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Post by misty on Nov 16, 2006 9:31:02 GMT -5
It sure is scary! Shannon posts on a Taylor Hicks forum & I made her give me her username & password so I could monitor her postings.
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Post by katiekat on Nov 16, 2006 11:29:25 GMT -5
My older son asked about My Space-he's not really into the computer yet but kids he's friends with do the whole My Space thing. My answer was no, no, and no way. Instead I signed him up for one year of something called Club Penguin it's like a Pogo for kids-you can play games with other kids who are online but no chatting.
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Post by katiekat on Nov 16, 2006 11:33:32 GMT -5
OK I lied kind of...I just checked the site and it DOES have chatting but it's called Ultimate Safe-you can only choose from pre-selected phrases to chat with each other.
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Post by jj on Nov 16, 2006 12:05:47 GMT -5
So what does that mean? They have to already know the person so they can decide on a "phrase" before hand? Sorry...a little confused. LOL
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Post by Charlie Girl on Nov 16, 2006 12:15:02 GMT -5
I just checked it out kk. I think its just the ticket for my son.
There are a lot of different games they can play without signing up also. I think I'll let him sign up so he can interact. I like that even the safe chat is monitored.
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Post by katiekat on Nov 16, 2006 12:41:21 GMT -5
CG, I wasnt real sure about the whole chatting thing because Joe just wants to play the games. I never actually saw the pre selected phrases so I dont know what they are. I have pogo and he liked playing those games but I would only let him play if I was right there because of the chat aspect. He tried the Club Penguin for about a month before I actually paid for it to see if he would like it. Then he really wanted to"furnish his igloo" so I got it. It seems to be very safe to me and I think the kids really like the ides of belonging to a "club".
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Post by Charlie Girl on Nov 16, 2006 15:30:31 GMT -5
He belongs to Sparktop but I think he'll like club penguin more. Gaming is such a big deal for him. Thanks.
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Post by lostmyshoe on Nov 18, 2006 11:34:03 GMT -5
I still don't allow my daughter on MySpace, especially after a scary incident that happened right before we went away for vacation. I found out that my daughter had started chatting with a stranger that she didn't know. Not only did she share what state we live in but also that we were going away and where. She has always been told that she is never to chat with anyone we don't know and until now she has always abided by that rule. My H and I sat her down and explained to her all the things that could happen by chatting with someone strange and sharing such personal information. I think it scared her enough that she won't do it again, but I certainly felt uncomfortable going away knowing that someone could find out exactly where we live if they are computer savvy enough. Maybe I went over the top but I went as far as writing to the person and asking them to please not contact my daughter again and that she was not permitted to chat with strangers. I don't think my daughter will do it again but we are keeping a close watch on her. It just really gave me the creeps that someone knows where we live and where we went. Scary.
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Post by katiekat on Nov 18, 2006 18:47:12 GMT -5
Losty that is scary. Kids(and even I) don't realize how much someone can find out about you with a few tidbits of information.
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Post by Charlie Girl on Nov 18, 2006 19:45:44 GMT -5
That would really upset me too, especially with her telling where you were going on vacation. They could have found your house when it was empty and checked it out or arranged to meet up with you where you were and of course, you wouldn't have known it was someone stalking you.
I don't let my son talk to people he doesn't know online. I do let him chat with the people I IM with but they already know all about us anyway.
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Post by unicorn-tiff'smom on Nov 19, 2006 11:08:55 GMT -5
That is scary Losty. I am so glad that Tiff hasn't realized the "wonderful" world of the computer yet. I just let her go on a couple of sites for math and other games that I have found or that the school sends out.
I have seen all to well the My Space and how caught up they get into it. At the library I have several teen employees. And as I have said, they tell all. One even met someone from there at a Starbucks type place. I did give her a little credit for meeting in such a public place. But not being her parent they only listen so much.
Now they are all also using a site called "Facebook". They seem to enter more on this site then on My Space! How is that possible. They are always showing me their new "friends" and new hot guys, etc. It truly makes me so ready for when Tiff finds out about these sites.
I am the ultimate parental control button!!!
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Post by Charlie Girl on Nov 20, 2006 19:37:48 GMT -5
Well KK, I'm not sure you did me a favor by posting that link to Club Penguin. I showed it to my son and put it in favorites, and now, not only is he constantly bugging me to register for the paid membership so he can use his points to "buy" cool stuff for his Penguin, HE IS ON THE COMPUTER ALMOST CONSTANTLY AND i HAVE TO FIGHT WITH HIM TO GET ENOUGH TIME TO CHECK IT! Fortunately for me, his father finally told him he has to share with Mommy so I get it at least for a while tonight.
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Post by katiekat on Nov 20, 2006 20:22:11 GMT -5
Sorry CG!!!
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Post by misty on Nov 29, 2006 10:18:01 GMT -5
Heres the 2nd part to the Schwab internet safety for kids article. In this article we will explain in greater detail how to safeguard your child’s online experience by teaching him how to protect his personal information and identity from being exposed or exploited by others who find him via the Internet. You’ll also learn about various technology tools that block, filter, and monitor your child’s online activity — and guidelines for choosing those tools that best address your concerns.www.schwablearning.org/articles.asp?r=1122
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Post by puzzled on Nov 29, 2006 13:06:50 GMT -5
Both of my daughters (ages 19 and 26) have myspace accounts. I don't know much about the older one's as she has her own family and home, but my 19 (almost 20) year old often gets on hers here at home. She is always complaining that strange people are requesting that she add them to her friend's list. She won't add anyone that she is not friends in real life with. She says "Mom, I only did this to keep in touch with all of my friends while we are spread out at different colleges, so why would I add some stranger?" She is so strict that she won't even add a person that she knew in high school but wasn't friends with...she says if they wouldn't give her the time of day in high school, that they are not worth her time now!
She also has facebook, which I think has something to do with schools?? I will ask her when she comes home tomorrow...she will give me the scoop! She does post pics of her and her boyfriend of 3 years (almost) and of her and of her and of her treasured kitty...but I have seen all of them and they are pictures she would be proud to show her 80 year old gramma! She does comment on the gross pictures some of her acquaintences from high school have posted.
My boys only get on the computer to look up cheats for their video games, and the 10 year old occasionally gets on this site he learned of at school where he can play these cool science like games..I will have to ask him the actual site to share...he loves it. The computer that can access the internet is in the main room of the house, and I am always right here whenever they are online. They have a computer upstairs, but it cannot get on the internet....it is too old to have wireless capabilities..though the ISP guy told me it is easy to restrict usage by using passwords, putting time limits on the computer, etc...we are waiting til they are older to even discuss that.
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Post by Charlie Girl on Nov 29, 2006 16:07:49 GMT -5
Puzzled, we have some great links to sites that kids enjoy listed in the links board. I'll check and see if my son's favorite sites are there and update it it they aren't. NASA has some really great stuff for kids and they have fun, while we know its educational. I love sites like that.
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Post by puzzled on Nov 29, 2006 21:47:39 GMT -5
The one my little guy likes is iknowthat.com...as soon as i asked him what it was, he wanted to get on it, so I had to hand over the computer!
Let me know the ones your son likes and we will try them out!
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Post by Charlie Girl on Nov 29, 2006 22:19:35 GMT -5
We just created a new board just for links to kid's sites, in the specialty boards section.
I looked and realized we had been posting the links in threads but not one was in the links board, thus the idea of one just for the kids.
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