Parental controls on the internet - anyone know what's available?

[CarrieMumsnet]

We're putting together a survey about children's use of the internet which we'll be nagging you to fill in very soon . We want to ask about the effectiveness of the different controls/devices etc that parents can use to stop children accessing various sites/ limit their use, but need a list of what's out there, and trawls of the net aren't really helping us. Are there any experts in this field out there, or even those who've looked into this for their children and can tell us what they use?

Thanks in advance. MNHQ

[CarrieMumsnet]

bump - anyone?

[Buda]

No help here I am afraid but interested in results!

[Earlybird]

Have never used the sites/resources below, but have filed for use when dd is older - perhaps helpful?

www.netnanny.com/

www.thinkuknow.co.uk/

www.bbc.co.uk/chatguide/teachers/ks2.shtml

www.bbc.co.uk/chatguide/teachers/ks3.shtml

[RubberDuck]

Not used it myself yet (dses are both young enough that I supervise every minute they're online), but Macintosh operating system OS X (Leopard) comes with controls built in.

From memory you can control applications, websites etc... it has a website filter that tries to assess content before loading... logs which websites are visited, who they've chatted to... control what times they're allowed to be on the computer (i.e. lock 'em out after bedtime) and set time limits.

More details on apple.com

[GeekBoy]

Not helpful at the mo but PARENTS! An ex-colleague who is a network security consultant believes the best way is to only allow access from a computer in a family room with supervision. His daughters either use the Internet there or not at all!

On the security from though, NetNanny as previously posted.

AOL has their own tools which I've used (from previous work testing quality/value/safety of various ISPs.

Windows Vista Mac OSX Leopard now have parental controls.

Taking a quick look at this macintosh, you can set limits on what applications are allowed to be used on the computer, what websites are visited (All, Automatically try and block adult sites or the most secure option 'Only these websites' which allows you to add the ones they're allowed to go on.' ) You can also set time limits for weekdays and weekends and prevent access to the computer at all during 'bed times'! Lastly, you can log what sites were visited and see what sites were blocked as well as what applications were used and who was chatted to with iChat.

I've set proxy servers up for friends children that used content and time control but that's something that not a whole lot of people would actually want to go to the trouble of doing.

I've got some stuff listed at home I think so I'll have a dig and post more if it's not been posted by others...