Internet Filter recommendations needed

My son is headed off to college this fall and wants a filter for his
laptop, to keep out the porn sites. We do not have one on our home
computer (there are always people in the house, computer is located in
the middle of the dining room and is visible from several rooms, we're on
dial-up so it takes forever for any photos to come up and videos take
about 4 days!) ... so all that to say, we need recommendations.

I know some people use BeSafe Online, but I have heard that there are a
lot of frustrating problems with it. In one of my middle school classes
last year, one student had BeSafe on the home computer and she could not
access several sites that I had assigned. We never could figure out why
...

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kim in AR

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The first thing your son needs to do is learn safe computing.

First rule? There is no free lunch. IOW, you will not get something for
nothing. If it's free, generally there's a catch. Since the advent of
the world wide web, free is just another four letter word.

Don't--

Open emails from people he doesn't know.
Click links in emails unless he has a good idea where he's going.
Open attachments until scanned, even from known sources
Send or receive email in HTML; use plain text.
Download and install every free app or screen saver he comes across or
click on links offering prize winnings, get rich quick schemes or
pictures of Brittany in the buff.

Do--

Run an up-to-date AV and anti-spyware program.
Install a good firewall, one that monitors both directions; incoming and
outgoing.
Regular system maintenance, like weekly system virus and spyware scans,
as well as defrag and disk cleanup.

That said, there are a lot of good applications that ARE free. You just
have to do a bit of research and ask questions. One good thing for him
would be to join a group like this one.

The most important thing is to lock down the computer. Don't let every
Tom, Dick and Harry use it or play with it. Password all users
including the Administrator and remember the computer is a tool, not a toy.

Porn on the internet is a lot like porn elsewhere. If you want to find
it, you can. If you want to avoid it, it's pretty easy. You may see
the occasional offensive image but if you don't go poking around in
unsavory places, you'll avoid 99% of it.

Tom

Kim F. Brinson wrote:
> My son is headed off to college this fall and wants a filter for his
> laptop, to keep out the porn sites. We do not have one on our home
>; computer (there are always people in the house, computer is located in
> the middle of the dining room and is visible from several rooms, we're on
> dial-up so it takes forever for any photos to come up and videos take
>; about 4 days!) ... so all that to say, we need recommendations.
>
> I know some people use BeSafe Online, but I have heard that there are a
> lot of frustrating problems with it. In one of my middle school classes
> last year, one student had BeSafe on the home computer and she could not
> access several sites that I had assigned. We never could figure out why
> ...
>
> Anyway, any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Kim in AR

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The only filter needed resides inside one's head. I have NEVER gotten
any porn by accident, in 10 years, being on line 24 hours a day for the
last 5 years. I get about 250 emails every day, about 100 are spam,
easy to recognize, and respond well to Delete.

Ardell Faul
Computer Monitor Service Inc.
Ardell's Laptop and PC Repair
10816 E. Mission Ave.,
Spokane Valley, Wa. 99206
ardell%40icehouse.net">ardellicehouse.net
509-891-5188

Kim F. Brinson wrote:

> My son is headed off to college this fall and wants a filter for his
> laptop, to keep out the porn sites. We do not have one on our home
>; computer (there are always people in the house, computer is located in
> the middle of the dining room and is visible from several rooms, we're on
> dial-up so it takes forever for any photos to come up and videos take
>; about 4 days!) ... so all that to say, we need recommendations.
>
> I know some people use BeSafe Online, but I have heard that there are a
> lot of frustrating problems with it. In one of my middle school classes
> last year, one student had BeSafe on the home computer and she could not
> access several sites that I had assigned. We never could figure out why
> ...
>
> Anyway, any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Kim in AR
>
>
>
>----------------------------------------------------------
>
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition.
>Version: 7.5.476 / Virus Database: 269.10.22/922 - Release Date: 7/27/2007 6:08 AM
>
>

In IE, Tools, internet options, content tab, explorer the options offered
under content advisor.
Search internet using "parental controls" [including the quotes] as the
search string to find many programs offered.
If you do not want others using the notebook, consider setting up a BIOS
level password.
Create a password for all windows users and under display properties select
screen saver and check the tab 'On resume, password protect' option.

-----Original Message-----
From: Computer_Help_and_Discussion%40yahoogroups.com">Computer_Help_and_Discussionyahoogroups.com
[mailto: Computer_Help_and_Discussion%40yahoogroups.com">Computer_Help_and_Discussionyahoogroups.com]On Behalf Of Kim F.
Brinson
Sent: Friday, July 27, 2007 7:24 AM
To: Computer_Help_and_Discussion%40yahoogroups.com">Computer_Help_and_Discussionyahoogroups.com
Subject: [CHAD] Internet Filter recommendations needed

My son is headed off to college this fall and wants a filter for his
laptop, to keep out the porn sites. We do not have one on our home
computer (there are always people in the house, computer is located in
the middle of the dining room and is visible from several rooms, we're on
dial-up so it takes forever for any photos to come up and videos take
about 4 days!) ... so all that to say, we need recommendations.

