South Carolina to force device makers to block porn?

[Barrister]

Since the topic has come up... how do I, as a parent, block my kids from being able to access porn, either on a PC/Mac, but also on an iPad?

Up till now their only computer experience has been an iPad.  Since they can't read, they're just picking at pictures that look interesting.  But Timmy is in grade 1 and learning to read.  Pretty sure he'll learn about search engines.

I mean I'm sure that whatever blockers I can install he'll eventually figure out how to get around.  But I'd rather him be in his teens when he first discovers hard-core pornography, and not 8.

Fun times to be a parent, eh?

Indeed.

While I may have seen the odd issue of Playboy while staying at an aunt and uncle's house, in order to see porn I was 18 and had to go to the back of a grubby magazine shop downtown.  Plus at that point I had some first hand experience so my mind wasn't completely warped to think that was what sex was actually like.

[alfred russel]

You're a brave man.  Even with "all sorts of blockers", if they find you've been looking at porn on a company computer that can get you fired.

I have zero concern about that. There is no way the leadership of my group would stand for firing people because they looked at porn in a hotel room while on a business trip.

Now other stuff I've done online, that could be different.

[alfred russel]

Also, to sidetrack this discussion a bit, does that even constitute "looking at porn"?

If I do a google image search for "cute asian lady", lots of images pop up. Who is to say I was looking for / focusing on the naughty ones?

[Barrister]

Also, to sidetrack this discussion a bit, does that even constitute "looking at porn"?

If I do a google image search for "cute asian lady", lots of images pop up. Who is to say I was looking for / focusing on the naughty ones?

It doesn't really matter how you got to that site - all that matters is they can see that you're accessing various .xxx kind of sites.

Now if you're looking at cheesecake pictures of models that appear on more "mainstream sites that's one thing.  But I don't think that's what you're talking about.

[Jacob]

Since the topic has come up... how do I, as a parent, block my kids from being able to access porn, either on a PC/Mac, but also on an iPad?

Up till now their only computer experience has been an iPad.  Since they can't read, they're just picking at pictures that look interesting.  But Timmy is in grade 1 and learning to read.  Pretty sure he'll learn about search engines.

I mean I'm sure that whatever blockers I can install he'll eventually figure out how to get around.  But I'd rather him be in his teens when he first discovers hard-core pornography, and not 8.

This is probably a good starting point for you: http://www.imore.com/how-block-specific-websites-being-accessed-safari-iphone-and-ipad

[alfred russel]

It doesn't really matter how you got to that site - all that matters is they can see that you're accessing various .xxx kind of sites.

Now if you're looking at cheesecake pictures of models that appear on more "mainstream sites that's one thing.  But I don't think that's what you're talking about.

But I'm not going to the sites. Those are blocked. Just do the search and you have 1,000 pictures or whatever google image returns, and many of those are quite naughty. Way more pictures and far dirtier content than a whole year's subscription to playboy would get you back in the day.

[viper37]

Since the topic has come up... how do I, as a parent, block my kids from being able to access porn, either on a PC/Mac, but also on an iPad?

Up till now their only computer experience has been an iPad.  Since they can't read, they're just picking at pictures that look interesting.  But Timmy is in grade 1 and learning to read.  Pretty sure he'll learn about search engines.

I mean I'm sure that whatever blockers I can install he'll eventually figure out how to get around.  But I'd rather him be in his teens when he first discovers hard-core pornography, and not 8.

many antivirus&firewall products come with a parental firewall of sort.  I know Eset Smart Security has it, and I figure most if not all non free anti-virus have it too.  They block known domain and keywords to contain porn, I think.  You input a password that will be required to change the configuration, usually.

It will work fine on a 8 year old, but just don't expect it to work until he reaches 18

[Syt]

And that's why you use a private phone, hotel WiFi and a proxy page when on business travel.

Or so I've heard.

[alfred russel]

This actually had me reflecting on a story that a now senior leader in my company (David) loves to tell (privately).

It is a story of how our company website came into being. It was the 90s and an older gentlemen was required to approve the budget. So David went to his office to explain the need, and the guy said, "David, I just have one question for you. What is this 'internet'?" And David said, "come downstairs and I'll show you." So David took him downstairs to his computer, pulled up a browser, and the first thing that came up was a porn site that David had been visiting, with an attractive naked woman on screen.

And the old guy said, "I like this internet. Your budget is approved."

A couple weeks later, HR sent a notification to the old guy that David had been accessing porn at work. The old guy told HR, "David was performing research for a critical company project. He should receive a reward for the service he is providing to this company."

[derspiess]

many antivirus&firewall products come with a parental firewall of sort.  I know Eset Smart Security has it, and I figure most if not all non free anti-virus have it too.  They block known domain and keywords to contain porn, I think.  You input a password that will be required to change the configuration, usually.

It will work fine on a 8 year old, but just don't expect it to work until he reaches 18

On top of the parental controls, I made my 8 year old fully aware that I can and will check his search & browsing history.  Worst I've found so far was him googling whether Santa or Elf on the Shelf are real. 

My best friend's daughter got duped into searching for adult material by a friend of hers who had gotten busted for doing it at her own house.  I'm dreading having "the talk" with my kids as it is; can't imagine having to do that when they're in 1st or 2nd grade.

[Admiral Yi]

How long until Tomasino figures out how to delete his browsing history?

[Barrister]

How long until Tomasino figures out how to delete his browsing history?

That at least is easy to see as well.

What about when he discovers private browsing modes? 


But you can't really blame a kid for wondering about Santa or that damn Elf on the Shelf.

[Admiral Yi]

I'd be interested to hear what "talk" the parents here will give, or have already given, on porn.

Or did you mean the sex talk Speesh?

[The Brain]

"-When a producer loves money very, very much..."

[Eddie Teach]

So I googled that Santa question and apparently he is.