Child or family safe - fact or myth?
It is foolish for a user to rely on filtering software as his sole means of monitoring usage and preventing abuse. Your school or family should have a comprehensive internet safety policy, which includes all available techniques.
Within that larger picture, filtering software can play a useful role. Also Safe Surf and other similar organizations provide a detailed rating system which can be tailored to specific needs too. Another excellent resource is The United Federation of Child Safe Web Sites (U.F.C.W.S.).
We've gone into this detail here simply to make the case that privacy on the internet is a myth. The user's actions are observable and traceable. This knowledge should serve as a powerful deterrent to those who have difficulty overcoming the temptations that the net places before them. In addition, most of the "free rating" systems are voluntary, based upon information the applicant furnishes, but are reviewed by the rating group.
A comprehensive guide to rating systems may be found at the adventures of Cyber Bee..
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