Safe internet access for kids

[mariojem]

My six year old daughter is very intrigued and curious about the internet. She knows and understands that having access to the internet is something different from just using a PC. I would like to introduce her to the net, but fear exposure to unnecessary and adult sites. How can I restrict her access to specific sites of her interest?

[Lon]

Originally Posted by mariojem

My six year old daughter is very intrigued and curious about the internet. She knows and understands that having access to the internet is something different from just using a PC. I would like to introduce her to the net, but fear exposure to unnecessary and adult sites. How can I restrict her access to specific sites of her interest?

Take some time to learn how YOU can put some controls into your computer that would block specific sites.

[CARLA]

Pretty much nails it. You have to know what you want to block. There is software out there that will do it for you. You still need to know how to set it up. There are no 100% safe sites in today's world. For little one I would suggest Home - Sesame Street for starters fun and innocent. Then maybe some Disney sites. Your local Zoo's site they are fun for kids.

[spot]

I've no exerience of bought commercial internet filters. I've used K9 on machines for children, it filters content on whatever basis you request, it has default settings, it blocks outside allowed hours, I'm impressed by it.

[qsducks]

Originally Posted by mariojem

My six year old daughter is very intrigued and curious about the internet. She knows and understands that having access to the internet is something different from just using a PC. I would like to introduce her to the net, but fear exposure to unnecessary and adult sites. How can I restrict her access to specific sites of her interest?

Some good sites are PBS.org, Clubpenquin.com, Disney.com These will pique her interest. My son still goes to these sites.

[spot]

As for learn how to block specific sites yourself, it's not going to help in the slightest. What you need is an ability to block categories and let hundreds of contributors dictate what falls into it or not. There's no way on earth one person is going to be able to give instructions on what to filter off a child's computer without external categorization, blocking site by site yourself to get clean access is an impossibility. Learning how to block sites is secondary, installing an existing package which imports block lists with tens of thousands of sites on it is the only approach which will have an effect. Yes Microsoft provided the hosts file, no it's not an answer.
Finally, no parent who has any interest in the sanity of the child would allow it near disney.com, it's full of the most disgusting drivel.

[Betty Boop]

Originally Posted by spot

I've no exerience of bought commercial internet filters. I've used K9 on machines for children, it filters content on whatever basis you request, it has default settings, it blocks outside allowed hours, I'm impressed by it.

I'm impressed too, I have K9 installed on my childrens computers. It's easy to use, they have set times when they are allowed internet access, and K9 'barks' at us everytime an attempt to enter a dodgy site is made. If anything it's over protective, so far a six year old and an eleven year old have not happened to arrive on anything they shouldn't have.

[CARLA]

I think this K9 site might work on some adult computer users machines. I spend so much time cleaning up their personal home machines after they have run them into the ground with trojan, viruses you name. I like the barking Dog. Thanks Spot good to see you back. http://www1.k9webprotection.com/

[Bill Sikes]

Originally Posted by mariojem

How can I restrict her access to specific sites of her interest?

I would not trust any software at all in this respect. The only thing you can do is supervise, and monitor, constantly. There's no substitute, IMO.

A system tucked away in a bedroom or elsewhere where access isn't general, and is at all private, is asking for trouble.

[fuzzywuzzy]

I don't block anything for my children . I just tell them watch what you look up because you may get more than you bargained for. Which one of my boys did. I prefer to leave it up to them to monitor, they'll have to learn about it one day . If they know how to get to these sites they also learn how to avoid them as well. As they do now, they now know how to be very selective on the net.