[edit] Brief Description

[edit] Wiki description

Description

This kind of software has as the main target parents that don’t want the Internet to “educate” their children.. Mainly those are web-filtering software, that are limiting the access of the to web-sites that contain sexually explicit content, violence or disturbing images as well as web site that are promoting system cracking, software piracy or other illegal acts. Parental control are options included not only in computer software but also in video games or digital television. Parents should always check the PG of any game purchased for or by their children, in order to make sure they comply with the age verification.

Brief history

The first filtering software used were usually blocking unobjectionable sites but failed to block intended web targets. For example if you just block all the sites that are containing the word breast, you may block sites about breast cancer, clothing or even about cooking. By learning from the previous experience nowadays the filtering criteria evolved and also the filtering can be manual checked.

How to achieve Parental Filtering

In order to achieve parental filtering you will have to begin with the ISP. First you will have to make sure that the ISP is offering you the parental control option. Notice that not all the ISP are offering this choice.

The second thing you will have to chose carefully is the operating system, because from the Windows OS only Windows Vista is offering this option. Also you can go for Mac OS X v10.4. After installing the operating system you will need a security software, and is preferable to choose one that has parental control. Last if none of mentioned above please you, you can always install a parental control software.

Another way to achieve content control is by using a gateway based solution.

What to look for

• See if the ISP has parental control options

Internet Service providers or ISP, such as Yahoo!, AOL, Earthlink are providing parental control options.

• Choose an operating system with parental control options

Such as Mac OS X v10.4- that has included the parental control features in the Mail2 or Windows Vista – that are allowing the administrator to control which web-sites, programs or games a standard user can access and install on the computer.

• Choose a security software that has parental control options

Security software such as Norton or Bitdefender, have included parental control options in order to block unwanted access to different web-sites, Internet newsgroups or Internet programs.

• If you haven’t choses one of the mentioned above try a parental filtering software such as Parental Filter, Advanced Parental Control, Net Nanny.
  

Usage in various fields and areas

This kind of software, besides being used in homes, it is being used in public libraries, schools and by companies in order to limit the access to Internet.

Features

• In general parental filter software are password protected and run automatically in the background.

• Have a database of “forbidden” web sites

• Are scanning the web-pages for certain keywords, and to block the sites if the keywords are found.

• Are allowing the making of a daily schedule and logging off when the time is ended.

• Also it can be configured differently for each user,

• Can capture a screenshot of the desktop during a users activity

Discussion Boards

• PcAdvisor Forum

• C-net Forum

See Also

• The Psychology of Parental Control: How Well-Meant Parenting Backfires

• Parental Control in the Digital Age

• Parental control