My gf's sister just bought her two son's a PC.
Now they are 10 and 8,what I need to know is MS parental control any use or should I install some sort of filter on the machine?, if so what ones are free and can be checked over the internet to make sure they aint up to no good/or what is the best combination of 'apps' to manage a childs computer over a network?
Some guidance greatly appriciated....

well "netnanny" is to filter them, and if you had a copy of VNC server running in the background of their pc you could open up their screen over a network without them knowing

Quote from Jakg :

well "netnanny" is to filter them, and if you had a copy of VNC server running in the background of their pc you could open up their screen over a network without them knowing

Thanks Jakq, they are in Carlow im in Dublin, about an hours drive so I'll need the network access cos I cant just pop around and check it every so often

Network access - great
Acessing it over the net - possible, but slow!

I've used 'Goto My PC' before, seemed ok, dunno if I can log on as admin through that app tho'
I guess I'll set up a restricted account on the box and I'll need to be able to get to admin acc. over net how?

VNC server running in the background

-> how's it possible to check if someone (like my dad) hasn't that running on my pc while I don't know about it ? I'm in a network too.

Quote from GianniC :

VNC server running in the background

-> how's it possible to check if someone (like my dad) hasn't that running on my pc while I don't know about it ? I'm in a network too.

well telling you would just bypass what youre dad had donillepall
not good.

Quote from GianniC :

VNC server running in the background

-> how's it possible to check if someone (like my dad) hasn't that running on my pc while I don't know about it ? I'm in a network too.

well it shows an icon (but of course im sure that there are ways round this) - just look in Task Manager>Process - see if anything has "VNC" in it, although he could just have renamed the exe...

Quote from Jakg :

well it shows an icon (but of course im sure that there are ways round this) - just look in Task Manager>Process - see if anything has "VNC" in it, although he could just have renamed the exe...

Smooth jakq...real smooth! I dont think its a good idea too teach members how to disable parental control it can only lead to troubleillepall

Its not disabling parental control - he asked how to check IF he was being spied on, not how to get past internet filters

Although i can do that, too...

Quote from Jakg :

Its not disabling parental control - he asked how to check IF he was being spied on, not how to get past internet filters

Although i can do that, too...

Shuuush!......

I think we got the net on our home computer when I was 11 back in 1996. My father left it wide open for me and my siblings (older brother was 12, little sister was 9). I think he still kept a log of what sites we visited but he never blocked any. Basically he just didn't (and still doesn't) buy into the whole "protect the little children from everything" mentality. Quite frankly, I agree with him. You can't protect them from everything, and they have to grow up some time.

Forbin's right. +1 for personal responsibility. If the dangers are explained to the kids, they'll stay away from bad sites. Outright filtering will just piss them off.

While I agree in principal, there's stuff on the net that grosses me out, which I think says alot (though perhaps only if you know me). That could make some children blind. If not blocking, it still makes sense to monitor them.

Don't be so lame to spy your kid, take the time to sit with him while he's surfing and educate him.

So you were never good as gold infront of your parents but mischevious as hell as soon as they turned their backs?

Quote from Eldanor :

Don't be so lame to spy your kid, take the time to sit with him while he's surfing and educate him.

I appriciate all your posts but in this case,and with these two particular kids open net is a no no; anyway the box is for internets only and they are two messers, being hyper brats is what these two do best.
I know other kids may be mature enough ti sit down and teach them about the wide web world, not these two, they would just begin to mess the minute their mam/dad leaves the room for the principal of messing/being a brat alone.

So some kids you can trust, some you can't, unfortunatley for these two messers it's content filters or nothing at all.

Quote from Forbin :

I think we got the net on our home computer when I was 11 back in 1996. My father left it wide open for me and my siblings (older brother was 12, little sister was 9). I think he still kept a log of what sites we visited but he never blocked any. Basically he just didn't (and still doesn't) buy into the whole "protect the little children from everything" mentality. Quite frankly, I agree with him. You can't protect them from everything, and they have to grow up some time.

Lets not forget that the net is now a very different animal than it was in 1996