Parental Controls

SmartCom Internet takes the safety of our younger customers very seriously. The Internet can be a very dangerous place for youngsters, therefore parents should do all they can to protect their children from inappropriate materials and strangers.

Please read the frequently asked questions below (courtesy of About.com) and make sure you check out the software offerings below that provide parents with more control over what their children view on the Internet.

Net Nanny | CyberPatrol | CyberSitter

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Question: What are the dangers I should be concerned about?

Answer: Yes, there are dangers on the Internet. If you learn how to protect yourself you will be safe. One of the dangers that you need to look out for, are predators. You can protect your children from predators by monitoring your child's activity. Another danger is that your child will be able to access pornography and violent information. You can install filtering software that will help to block out this type of information. No system is fool proof, but it can help to block some of it. There are many more things you can do to be safe.

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Question: What about my privacy? Am I anonymous while I am on the Internet?

Answer: No you are not anonymous while on the Internet. When you log into your provider you are assigned an IP number. Whenever you log into a Web site, chat room or forum the number can be traced. Is this dangerous? Not really! With millions of visitors to the Internet each day, most Websites wouldn't have the time to track everyone down. Also, your Internet service provider would have to be willing to give out your name. Through the use of cookies, Websites can tell if you have been there before, by checking your cookie file. Some people are upset by this, but cookies also provide "remember me" features, which enable great features on the Internet.

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Question: Should I allow my child to chat?

Answer: This really depends on your child. Chat rooms are the most common place to get into trouble. Predators will hang around in children's chat room and pose as a child. If you decide to let your child chat, I recommend at least using a monitored chat room. Remember though, just because it is monitored, it does not mean that it is completely safe. If you allow your child to chat, you should be close by and watching the conversation.

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Question: What are the chances of my child getting to pornography?

Answer: If you are online, most likely you will run across pornography. Many of the pornographic sites use different tricks to get you to visit them. Often they will have addresses that are very close to popular children's sites. Another trick is to buy a former child site and have it redirect to pornography. Unfortunately, when you search for just about any topic, you will get results to porn site with foul language. Try a filtered search engine, to get family friendly results. Another way to protect your child from viewing pornography is to install filtering software or get a filtered Internet service provider.

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Question: Why shouldn't I give out my last name?

Answer: If you use your last name on the Internet, then someone could easily get directions to your house. Some of the online telephone directories provide a great service, but do you realize that they also provide directions to your house, your neighbors names, phone numbers, and directions? I feel this is very dangerous because anyone that has access to your last name and a general location can get your phone number and directions.

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Question: Is it safe to meet online friends in person?

Answer: For children, absolutely no, without your permission and you being there. For an adult, it is a different story. Be sure to meet in a public place for the first time.

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Question: Should I make my child a list of rules?

Answer: Yes! If a child doesn't know what is expected and what isn't, then you can't expect him not to get into trouble. Make a big deal out of the rules! Make them sign an agreement and let them know what the consequences will be if they don't follow them.