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12 Jan 10 - 09:38 PM (#2810545) Subject: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Janie 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? |
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12 Jan 10 - 10:05 PM (#2810559) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: The Fooles Troupe 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.... :-) |
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12 Jan 10 - 10:26 PM (#2810566) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Bill D 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. |
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12 Jan 10 - 10:38 PM (#2810575) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Bill D 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.... |
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12 Jan 10 - 10:41 PM (#2810577) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Sawzaw Check with your ISP. |
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12 Jan 10 - 10:53 PM (#2810585) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Bill D restricting access more of that |
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12 Jan 10 - 11:22 PM (#2810599) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Stilly River Sage 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 |
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12 Jan 10 - 11:41 PM (#2810604) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: GUEST 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. |
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12 Jan 10 - 11:42 PM (#2810605) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: GUEST I tried FIVE time to post the above and it would not post. WTF is going on? I used Guest, 999. |
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13 Jan 10 - 12:50 AM (#2810639) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Stilly River Sage 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. |
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13 Jan 10 - 01:00 AM (#2810645) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Janie 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.) |
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13 Jan 10 - 02:46 AM (#2810674) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: The Fooles Troupe 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.... |
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13 Jan 10 - 03:25 AM (#2810682) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: theleveller 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. |
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13 Jan 10 - 06:00 AM (#2810754) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Dave the Gnome 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 |
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13 Jan 10 - 07:03 AM (#2810778) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Ruth Archer 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. |
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13 Jan 10 - 07:37 AM (#2810792) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Nigel Parsons 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! |
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13 Jan 10 - 07:54 AM (#2810813) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Ruth Archer 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. |
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13 Jan 10 - 09:19 AM (#2810861) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Dave the Gnome 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 |
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13 Jan 10 - 09:20 AM (#2810862) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Dave the Gnome BTW - I have heard that some ISPs are willing to provide browsing history given the right monetary incentive. Anyone ever used that service? D. |
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13 Jan 10 - 09:21 AM (#2810864) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Rapparee 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." |
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13 Jan 10 - 09:42 AM (#2810879) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Simon G 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. |
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13 Jan 10 - 09:51 AM (#2810892) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: SINSULL 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 |
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13 Jan 10 - 09:53 AM (#2810896) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: SINSULL http://www.barracudanetworks.com/ns/products/spam_overview.php |
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13 Jan 10 - 09:55 AM (#2810898) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Dave the Gnome Most blockers prevent you from looking up anything in Penistone or Scunthorpe btw! |
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13 Jan 10 - 01:07 PM (#2811055) Subject: RE: BS: Help. Need to block Explicit Sites From: Bill D 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.) |