Say What? Chat and Text Decoded

As parents, we try our best to stay on top of what’s going on in our teen’s lives. We attend parent teacher conferences, cheer our hearts out at a rain drenched soccer tournament, and chauffer them to the mall and back on what seems like a daily basis. But most importantly, we communicate.

 Or, at least, we try to.

 Because communication can get quite tricky when there’s a language barrier involved. And leave no doubt about it- they now have a lingo all their own. One that consists of so many acronyms and abbreviations that it ceases to look like speaking at all. But if you want to know what they’re really saying on MySpace- or just how to decipher that text you just received- then it’s time to brush up on your “teen speak”.

 Now, you may be wondering what happened to the nice child that used to live in your house. You know, the one that spoke in a way that you actually understood? The truth is, they’re still there. (Perhaps buried underneath a thick layer of mascara and lip gloss, but there none the less) So, here’s the low down on understanding the world of the modern teenager.

 

Some of the most common Acronyms and Abbreviations
LOL	Laughing out loud
LMAO	Laughing my a** off
ROFL	Rolling on the floor laughing
Addy	Address (can also mean email address or screen name)
BRB	be right back
ASL or A/S/L	Age Sex Location (mostly used in chat rooms)
TTYL	talk to you later
BF or B/F	Boyfriend
BFF	best friends forever
GF or g/f	girlfriend
BTW	By the way
Sexting	sending sexy pictures via text message
420	marijuana

 

Some to watch out for!
AITR	Adult in the room
9	Parent watching
CD9	Code 9 (parents are around)
KPC	Keeping parents clueless
PLOS	Parents looking over shoulder

 

So there you have it, the basics of text language. Of course, every school, town, and clique has their own variations on these abbreviations, and acronyms that are unique to them. So don’t be afraid to ask questions. And remember: groovy, radical, tubular, peace out, and the most all used to sound like a foreign tongue to your parents. So try to stay patient, and remember to LOL whenever possible.

For an exhaustive list, try Webopedia’s Text Messaging Abbreviations or netlingo’s TXT MSG section.

Vista Parental Controls: A How-To

Many Windows Vista users don’t even know that they have the option to set up parental controls. But while it can be a bit complicated to set up and maintain, it is certainly a step in the right direction.  For concerned care givers, the time spent is more than worth the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you’re making the Internet a little safer for young web surfers.

Begin by starting up your computer and logging in. (Please note, in order for you to maintain sole access to the parental controls, make sure that you are the only one that knows your log in password. Kids and teens are brighter than you may give them credit for, so make sure your password is not something they will easily guess.)

Once you’ve logged on, click on the START button in the lower left hand corner of the screen. (It looks like a circle with four colored squares within it)

When the Start Menu opens, find the search box at the bottom. Type “parental controls” in the box and then hit the enter button on your keyboard. A box will pop up, asking if you would like to continue. Click yes, and you will be taken to the Parental Control Welcome Screen.

Now you’re ready to set up a new user identity for each of your kids. Click on the option that says Create New User Account to begin. Here you will be prompted to create a user name for each user. (They will have the option to create their own password the next time they log in.) This is where it can get tricky.  If a user with more freedom forgets to sign out, then all your work will be for naught.  Also, be prepared to referee shouting matches, threats and bribes between your young ones as they try to wheedle each other’s passwords.

Once you have set up an account for each user, Windows Vista will monitor most of that person’s activities for you. Here are some examples of the controls that you can customize for each user:

Windows Web Filter: In this category, you can select the level of internet filtering that you’d like to set up for each individual user. It is automatically set at medium, but you can relax this, if you want. You can also set it at High, which will block everything except pages meant specifically for children. The web filter is also where you can block certain web pages by entering their URL. One of the most important features to explore within this category is the custom button, which allows you to block out certain categories all together- like pornography, gambling, hate speech, drugs, or alcohol. *Please note, as Window’s Parental Controls is not monitored by actual people, not all content in these areas can be controlled. For more in depth parental controls, you should look into a fully managed internet filtering system.

Configuring Time Restrictions: When, from the user control page, you select the option for time limits, you will be able to control when each user is allowed to use the computer. You will be taken to a simple grid- and by clicking on the time boxes, you can designate certain hours when that user is not able to log onto their account.  Once again, a fully managed internet filtering system like My Internet Doorman can really help in this regard, creating very specific profiles for there clients that allow for very restricted filtered Internet use during the day, then something a bit more lax once you get home from work and then locking i out compleatly during the late night hours.

Game Restrictions: For many parents, the kinds of internet games that their children are exposed to are a major concern. By configuring the user’s game restrictions, you can help alleviate some of the worry over what they are doing in their free time. On the gaming restrictions page, you can decide if a certain user can play games at all (now there’s an incentive to get homework and chores done), and what rating and content types they are allowed to access. You can also block certain games all together.

In addition to individual user settings, you will also be prompted to set up global boundaries for your parental controls. For example, you can decide which games rating system you would like to use, how often you’d like to see each user’s activity report (A list of which websites each user has visited, emails sent, games played, etc) and when you’d like to receive important updates.

For more information on Windows Parental Controls, or to find out how to upgrade to Vista, please visit the Windows home page at www.windows.com

Vista Parental Controls: A Step in the Right Direction

With the launch of Windows Vista, Microsoft has taken a nice step towards helping parents regain control of what their kids are exposed to during their time in front of the computer – whether that’s blocking porn, gambling or other types of inappropriate material.  Windows Vista Parental Controls allow parents to set up an individual account for each user- customizing what that person has access to.

