Tech Improvement

Really, what more needs to be said.

My daughter started using the Internet before she started kindergarten. At first it was easy: log on to nickjr and let her play games. It’s just not that easy anymore. She is ten and has her own (hand-me-down) laptop and is well versed in navigating the Internet. With that comes the challenge of keeping her safe.

My solution is to use OpenDNS. It is easy to set up, free, and doesn’t require the installation of any software. Some tips on using OpenDNS:

• Start with the highest level of protection and work your way backwards if needed. For instance, when I initially set up my parental controls, it blocked Google Docs. Because my daughter uses Google Docs to write stories, I simply changed the settings to allow access to Google Docs. You can also highly customize the settings. I allow access to Gmail, but any other webmail service is blocked.
• You can choose to set up specific computers or your entire home network. OpenDNS works best if your child has his or her own computer. If you apply it to your home network the filters will affect every computer.
• For older children, consider setting up two wireless networks in your home. While OpenDNS is great, a savvy teenager will eventually figure out how to circumvent OpenDNS on their own computer. OpenDNS works by changing the DNS settings on a computer to use OpenDNS’ servers. This can be solved by applying OpenDNS to your wireless router (and password protecting your router of course!). However, now mom and dad are subject to the same filters. I suggest setting up two wireless networks in your home, one for the kids computers (and Wii and iPod Touch and any other device they use) and another for the parents.