[fwd] Re: [vox] Web Browsers for Kids

[Micah Cowan]

On Thu, 2006-12-21 at 17:47 -0800, Bill Kendrick wrote:
> 
> Christopher posted this from a non-subscribed address...
> 
> ----- Forwarded message from vox-bounces at lists.lugod.org -----
> 
> The attached message has been automatically discarded.
> Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 10:12:36 -0800
> From: Christopher James McKenzie <mckenzie at cs.ucdavis.edu>
> Subject: Re: [vox] Web Browsers for Kids
> To: "LUGOD's general discussion mailing list" <vox at lists.lugod.org>
> 
> Replies Below:
> 
> Micah Cowan wrote:
> >I'd be interested in finding a Firefox-like browser that disables
> >opening new windows and tabs, fills the entire screen (ideally), and if
> >possible allows restricting access to specifically enabled sites.
> 
> This sounds like the kind of public terminals they have at Borders to 
> find a specific book, or some other public access machine.  Most of 
> these public kiosks run an extremely customized and restricted version 
> of some operating system.
> 
> >
> >I have a 4-year-old and 6-year-old, both of whom are starting to enjoy
> >web access to sites like pbskids.org. I don't want them to be able to
> >click links to get to any sites we haven't checked out; and I've noticed
> 
> This has traditionally been done through proxies.  What you can do is 
> set your web browser under a certain account to go to some bogus proxy 
> for everything and then set a few sites to not proxy - there is a No 
> Proxy option in the preferences.  This would mean that the web browser 
> would not be able to find a site that you do not specify because it 
> would be attempting to access something that doesn't exist.

Great idea; don't know why I didn't think about that.

> Of course this isn't a true solution.  If you still wish to restrict 
> your children in a few years when they learn how to undo your proxy 
> configuration hack, the most used method then would probably be to set 
> up a real password based proxy server in between your home network and 
> the internet.  There are a few out there with one password say, giving 
> full internet access, and another giving a limited set.

At that age, I think I'll prefer the "accountability" approach.
Everything is permitted... everything is logged. >:-]

Honestly, though: I think what my children /choose/ to view is going to
be much less a concern to me than what my children, at a vulnerable age,
are made to see without having had a choice.

> >that at least one of them tends to end up with 8 open windows sometimes.
> >I obviously don't want to edit /etc/hosts or do anything that will
> >restrict other users like my wife and myself.
> >
> >I'd also be very interested in a desktop environment built for kids, so
> >that they can pick their favorite apps, but can't interact with the
> >desktop or delete files accidentally.
> 
> You just provided an excellent definition of "Knoppix for Kids".  I 
> suggest you check it out.

I will, thanks.

-- 
Micah J. Cowan
Programmer, musician, typesetting enthusiast, gamer...
http://micah.cowan.name/