The Good:

• It’s already on your computer, which makes it free (always a plus!)
• At the most basic level, it’s not difficult to set up.
• Allowing parents to control, on a per user basis, the types of websites, games and downloads that their children are allowed to see helps give parents some much needed piece of mind when it comes to computer usage.
• Windows Parental Controls also allow parents to determine when a user can use the Internet – blocking complete access to the Internet between the hours of 11:00 pm and 7:00 am is a great way to encourage responsible use of the Internet. 

The Bad:

• Not all programs are compatible with Windows Parental Controls, which can sometimes hinder the effectiveness of the program. 
• While setting up individual profiles can be a good thing, it also means that each person MUST remember to log off after each session on the computer and that each person MUST safeguard their password, etc. – something to think about when you’re dealing with intrepid young minds.
• Last but not least, no matter how you slice it, beyond the most basic level, it takes work and it takes time.

The Final Verdict:

While Vista’s Parental Control is not without its flaws, the staff at Block-Porn.Org commends Microsoft for taking a very important step in the right direction.  Windows Vista’s Parental Controls are a great start to a diligent Internet monitoring program – For parents with very young children, it can be an acceptable solution to keeping the Internet safe.

However, once your kids get older (read: 11+) it just won’t be enough and if you’re a busy parent, It can also get to be a hassle to constantly update and monitor the Parental Control settings. 

In talking with parents, we’ve found that after a couple of months, a large percentage of them simply give up trying to stay on top of it.  So when you’re ready for something that takes most of the work out of your hands,  look into a fully managed, password free, filtering service like My Internet Doorman.  It’s not only one of the most effective, but also incredibly affordable.

Please check back over the next few days to read “Vista Parental Controls- A How To.” for instructions on installing Vista Parental Controls on your PC.

Porn at Work: Employers Face Major Problems

A recent USA Today article states that the number of employees who are surfing the Internet for pornography during work hours has increased dramatically in the past ten years. The reason for this, at least according to many experts, can be directly attributed to easier access to wireless technology. Portable devices (even those company owned laptops and PDAs) are small and mobile enough to lull porn enthusiastic employees into a false sense of security. The result? Greater liability for employers, and an increase in employee terminations for improper behavior.

For some, the risk of getting caught is arousing in and of itself. They falsely convince themselves that no one will know what they are looking at… and in the process, open themselves up to potential disciplinary action. And with more and more major companies providing their employees with laptops and home computers, telecommuters seem to be at an even greater risk for falling into the porn at work trap. It’s easy to forget, while in the comfort of your home office, that you are still on company time; and that you are being monitored as such.

For employers, the implications are much wider reaching than just the loss of productivity suffered while employees seek carnal pleasures on the company laptop. Workplace conflicts and a series of lawsuits have cropped up over the past few years, as some people feel harassed by their coworkers’ naughty web browsing.

As a result, many companies are turning to web filtering systems once designed solely for use as parental controls. The most successful of these systems include programs like My Internet Doorman, which let employers set up filtering systems that are as broad (or specific) as needed. An added bonus? They also keep employees away from gambling sites, which are another thorn in the side of the American corporate system.

The simple truth is that porn isn’t going anywhere. In fact, there are more pornography websites today than at any other point in Internet history. And as workplace technology gets more discreet, the need for a fully managed Internet filtering system within company walls will only grow right along side the problem.

IE8 offers a browser privacy mode – nicknamed “porn mode” by some

In their Internet Explorer Weblog, Microsoft writes:

“…Privacy has two aspects: disclosure and choice. Disclosure means informing users in plain language about the data collected about them and how it’s used. Choice means putting users in control of their data and giving them tools to protect it.”

In essence, IE8’s “privacy Mode”, enables you to take your web browsing “off the record” so to speak. While they’ve added a number of new “features”, the one we’re interested in exploring is the following one, mentioned on Microsoft’s Weblog: InPrivate™ Browsing lets you control whether or not IE saves your browsing history, cookies, and other data.

While I’m sure Microsoft developed the feature with the best of intentions, in essence, Internet Explorer 8’s InPrivate Browsing makes hiding your web activity easy by not storing history, cookies, temporary Internet files, or other data – all the traditional means used to keep tabs on your kids surfing!

According to Microsoft’s article, while InPrivate Browsing is active, the following takes place:

• New cookies are not stored
• All new cookies become “session” cookies
• Existing cookies can still be read
• The new DOM storage feature behaves the same way
• New history entries will not be recorded
• New temporary Internet files will be deleted after the Private Browsing window is closed
• Form data is not stored
• Passwords are not stored
• Addresses typed into the address bar are not stored
• Queries entered into the search box are not stored
• Visited links will not be stored

Wow, talk about stealth Mode!

Again, before you condemn Microsoft, remember, rival browsers like Firefox and Safari either already have those features or are in the process of adding them.

But once again, it’s best to heed the old proverb “Don’t curse the darkness – light a candle.”

1. Make sure your family computer is out in the open where the family can help keep each other honest
2. Have family discussions about what is and is not appropriate material for your household
3. Last but not least, protect your family from temptation and accidental exposure to porn and other inappropriate material on the web by keeping it out of your home in the first place using a fully managed internet filtering service or a filtered ISP.