use youtube daily for music lessons, sewing lessons, etc. My kids already know we have a zero tolerance policy on them looking for innappropriate material and for over a year of unbridled access, they have not even deviated from the music and "how to" video restrictions. So they have proven themselves to be trustworthy on that part. (they know I'll just get rid of the computer if trust is betrayed) If we want to find entertainment, then we go looking together. For the smaller kids, thumbnails for the same old videos they always watch (Schoolhouse Rock,etc.) come up so they don't actually ever go anywhere, only the same old videos, they can't type. If I were to log on to MSN.com, or MadMoney or Olay.com and seen the same ad, I would have still been outraged! We enter into these sites with some consumer trust... Even in the movie theaters they edit trailers to adhere to a PG type trailer..... that ad was not PG. I did find out that there were many more complaints to Youtube and someone notified their local news station because an ad like that violates YouTube's own innappropriate content policy. So, I appreciate those that have suggested filters and the channels. I will try that. I was also thinking of a way to block the actual "home page" from my firewall and allowing only my kids search pages to come through. I wish someone would come up with NerdTube, where some of us nerdy type folks who just want to utilize this technology in a quiet, unsexy manner, can go. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 My browser is set so that I have to grant permission for Active X controls to work. This means that when I go to Youtube's home page, I simply say no, and no videos show. When I click on something I do want to watch, then I say yes to Active X controls. I don't have this setting because of Youtube, but because we once had a worm that destroyed a harddrive and this was one of the suggestions for reducing the likelihood of getting a virus/worm/trojan (whichever can come via Active X). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dtb1999 Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I don't have this setting because of Youtube, but because we once had a worm that destroyed a harddrive and this was one of the suggestions for reducing the likelihood of getting a virus/worm/trojan (whichever can come via Active X). I didn't know that! Yikes! So any site that has Active X videos, even kid's game sites and things like that could have a virus/worm/trojan in them? And you don't have to download anything to get it? :confused: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted March 21, 2009 Share Posted March 21, 2009 I didn't know that! Yikes! So any site that has Active X videos, even kid's game sites and things like that could have a virus/worm/trojan in them? And you don't have to download anything to get it? :confused: Apparently so. All I know is that now that I don't take cookies from just any old site, or let Active X controls run on just any old site, things have been going a lot better for our computer. Dh doesn't like it, because he likes to read sports on Yahoo, and they like to give lots of cookies. Cookies can also be used for tracking, etc, so I only use them on a few sites. This forum removes cookies if you log out, which is a great feature. The safer you make your browser, the harder it is to browse, so you have to find a balance that works. But I go beyond the medium setting mine came with. You can also alter your download settings in your browser, etc, to help prevent this stuff. Don't ask me how all the transfers work. Of course, you need a good firewall and some great fighting software (anti virus, anti spywar, all that stuff). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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