The Internet and World Wide Web
When Timothy Berners-Lee went online on August 6, 1991 with
his project of joining his concepts of hypertext with the
Internet technologies of TCP and DNS, the World Wide Web
was born. This new technology opened a fascinating world
of opportunities for us and our children, but along with these
incredible resources, lurk the insidious dangers of hate,
violence, child pornography and child predators.
There is no doubt that the World Wide Web has opened the
doors of opportunity for all of us. We can go online to
research topics of interest, browse the news and weather in
real-time, download delicious gourmet recipes to feed our
families, stay in touch with friends and family members through
e-mail and instant online chat programs, just to name a few.
The dark side of society has also utilized this technology to
further its goals as well. Internet pornography is a
multi-billion dollar a year business. Many sites promote
violence, drug use, weapons, gambling, hate crimes and child
molestation. So how do we balance the benefits of the
World Wide Web against the dangers our children may encounter?
There is no single, silver bullet approach to protect our
families; rather it takes a multi-level approach. Even if you
follow ALL of the following suggestions, there is no guarantee
that your family will be 100% safe, all of the time. TRUST and
OPEN COMMUNICATION is the first place to start when it comes to
protecting your children.
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Approach to Protecting our Children
- Computers should be setup in a common area of the home
- There needs to be an open line of communication and
trust between parents and children regarding the benefits
and dangers of the Internet
- There needs to be "rules" established on what is
acceptable use, and punishments for violating the
established rules, just as you would for use of the family
car
- Download and sign Internet Usage Agreements from
http://www.cyberangels.org for both you and your
children. These agreements set a level of expectations
for both of you on what is appropriate behavior, and what to
expect from each other.
- Subscribe to a "family-friendly" ISP service as
recommended by
Family First. Be advised that these services are easily
defeated by a knowledgeable youngster, so keep on reading!
- Activate browser-level filtering and password protect
your settings
- Install and setup Internet
filtering, and
advanced Internet
management software solutions to block and filter
objectionable content, and protect against child predators.
Your browser's filtering is NOT enough!
- As a last resort, install Monitoring software to track
your child's Internet activity.
- Make sure that operating system software, as well as
antivirus and anti-spyware software is installed and up to
date. This is important to ensure that any potential
holes and vulnerabilities are not exploited by malware.
- Make sure you setup normal user accounts to prevent
unauthorized software from being installed. Your
Windows computer defaults to a full access Administrator
account! more...
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Warning Signs for Parents
- Your child spends an excessive amount of time online,
and withdraws from relationships with family/friends
- Your child is online at unusual times of day, very early
morning, late at night or when no one is home
- Your child spends an excessive amount of time in chat
rooms, instant messaging programs or on "social" sites such
as MySpace. These areas are where most predators lurk
in wait
- Your child looks guilty when you enter the area where
the computer is setup, and avoids your questions or changes
the topic when asked about their online activities
- Your child turns off the monitor, or changes screens
when you approach the computer area
- Your child receives gifts or money in the mail from
people you do not know
- Your child receives, or makes phone calls to people you
do not know
- You find telephone phone calling cards or a cell phone
you did not purchase in your child's possession
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