It’s not just proof-of-concept when it’s your six-year-old son
Niall and I were visiting one of his game sites on the Web, and in conversation he sighed and complained that his mom (my ex) always checks his browser history. And my mouth was already open to say “That’s easily defeatable: you can clear the browser history, and then you just navigate to a site that you’re allowed to visit,” and I thought “What the hell am I doing?!” And shut my mouth. Thank goodness for an introvert’s staging area for sentences before they are uttered. There are interesting engineering problems, and then there are well-advised parenting techniques, and the categories are distinct.
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9 Responses to “It’s not just proof-of-concept when it’s your six-year-old son”
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January 7th, 2010 at 12h42
Smart…very smart not to say anything…
However….you’ve just delayed the inevitable. As smart as Niall is he will soon figure that out on his own.
Then Jen will either have to install software that allows her to see where he goes and who he talks to….or….just trust him… There are also parental control programs she can use, but as you know it can block harmless things as well.
On the other hand…what kind of objectionable sites would Niall want to visit at age 6? I am curious about that…
I do remember when David was little (but older than 6) when I saw he had been at a site that was more suggestive than anthing else that I sat next to him and suggested that he imagine his mother looking over his shoulder while he “surfed the net”. He understood right away what I was talking about.
PS: Try #2 to post….I can figure out the CAPTCHA code about 1/2 the time.
January 7th, 2010 at 12h45
Then Jen will either have to install software that allows her to see where he goes and who he talks to….or….
… learn to check the browser history timestamps (“You’ve been surfing for an hour. This timestamp is three minutes ago.”) But, agreed, that’s not very likely to happen.
On the other hand…what kind of objectionable sites would Niall want to visit at age 6? I am curious about that…
No clue.
Try #2 to post….I can figure out the CAPTCHA code about 1/2 the time.
Would a simple text-challenge be better? The “answer is 6″ started to be coded (?) into spam bots. I could change the value, I suppose. Or one of those (random) math problem thingies — although it’s always struck me as ridiculously simple to program a spambot to do some math.
January 7th, 2010 at 12h49
what kind of objectionable sites would Niall want to visit at age 6?
I’m guessing “shooting games”. Aren’t we oh-so-precious in our white-liberal-middlebrow-ness?
January 7th, 2010 at 12h53
while he “surfed the net”
Oh, and, you got Internet access (through AOL!) in late 1995. David was 13. At 13 one knows exactly what you are talking about, and exactly how to nod one’s head and agree. Just sayin’.
January 7th, 2010 at 13h28
13 is also the age when “how to clear your browser history” becomes the single most valuable bit of advice that you can receive.
January 7th, 2010 at 13h31
Also, as for what sites he might be visiting that are objectionable, I’d guess that it’s that he probably is allowed a limited number of gaming hours, and he’s still visiting game sites when he’s all out of allotted time.
That’s what I’d have done, anyway.
January 7th, 2010 at 13h37
13 is also the age when “how to clear your browser history” becomes the single most valuable bit of advice that you can receive.
See also: TechTale titled “OOPS”. (I can’t fucking believe I found that link so fast. From ten-years-ago memory. My kung foo can totally take yours in pajamas.)
January 7th, 2010 at 14h51
See also: TechTale titled “OOPS”.
Huh?
January 7th, 2010 at 14h53
It’s a hyperlink, dude. Pronoun disambiguation through technology w00t!