When you think about personal Web sites you usually think of some parent who is creating a site to tell about their children. You expect to hear stories about when the child first started to walk and you expect to see some cute pictures of babies. Or, you think of a site telling all about a person's life. What they did today, what they were thinking and maybe some pictures of them and their friends
Sometimes personal Web sites can be more adult oriented than that. The language on the site might not be something you want your children reading and the pictures on the site may be of things you don't want your kids to see. You want to protect your kids from seeing these pages, maybe you want to protect yourself from seeing these pages too.
There is some software out there that can help you protect your kids, and yourself, from viewing these pages.
Before I show them to you I want to tell you about a way you can block unseemly sites without spending any money or downloading any software. There is a way to block sites right from your Internet Explorer browser. Here's how you do it:
Click "Tools"
Click "Internet Options..."
Click on "Content" tab
In the "Content Advisor" section click on "Enable..."
You are now in the Content Advisor. From here you can set your settings
"Ratings" tab - Set rating levels for: language, nudity, sex and violence.
"Approved Sites" tab - Name sites that you will allow your children to always view or name sites that you neve want your children to view, regardless of the site's rating.
"General" tab
Allow or disallow your child to see sites that are not rated.
Create a password - this is great for use with older children. You set a password, then if your child goes to a site they want to see, but it is a disallowed site, you can allow the site using the password. You will have the option to always allow the site or only allow it this one time.
View or modify the rating system
Blocking Software - If you really want to use one of the many site blocking programs out there, here are a few for you to consider:
We-Blocker - Free. Create different settings for each child.
CyberSitter - Rated #1 by PC magazine 2003.
KidsNet - Disallows certain types of emails from getting through. Age specific settings.
CyberPatrol - Restrict instant messages, email and sites.
NetNanny - Monitor and restrict or control your children's Internet viewing.
More Site Blocking Software
Good Luck!
