Parenting and the Internet

Free Online Press Release Resources

2008-07-01T22:49:00.000-07:00

Do you have a business, school, or other organization that can use some online publicity, but you don't have the budget to pay for distribution of your press release? If this sounds like you, several resources worth looking at are PR-inside.com at http://www.pr-inside.com, openPR.com at http://www.openpr.com and PRLog.org at http://www.prlog.org.

Each of these options take you step-by-step through the process of creating the press release, and in minutes your release can be online and spreading your message. To make the process go smoothly, you should take the time to put together a properly structured traditional press release, and use that as your guide to help you use these services.

For guidance on the latest trends in free press release sites, visit BigNews.biz at http://www.bignews.biz.

The Parenting and the Internet Mailing List

2008-05-15T09:12:00.000-07:00

The book Parenting and the Internet, its companion podcast, and the web site for Speedbrake Publishing all have useful information for the parents of online children. The new mailing list for Parenting and the Internet provides you with highlights of information from all of these sources, plus news items and updates about the books information. If you subscribe, you will get a series of articles, tips, and other advice that can help you with:

* Setting limits on using the computer
* Protecting your child from online predators
* Protecting your computer from viruses
* How to use email responsibly
* How to use search engines
* and much, much, more

If you join this free mailing list, you will receive this valuable information directly in your inbox. These mailings will also help you get the most out of the information that is on the site, as well as help you understand issues like cyberbullying, podcasting, online videos, and other things that concern you or your child. All of these benefits are free, and you can cancel at any time.

Sign up today at the Speedbrake Publishing web site, or in the subscription box on this page and see for yourself!

Filtering Google Results by Date

2008-05-15T08:58:00.000-07:00

by Dr. Todd Curtis

I enjoy getting questions from Parenting and the Internet readers and mailing list subscribers, and today I got one that led me to a very interesting discovery.

The question was whether it was possible to list search results by date. Most search engines, including Google, don't have this as a basic option or even as an advanced search option. However, it does appear that the functionality is built into Google, although you will have to do a bit of work to use it.

Google can reorder search and news results from the last day, week, a few months, or entire year by adding a small string to the end of the URL of the search result. Just add this string "&as_qdr=d" to the end of the URL in the address bar and hit enter. You'll get a custom drop-down box that lets you select search results from a particular date range.

For example, on May 15, 2008, I did a search using the words [airline safety], and the result has the following URL:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=airline+safety&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f

Adding the date search string gives you this:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=airline+safety&btnG=Google+Search&aq=f&as_qdr=d

I hit return, and the new page had a drop down list near the search box. The default value in that box is "past 24 hours." You also have options for searching in other time periods, including the past week, month, two months, three months, six months, and year.

It is not clear to me why this functionality is not part of the standard Google preferences or options. My suspicion is that the ability to search by date is still in some phase of testing and evaluation, and that it will be available in time. Until that happens, the procedure I described here may work for you.

What You Need to Know About Filtering

2008-02-16T00:38:00.000-08:00

In this Parenting and the Internet podcast, Dr. Curtis describes an online filter, how it is used, and how parents can use it to protect their children. He also explains how to change the filter level on the search engines from Google, Yahoo!, and Microsoft's Live Search. Links to audio and video versions of the podcast .

To subscribe to the podcast, or to find out about other Parenting and the Internet podcasts, visit podcast.speedbrake.com.

Play the Video

Podcast: How to Give Your Online Filter a Simpson Test

2008-02-09T14:42:00.000-08:00

The Simpson Test is a test given to an online filter to see if it is effective at blocking inappropriate images. In his latest Parenting and the Internet podcast, Dr. Curtis gives you step-by-step instructions that will let you run the same test on your home computer. Link to audio and video versions of the podcast.

To subscribe to the podcast, or to find out about other Parenting and the Internet podcasts, visit podcast.speedbrake.com.

My Odeo Channel (odeo/bc66ef3635ff6693)

Play the Video

Podcast: The Internet Never Forgets

2008-02-03T21:49:00.000-08:00

Dr. Curtis reviews the recent text messaging scandal involving the mayor of Detroit, the consequences of inappropriate use of the Internet, and the lessons this event may have for the online lives of your children. You can download the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/show10.mp3.