I know some people use BeSafe Online, but I have heard that there are a
lot of frustrating problems with it. In one of my middle school classes
last year, one student had BeSafe on the home computer and she could not
access several sites that I had assigned. We never could figure out why
...

Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Kim in AR

> Remove the anti-virus footer, ads, Yahoo footers, and this line and
everything below when replying; see our other list
http://www.freelists.org/cgi-bin/list?list_id=chadfree

For a "How to Trim" see:
http://www.marthas-web.com/trimming-posts.htm
Yahoo! Groups Links

I think the OP is concerned about other people (like roommates) that may
have access to the laptop, not just her son...

--
Norm Higgs
http://forbiddenpc.com
http://forbiddenpc.blogspot.com
https://linkedin.com/e/fpf/4018099
http://freetrafficbar.com?r=74276

Ardell Faul wrote:
> The only filter needed resides inside one's head. I have NEVER gotten
> any porn by accident, in 10 years, being on line 24 hours a day for the
> last 5 years. I get about 250 emails every day, about 100 are spam,
> easy to recognize, and respond well to Delete.
>
> Ardell Faul
>; Computer Monitor Service Inc.
>; Ardell's Laptop and PC Repair
> 10816 E. Mission Ave.,
> Spokane Valley, Wa. 99206
> ardell%40icehouse.net">ardellicehouse.net
> 509-891-5188
>
>
>
> Kim F. Brinson wrote:
>
>
>>; My son is headed off to college this fall and wants a filter for his
>> laptop, to keep out the porn sites. We do not have one on our home
>;> computer (there are always people in the house, computer is located in
>> the middle of the dining room and is visible from several rooms, we're on
>> dial-up so it takes forever for any photos to come up and videos take
>;> about 4 days!) ... so all that to say, we need recommendations.
>>
>> I know some people use BeSafe Online, but I have heard that there are a
>> lot of frustrating problems with it. In one of my middle school classes
>> last year, one student had BeSafe on the home computer and she could not
>> access several sites that I had assigned. We never could figure out why
>> ...
>>
>> Anyway, any help would be appreciated.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Kim in AR
>>
>>

And Windows has password security just for that reason. Password all
accounts and keep the system secure. It's either a toy or a tool but it
can't be both.

I've run into this with home computers as well. Mom or dad uses it for
business (or important stuff) but they say the kids want to play games
on it and surf with their friends. Can't be done without serious
security measures that have to be enforced and even then I strenuously
recommend a second computer.

Tom

Norm Higgs wrote:
> I think the OP is concerned about other people (like roommates) that may
> have access to the laptop, not just her son...
>

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I use K9 Web Protection and love it. It is free version put out by Blue
Coat, the folks who specialize in corporate web filtering software. It
is all web based, and can filter, or block by category, keyword, or
website.
The website for a free download is http://www.k9webprotection.com/
Jere

Kim F. Brinson wrote:
> My son is headed off to college this fall and wants a filter for his
> laptop, to keep out the porn sites. We do not have one on our home
>; computer (there are always people in the house, computer is located in
> the middle of the dining room and is visible from several rooms, we're on
> dial-up so it takes forever for any photos to come up and videos take
>; about 4 days!) ... so all that to say, we need recommendations.
>
> I know some people use BeSafe Online, but I have heard that there are a
> lot of frustrating problems with it. In one of my middle school classes
> last year, one student had BeSafe on the home computer and she could not
> access several sites that I had assigned. We never could figure out why
> ...
>
> Anyway, any help would be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Kim in AR
>

Very true, Tom. What I would suggest for a child headed off to college
is a laptop *strictly* for personal use for classwork, with good
password security, and an inexpensive desktop machine for 'fun'.

T. Hunt wrote:
> And Windows has password security just for that reason. Password all
> accounts and keep the system secure. It's either a toy or a tool but it
> can't be both.
>
> I've run into this with home computers as well. Mom or dad uses it for
> business (or important stuff) but they say the kids want to play games
> on it and surf with their friends. Can't be done without serious
> security measures that have to be enforced and even then I strenuously
> recommend a second computer.
>
> Tom
>
> Norm Higgs wrote:
>
>>; I think the OP is concerned about other people (like roommates) that may
>>; have access to the laptop, not just her son...
>>
>>
>
>

--
Norm Higgs
http://forbiddenpc.com
http://forbiddenpc.blogspot.com
https://linkedin.com/e/fpf/4018099
http://freetrafficbar.com?r=74276