As a parent, have you ever been concerned that while the Internet
can offer very valuable content, it can also offer content that
you might consider inappropriate for your family?
To give parents a means to block out inappropriate Internet content,
there are Internet filters such as Cyber Patrol. There are others
available, but I will concentrate on Cyber Patrol for the sake
of space.
Cyber Patrol allows the parents to tailor the blocking to each
individual child. The filter also lets parents manage when children
go online and how long they spend online every day.
To prevent children from disclosing private information, "ChatGard",
a feature of Cyber Patrol, permits users to block information
sent out online. ChatGard helps parents stop children from divulging
information such as address, age, name of school or phone number.
This is a good use of technology, more effective and reliable
than laws, to protect children from inappropriate material in
cyberspace.
Cyber Patrol helps parents in other positive ways as well. It
offers "a safe route on the information highway" though
its "Route 6-16." This site contains links to useful
sites to assist children, parents and teachers through the web.
The Route 6-16: is a collection of over 3,000 kid-safe links,
guiding children, parents, and teachers through the Web. Areas
like "Play", "School Work", and "Parents
and Teachers" make this route easy to navigate and sure to
please. Route 6-16 was constructed by Microsystems Software as
a public service but retains the copyright of the link list.
The "School Work" area offers these links to assist 6 to 16 year old students with homework:
ü Ask Eric-An interactive buddy with all the answers.
ü KidsConnect-The America Library Association and volunteer librarians at your fingertips. Parents can find information about the service at the web site; kids, just mail your questions to: askkc@iconnect.syr.edu
ü Dr. Math-Math help from simple addition to senior trigonometry
ü Ask an Expert-Experts in 30 fields like physics, chemistry, meteorology, astronomy, orinthology and much more.
ü Ask the Astronomer-Astronomer Dr. Sten Odenwald answers your questions about the cosmos.
ü The Home School Study Center-Professors on-line to answer questions plus dictionaries (of every kind, including foreign language), encyclopedias, statistics and more.
ü The Electric Library-Newspapers, magazines, newswire, maps, photos, classic works and everything you'd find in a library (by subscription, two weeks free trial).
ü THOR+:The Virtual Reference Desk-Your on-line reference librarian. Purdue University helps you find phone books and zip codes, reference books (including foreign language references), science, infotech and other reference shelves around the world.
ü The Measurement Converter- Where to go if you need to know that 85 degrees Fahrenheit is 29.44444 degrees Celsius.
ü B.J. Pinchbeck's Homework Helper-An excellent set of Homework Helping links from B.J. Pinchbeck, a 9 year old Netizen.
ü You Can with Beakman and Jax-These TV guys make science fun--everything from photos of the glorious galaxy to info on why feet smell and how to gross out your friends.
ü Kids Web-A World Wide Web Digital Library for Schoolkids-Another excellent library site.
ü Route 6-16-Microsystems
Software links to homework help, education and fun for kids 6
to 16 years of age.
Not all Internet service providers offer Cyber Patrol. This is the list I am able to provide for Online Services and National Providers:
ü AT&T
ü Bell Atlantic
ü British Telecom
ü CompuServe
ü Prodigy
ü Telecom New Zealand
This is the list I am able to provide for the state of Texas:
ü Altinet- Dallas
ü Michael Ball - Denton
ü Connect International - San Antonio
ü Home School On-Line - Dallas
ü Leap Frog Technologies - Abilene
ü Mil-Tel Communications - Wichita Falls
ü VidcomNet Inc. - Texarkana
REFERENCES for this article can be found at:
http://www.cyberpatrol.com/
http://www.microsys.com/prfiles/uk996.htm
http://www/microsys.com/616/workhw.htm
http://www/microsys.com/616/default.htm
http://www/microsys.com/cyber/isp_cp.htm#T
Vickie De La Rosa is a member of the Seguin Internet Club and
is the Technology Director for the Seguin Independent School District.
vbdlr@tenet.edu
To contribute to this column contact Gloria Rivera, riverag@connecti.com
303-4764. This article and the 16 past articles published in
this column can be found in the Internet, in the web page of the
Seguin Internet Club at: http://lonestar.texas.net/~weersjt/club/intbeat.html
The purpose of this column is to contribute to the Internet
literacy of the community.
To offer ideas for the club or to join, contact Jerry Weers, Gloria
Rivera or Alton Hierholzer, weersjt@texas.net riverag@connecti.com
altonh@connecti.com; 303-0818, 303-4764, 303-9260. The purpose
of the Seguin Internet Club is to facilitate communication and
mutual support between Internet enthusiasts. Anyone enthusiastic
about the Internet can be a member, regardless of Internet provider
or proficiency. No dues are involved. Communication between
members takes place via e-mail and at meetings.
The next meeting of the Seguin Internet Club will take place on October 12 at Century 21 D&D, at 10 am. The relaxed and unstructured format of the meetings will continue, in order to give everyone the opportunity to discuss at the same time, Internet topics that are of interest to each member; no two people use the Internet in the same way, the use is individualized. If you plan to attend, please bring web sites and hints to share and post, for everyone to see and copy.