To subscribe to the podcast, or to find out about other Parenting and the Internet podcasts, visit http://podcast.speedbrake.com.

My Odeo Channel (odeo/bc66ef3635ff6693)

Parenting and the Internet Now on Podcast Alley

2007-12-15T21:25:00.000-08:00

My Podcast Alley feed! {pca-c50491e42890d68f8733d1d83a248c6f}

Another Option for Frustrated NFL Fans

2007-12-10T11:17:00.000-08:00

Are you one of the millions of Americans addicted to the NFL who can't get enough? Frustrated about those NFL Network games that you couldn't see on television because the billionaire NFL owners can't seem to make a deal with the multi-billion dollar cable companies? There is an option out there that has not received much attention, but that may ease your pain just a little.

The NFL's web site at www.nfl.com has a simultaneous live broadcast of games that are carried on the NFL Network. The down side is that the picture quality may not be as sharp as television and things may look a bit jerky. Also, the NFL Network has a maddening habit of broadcasting studio and sideline based segments while the game is being played, keeping the viewer from seeing the occasional big play as it happens. However, given the alternative of radio or nothing at all, watching online may be a far superior option to spending time at a sports bar.

In addition to the live game feeds, the web site also has videos of game highlights and post game press conferences for all NFL games.

Podcast: Dealing with a New Kind of Threat

2007-11-28T21:30:00.000-08:00

A discussion of a recent case, first reported in the media in November 2007, where the suicide of a 13-year-old girl was allegedly caused by an adult neighbor who pretended to be a 16-year-old boy. You can download the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/show9.mp3 and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/rss.xml.

Podcast: Top 10 Signs That Your Child Is Looking at Online Pornography

2007-11-28T21:28:00.000-08:00

A discussion about the ways that your child may encounter online pornography, signs that your child may be deliberately seeking out pornography, an steps that you can take as a parent to deal with this issue.

You can download the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/show8.mp3 and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/rss.xml.

Podcast: Recognizing a Privacy Problem and Top 10 Tips to Protect Your Online Privacy

2007-11-28T21:27:00.000-08:00

An overview of key signs that you and your family may have a privacy problem, along with the top 10 tips for protecting your online privacy. You can download the podcast at http://speedbrake.com/podcast/show7.mp3 and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/rss.xml.

Podcast: Seven Steps to Online Privacy

2007-11-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

This podcast is a review of the basic steps families and children should take to protect their online privacy.

You can download the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/show6.mp3 and subscribe to the podcast at http://www.speedbrake.com/podcast/rss.xml.

File Conversion Resource

2007-11-28T20:21:00.000-08:00

Do you have a file you need to convert? Access database file to Excel? AVI to MP4? Microsoft Office to Open Office? No matter what kind of conversion you want to do, the Media-Convert site at http://media-convert.com/convert/ will likely have what you want.

You don't need to download any software to make this happen. In fact, you don't have to even register on the site. You can either upload a file from your computer or convert a file that is online and download it into your computer. There are so many possible conversion combinations that you may want to explore the site to see how it may help you.

Online Resource on U.S. Government Secrecy

2007-11-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

Secrecy News http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/ is a that discusses U.S. national security policy issues and how U.S. government information is protected by various laws and regulations about secrecy. One of the very useful services this site provides is links to publications from the Congressional Research Service. Normally, these reports are released only to the U.S. Congress and not to the general public. These reports (in downloadable PDF files) cover a range of topics, including nuclear weapons, torture, and military affairs. This site is one of the very best places to find information and resources on U.S. national security and the role of secrecy.

Secrecy News is sponsored by the Federation of American Scientists (http://www.fas.org) Project on Government Secrecy, and is updated several times a week. You can subscribe in one of two ways:

RSS feed
http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/atom.xml

Mailing list
http://www.fas.org/sgp/news/secrecy/subscribe.html

Parenting Articles from Dr. Todd Curtis on EzineArticles.com

2007-11-04T12:16:00.000-08:00

In addition to the free emailed special reports available on the Speedbrake.com home page, Todd Curtis, author of Parenting and the Internet, has teamed up with EzineArticles.com to present additional articles. These articles focus on airline safety, airline security, and managing a family's use of the Internet.

