Filtering Services

There are a several ways to screen out objectionable material on the Internet, usually by using some type of "filter."  

A filter allows only certain things to pass through it, like coffee through a coffee filter let's the flavor pass through but keeps out the bitter grounds (unless you hate coffee, then it's all bitter!)

Some Internet Service Providers will filter information for you.  If you sign up for Internet access with someone like integrityonline.com or www.safebrowse.com, then they will screen out the majority of objectionable sites so you never have to see them on your computer.

Again, none of these solutions are 100% effective as thousands of new websites are added to the Internet daily.  But they will screen get a large portion of what's out there.  

Some people wonder if the filter will accidentally screen out sites that are actually safe.  This can sometimes happen, but a simple note to the Internet Service Provider can usually remedy the situation once they've verified the content is safe for their other customers, too.

Filtering Software

Another filtering option is to install a program on your own computer.  

Two popular filtering programs can be purchased from netnanny.com and cyberpatrol.com.  These software programs let you set what type of content you want to filter:  text, images, both text and images, video, all content, and so on.

Parents can also use this software to define a list of only a few sites that they know to be safe.  For instance, a parent can set the filter that only allows their children access to the Veggietales website, www.bigidea.com.  Any site or link they try to access that doesn't begin with www.bigidea.com will be blocked.

These tools also allow parents to input numbers or names that cannot be sent over the Internet, like credit card numbers or an address.  This keeps kids from giving out private information when logging onto websites, chat rooms, or other places where someone may ask for it.  

A pastor named Buster Sories tells about the time his young son bought a scanner online with Buster's American Express card.  When Buster asked him why he did it, his son replied, "Because I couldn't find your Visa."

Accountability Programs

A new feature that is now available is in a category called "accountability programs."  These don't actually filter out pages, but they send reports of every website you've visited to someone to review. 

If you have an accountability partner, this is like having that partner looking over your shoulder at all times.  People I know who have used these have found it highly effective to keep them from straying from the boundaries they've set for themselves.

Covenanteyes.com and afafilter.com are two companies who offer this service for a monthly fee.

You can find out more about filtering and accountability programs at crosswalk.com in their Internet Safety section.

<< [ previous page ] [ next page ] >>