Internet Filters

[Fredwina]

I'm at home with my Mom.
The problems is that my nephew, who is supposed to be studying for his GED, has instead been looking at Barelylegalporn.com. I have proposed that mom buy net nanny, but wanted to know if there is a freew product available (I know the irony of using freeware to restrict free speech!),
Thanks.Jana

[Irulan]

Put the computer in a public spot: Kitchen, dining room. This usually cures the porn thing right away.

I am a mother of two sons. 20 years ago young men were keeping Playboy under the mattress. Don't get stressed out about it but don't let them keep a computer in the room either.

Why does he need the computer for GED anyway, other than practice tests? If not porn, there a zillion other ways to waste your time on the internet.( says the woman posting on TE )

To be frank, when we found our boys looking at things we deemed "inappropriate", DH sat down with them, acknowledged their curiousity, and then had a little talk about "this is not what making love or a loving relationship is about" that got the point across, more or less.

[smurfalicious]

Here you go. Tucows list of parental control freeware:

http://www.tucows.com/software.html?...oftwarebrowser

Irulan I wish your husband could talk to all the guys in this world. I'm so not anti-porn but most of it sucks! There's good stuff out there for sure but the stuff guys gravitate is totally unrealistic and awful towards women.

[Xrayted]

Is it that he is using someone else's computer? I hate porn and would flip if someone was engaging in porn sites on my computer. There are tons of freeware out there but you need to find one that will screen what you choose and not block out regular stuff by mistake. (some net nannies would block TE because of the word estrogen in the title.)
I guess what I'm wondering is... if he is of age to drop out and get his GED, then he is an adult? In that case, I just don't feel like I'd have a right to say anything for an adult, in the privacy of where they live (their room), on their own computer, out of site of younger children, etc. Yeah, I know I'm opening myself up to all kinds of nasty backlash here... I'm someone's kid too. I know my Mom would have a fit even at my current age. But, she would also know that it's none of her business. (She'd still give me h*ll though. ) That's why I'm a good kid.

[Mr. Bloom]

We've used netnanny in the past. Smart kids know how to get around it...and unfortunately, it sometimes keeps you from getting to good sites...which may be frustrating for your Mom.

A better alternative may be to treat him like an adult (like xrayted, I'm guessing that he's around 18). You can't keep him from doing it, but you can make a pact with him not to do it on Mom's computer...then verify it with site logging software.

Just to be safe, make sure you have good virus protection as well since I'm guessing that many porn sites are really just a conduit for virus delivery. I use BitDefender (paid) and AVG (free) for virus protection and Ad-Aware (free) for spyware removal.

[Aggie_Ama]

We had a roommate for a short time last year that had a ridiculous porn issue. I am of the camp that porn is degrading and sets unrealistic expectations of real women so DH does not view it. I tried parental controls my ISP offers thinking if nothing else it would embarass him out of it. It did not so we removed the guest account and password protected mine and DH's access with really weird passwords, they computer was only used by us the next 1.5 months. I think the public place would be best but unless your mom is home 24/7 he will do it there.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Porn sites are notorious for loading computer viruses and spyware onto your computer.
At the very least I would say that a person should not be allowed to use someone else's computer to view porn, as it puts their computer at high risk for virus attacks, which can screw up your computer (and others'!) bigtime.

Needless to say, today's internet porn sites make Playboy magazine from 20 years ago look like Woman's Day magazine.

[HillSlugger]

If your kids are viewing or downloading porn it can get you in trouble. We had to read the riot act to my son and it came back to haunt my partner when she was going through security clearances. Big brother is watching!

[tulip]

I agree, sounds like he's an adult and it's his business. BUT does he live with your mother and use her computer? In that case, I wouldn't let him use the computer if I were her (but she needs to set those rules if she wants). He can go to the public library to study for the GED, or even better, go to the computer lab at the local community college that teaches GED courses. My mom teaches GED at the community college, and many students do not have computers at home so they study there.

The GED is all computerized these days, so students do need to take practice tests on the computer.

[Fredwina]

A couple of things:
he's about 25, but has never had a steady job until now (having a kid, losing and getting divorced will get you a swift kick.)
He lives with my brother , but they're too poor (my brother is on disablity due to type II Diabetes(uncntrolled for 5 years, and my sIl is a nursing home aid) to afford one, and aunt fredwina just bought grandma a new one 2 years ago.
My mom's 81, so she's having to conserve/
I'm more afraid of him download some spam zombie(as BSG mentioned), espically my mom got DSL in the past year(before she had dial up) I'm think mor something where I could remotley adminster it ( or my younger nephew is an Electronic warfare specailst in the Navy, when's he's not doing SEAL stuff) and set it up so either myself or SEAL nephew can access it (he's going to transfer to Nebraska (Yes, an odd station for a salior) and give up SEALing so he finish his BS(in comp sci(another in the famliy)
I have a hard time getting my mom to update the anti virus program - so I really don't trust her to do too much there, but I think th\something like gotomypc may help. My Brother is going to talk to him, and I may ask her pastor,(he's a bit of a geek, and she lives across the street ) to keep an eye on it.

[Irulan]

I thought we were talking about a fifteen year old here.

If it were me, and it's not _ I'd change the password on the computer asap, and instruct mom not to give it out, period. I'd then point deadbeat ( sounds deadbeat to me, anyway) nephew to the library for his GED.

I've done something similar. We bought my disabled sis in law a laptop. Whenever he kid comes to visit, he likes to gunk it up with all sorts of kid crap downloads. I changed the password, kid doesn't use it, he whines a lot but he'll get over it.

[Fredwina]

Yeah. i'm thinkinh that or let my other nephew knock some sense into him.