BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites

Subject: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Janie
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 09:38 PM

Hey parents. I need simple to figure out and use software to block sexually explicit websites on both Mac and PC. The parental control features on the computers themselves have proven unmanagable - either requiring I OK each allowed website, or blocking too much content without selectivity. In the past, I have tried one or two recommended freeware programs (can't remember which now, but think one was Parental Advisor. Too complicated to set the filters.)

Is there not something that is pretty intuitive that will detect and block porn sites without blocking gobs and gobs of other stuff, or requiring administrator permission before allowing almost any website?

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 10:05 PM

The simple answer to "Is there not something that is pretty intuitive that will detect and block porn sites without blocking gobs and gobs of other stuff, or requiring administrator permission before allowing almost any website?"

is No....

Now for the long answer, read on.... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 10:26 PM

Janie... sites that have porn have gotten so very clever that the older 'filtering' programs just don't catch enough to make it worthwhile. 10 years ago, it was relatively easy because porn sites had common, easily defined formats. Now, they use internal 'code' words to allow a search engine to find them.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 10:38 PM

Depending on who you need to protect from those sites, there are only a couple of alternatives....administrator privileges to the computer is the obvious one. There are ways, as in free programs, to keep anyone but you from using the machine, except when you are there.

If you can't control access to the machine, it is close to impossible to keep a clever person from using it to surf anywhere....

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Sawzaw
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 10:41 PM

Check with your ISP.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Bill D
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 10:53 PM

restricting access

more of that

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 11:22 PM

Janie, keep his computer in the living room, and walk through regularly. He will be pretty good at self-regulating based upon being caught. And if the browser window is lowered quickly, then ask for him to open it again. The best monitoring or blocking program out there is a parent in the room.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 11:41 PM

I was told years back when I asked that question of a school secretary that the school division had a program that absolutely positively blocked all porno. I said, "No way!"

I went to the library, typed in    sex    and was immediately whisked off to a photo of two ladies rubbing their upper body protuberances on each other. I then called the office and asked her to come to the library and see. That was the last I heard of sites being blocked by anyone.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: GUEST
Date: 12 Jan 10 - 11:42 PM

I tried FIVE time to post the above and it would not post. WTF is going on? I used Guest, 999.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 12:50 AM

There is something about the browsers needing to be refreshed. Select and copy your text, then reload the page, (use the circular arrow at the top) and re-paste in the message, or use another browser, and it should work. I agree, it is annoying. This is how we lose posts, if we don't realize the page didn't load and navigate too far away from the original to go back and save the text and post it properly.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Janie
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 01:00 AM

Happens to many of us sometimes, Guest - and yes, it can happen several times in a row. PM Joe if you are inclined to take it personally - he won't hesitate to let you know if you ought to take it personally. Most likely, though, it is just one of those "sh*t happens" things that occur that no one has ever figured out.

Arggh - ain't hearin' about any silver bullets so far, from folks who are good at finding silver bullets.

The problem is when I am gone several hours, Maggie. (and also my time when I am home. I have more to do than go to the computer every 10 minutes as administrator to allow him access to a site.)

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 02:46 AM

So now you see what I meant by my "what you thought was a smart arse answer" ... :-P

I got hit with a posting loss in the Kitchenless Cooking thread today - lucky I copied the text before posting - attempts to go back often do NOT recover ANY text....

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: theleveller
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 03:25 AM

Far more dangerous and worrying than sexually explicit sites are those that portray gratuitous violence and extol the use of firearms. They are the ones I would like to block children from seeing.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 06:00 AM

Just let them believe that everything goes through your secret poxy server and you can tell every site theuy have been on. Self policing will be most effective:-)

BTW - You can realy do it if you like by setting up logs and filtering of certain routers and making sure the offspring do not have access to the admin function of that.

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 07:03 AM

D el G is right - telling them you'll regularly check their history is the best way these days...

If you have problems with pop-up and adware porn, I recommend switching browsers from the relatively vulnerable Explorer to something like Google Chrome.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 07:37 AM

D el G is right - telling them you'll regularly check their history is the best way these days...

Unfortunately the kids will reset 'options' to 'delete browsing history on exit'

There will never be an easy answer to this while the kids are more 'computer savvy' than the adults!

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Ruth Archer
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 07:54 AM

Ah - but Dave said "Just let them believe that everything goes through your secret proxy server and you can tell every site they have been on."

Clever.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 09:19 AM

Unfortunately the kids will reset 'options' to 'delete browsing history on exit'

As do most people who don't want to build up terrabytes of cookies, browsing history and temp files! A proxy server or router is, however, not on the local desktop and provided you do not let the kids into that device or let them by-pass it, you can still check the browsing history.

Or, as me and Ruth have both said, even if you don't do it - Let them belive you have and, every now and again, just throw in the odd comment like "What were you doing on such and such a site at 10:03 last night?" Usualy is enough to frighten them:-)

Cheers

DeG

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 09:20 AM

BTW - I have heard that some ISPs are willing to provide browsing history given the right monetary incentive. Anyone ever used that service?

D.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Rapparee
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 09:21 AM

You can also get a keystroke saver, either in-line between the keyboard and the PC or as software. Or set Google or other search software to prevent such sites from coming up -- I believe you can password that, too.

Your best bet is supervision, though. As the man said, "Trust everyone, but count your change."

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Simon G
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 09:42 AM

I would recommend using opendns.com as your dns server. It will block a lot of sites for you and also keep a record of all sites whose name has been looked up.

Last year I spent sometime on a double decker bus kitted out as mobile youth/kids club. It had internet access, fortunately with all screens pointing to the centre of the bus so you could easily monitor them. The computers had Net Nanny which did a good job of stopping kids accidentally visiting explicit sites. We had a pair of 8 year old girls who loudly declared they were trying to access a known explicit site and where actually trying. Net Nanny kept them at bay, but it wouldn't have beaten your average 12 year old kitted out with all the things he has learn't from his mates at school.

I would use opendns and Net Nanny or similar in combination and check the logs from opendns. As was said before, keeping the computers under parental supervision is by far the best protection.

I am sure we weren't as naive as today's kids. They seem to be willing to accept anything told to them on the screen and will give pretty much any personal information asked for without a blink of an eye. Despite warnings from all directions. You can't keep them off chat and social networking but that is the biggest danger, monitoring this is vital. A lot of the interaction is very healthy but when it goes wrong it is very dangerous.

Families that make use of computers a communal thing seem to fair best, talking about it, playing and interacting.

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 09:51 AM

Janie,
Here at work we have Barracuda which usually blocks porno, violence, and videos. But not always.
I have to search out sites when customers apply for e-commerce and sometimes an innocent name links to hard core porn which usually crashes my computer and embarrasses me. But it is rare.
M

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: SINSULL
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 09:53 AM

http://www.barracudanetworks.com/ns/products/spam_overview.php

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 09:55 AM

Most blockers prevent you from looking up anything in Penistone or Scunthorpe btw!

Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites
From: Bill D
Date: 13 Jan 10 - 01:07 PM

If, as it seems, this IS a young male, the only real control is "no using the computer when I am away." That can be controlled in several ways with technology. (settings & programs which keep access restricted)

If he persists, even when you are in the house, that becomes a different type of problem....one of trust & control & discipline...etc.

The really big problem with dubious sites is that they are often the source of various malware.

(BTW...a 'key logger' to prove he DID break the rules doesn't solve much, and I know personally of a case where installing one slowed the entire computer down noticably.)