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Internet Safety
Protect Your Children from the Internet's Seamy Side By Pamela Dillon
As parents, we try to protect our children. We tell them to look both ways before crossing the street, never accept rides from strangers and say no to drugs. But two-thirds of American families have invited a virtual stranger into their homes in the form of Internet access. This seemingly innocuous form of communication, education, browsing and entertainment has become a fabric of our lives today. According to a study released by the University of California in Los Angeles, 66.9 percent of Americans use the Internet. And where parents have access, so do their children.
The content available runs the gamut from G-rated material suitable for all ages to information/images for adults only. It's like having thousands of city blocks available at your fingertips, from the friendly neighborhood candy store to the triple-X cinema on the corner. But the most sobering statistic is, at last count, only 4 percent of parents with Internet access use any type of software controls to filter out unwanted material. The vast majority of people in this online community are decent and respectful, but some are obnoxious, exploitative or downright dangerous (just like their "strangers offering rides" counterparts). Parent Mark Brasche experienced a frightening episode a few years ago in the form of spam (unsolicited e-mail) sent to one of his children.
"I thought I had it all under control, much the same as many parents do," says Brasche. "Until the day I received a wake-up call in the form of an unsolicited e-mail sent to the address of my oldest daughter with a direct link to some of the most horrific pornography I have ever seen. That day will live on with me forever. It was, for me, the turning point."
As a Web developer and CEO of New England Webmasters, Brasche felt empowered and obligated to act. He started a crusade to protect children online by writing a book called Child Safety-Net, and starting a companion Web site, Child Safety-Net. His Web site is PICS (Platform for Internet Content Selection) rated, and gives parents (and their children) a search engine to locate quality content published by developers who care enough to rate it. Child Safety-Net is a comprehensive step-by-step guide parents can use to create a safe computing environment. The four most popular Internet filter products are reviewed and all major security considerations are examined.