Web Filtering Software

[Lemur]

Hey Orgahs, my boy is finally getting old enough that he's poking around the interwebs. I guess it's time to put up some safeguards, so that he doesn't get exposed to Lemon Party or pics of three-ways between Louis, Strike and DevDave. (At least not until he's old enough to appreciate it.)

Anyway, do any parents/sysadmins on this board have experience with filtering software? Here's a roundup from this year (http://internet-filter-review.toptenreviews.com/). I guess NetNanny gets the best marks.

Thoughts? Experiences? Ideas?

[Lemur]

Do any orgahs have any experience with this sort of software? Pretty please with a cherry and whipped cream on top?

[Tellos Athenaios]

No experience, but a few things:

1) Creepy.
2) Look at your router software. There's probably white/blacklisting/filtering that can be done there. Plus junior presumably does not have easy access to the config screens.
3) Creepy.

[Lemur]

So wait, is Lemon Party, my desire to do some net nannying, or the DevDave/Louis/Strike three-way the creepy thing?

[Tellos Athenaios]

Lemon party and net nannying are the creepy ones. What DevDave/Louis and/or Strike get up to is at most merely disturbing.

[drone]

Just get the lemurling on 4chan already. If he can't surf for pr0n at home, he'll just do it at a friend's. :yes:

Is the plan for him to surf on your boxen, or is he getting a dedicated PC for himself?

[Xiahou]

I'd take a look at K9 (http://www1.k9webprotection.com/). It's from the people who make the Bluecoat web filter appliance- which is used by alot of schools.

Why K9? For starters, it's free. Secondly, it's free. It probably does some other stuff too. :yes:
Block web sites in more than 70 categories, including pornography, gambling, drugs, violence/hate/racism, malware/spyware, phishing
Force SafeSearch on all major search engines
Set time restrictions to block web access during designated times
Configure custom lists for "always allow" and "always block"
Override a web page block with password
Trust the enhanced anti-tampering, even children can't break
View easy reports to monitor and control web activity
Real-time categorization of new adult and malicious sites
Best free parental controls software/internet filter available
Compatible with Windows or Mac machines

[Lemur]

@Xiahou, great tip, thanks.

@drone, Maxwell has his own laptop, but he also drifts onto my netbook sometimes, and I allow him onto my gaming rig when he's been very, very good. So really I have one primary and two secondary computers to buffer for his impressionable, fragile mind.

It's not like I'm anti-porn, more that I'm pro-appropriate-age-stuff.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

At work we sometimes try to get the virus-prone users to use K9. It (apparently) blocks out malware-laden sites as well as naughty bits. Can't say I've used it personally though.

[Risasi]

I concur on K9. I've used it off and on for about six years. Great for home user implementation. Whenever clients want something cheap/free that actually works, for their home use to keep their kids in line, K9 is my default answer. You can also leave it in passive mode and just have it report usage.
I once installed it for a Library on six kiosk machines, that about the only time I've used it in a corporate environment. There are more appropriate choices for corporate, IMO.

[Risasi]

I concur on K9. I've used it off and on for about six years. Great for home user implementation. Whenever clients want something cheap/free that actually works, for their home use to keep their kids in line, K9 is my default answer. You can also leave it in passive mode and just have it report usage.
I once installed it for a library on six kiosk machines, that about the only time I've used it in a corporate environment. There are more appropriate choices for corporate, IMO.

[Cute Wolf]

never use filtering software myself, but I know my collegues that always try and directly discuss anything with their kids on the internet, direct supervision is the best.

or maybe better, let em grow "all natural in the internet" by providing them games and funny stuffs outside prons, my parents didn't even know anything about computers, only me and my sis touch the comp in our house when we're younger, Well... of course, I spent too much times playing online games, but thank God, that's far better than early exposure to adult sites (seriously, I only start watching them at univ) *guilty* *guilty* *guilty* *guilty* *guilty* *guilty* *guilty* *guilty* *guilty*