Visit the Todd Curtis article archive at http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Todd_Curtis,_PhD to view the available articles.

To order Parenting and the Interent, visit http://orders.speedbrake.com.

Book Review on Entrepreneur.com Site

2007-11-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

Todd Curtis, Ph.D., himself a parent, teaches fellow parents how to protect their children in Parenting and the Internet: The Guide for Raising Your Child to Be Smarter and Safer Online. Chapters cover Internet legal and ethical issues, how to properly manage the online experience of one's child, sample parent-child Internet agreements ideal for setting boundaries, advice on how to use search engines and other online services, tips for filtering unwanted email spam, links to helpful free software, and much more. Above all, Parenting and the Internet is packed with practical wisdom for keeping one's child safe from scam artists and worse predators.

To order the book, visit Speedbrake Publishing at http://orders.speedbrake.com.

Hoax-Slayer.com - The Name Says it All

2007-10-18T22:44:00.000-07:00

This site at http://www.hoax-slayer.com has a wealth of information about email-based hoaxes, rumors, scams, and criminal activity and will enhance your family's ability to avoid many common online safety and security threats. It has an extensive collection of articles that are conveniently listed by category, as well as has other useful resources such as software reviews and links to information about online safety and security.

An Outstanding and Free Jazz Resource

2007-10-09T07:42:00.001-07:00

There are many resources for music on the web, and like much of what is available online, the best stuff is often the free stuff. One of those gems is the site for KRTU radio. This Trinity University radio station has been supplying quality jazz to the San Antonio, Texas area for over 30 years, and now they are doing it for the entire world. While many radio stations provide live streaming audio, KRTU goes one big step further, providing an audio archive of the the past week's shows. With one click, you can switch from blues, to indie rock, to many, many flavors of jazz. If you are a music lover, you owe it to yourself to visit this site.

Midwest Book Review on'Parenting and the Internet'

2007-10-09T07:33:00.001-07:00

The October 2007 edition of Midwest Book Review Says that 'Parenting and the Internet' is packed with practical wisdom for keeping one's child safe from scam artists and worse predators, and a "must-have" for all parents in the increasingly Internet-driven twenty-first century.

To order the book, visit Speedbrake Publishing at http://orders.speedbrake.com.

Let Google Alerts Do Your Searching For You

2007-10-05T09:02:00.001-07:00

Last week, I checked out Google Alerts for the first time and was quite impressed with the results. In short, it allows you to have Google automatically search the web for items of interests and then email the search results to you.

I found that it was particularly useful for tracking breaking news stories or for finding information and resources on subjects that are of interest to me. Within hours, I was able to come across several pieces of useful information that I would have never encountered during my normal use of the web.

You can set it up to do a comprehensive search of what is online, or you could focus on information from the web, news stories, blogs, videos, or news groups. You can also set it up to send results weekly, daily, or as they occur. Since you can set up literally hundreds of different searches, you could start with a variety of different search combinations to figure out which ones work best for you.

This is a free Google service, and the only requirement is that you have a Google email address.

Review of Parenting and the Internet by MyShelf.com

2007-09-26T23:28:00.000-07:00

Leslie Halpern, author of several books, including Dreams on Film and Reel Romance, recently reviewed Parenting and the Internet at MyShelf.com. An excerpt of the review is included below.

This guide covers nearly every online activity imaginable and offers useful suggestions for maintaining privacy, security, and safety in every circumstance. Curtis repeatedly mentions how even though your children may know more about computers and the Internet than you do, it’s the parents’ job to determine when, why, and how children make use of these computer skills. Helpful appendices provide free software links, online resources, a glossary, and an index.

Parenting and the Internet is addressed to non-technical adults who may have little or no experience with computers, and goes to great efforts to be clear in describing basic computer and online functions.

For the full review, please visit MyShelf.com.

To order the book, visit Speedbrake Publishing at http://orders.speedbrake.com.

Why One Word Searches Are a Bad Idea

2007-09-25T16:37:00.000-07:00

Chapter 11 of Parenting and the Internet described several ways that someone in your family could be accidentally exposed to inappropriate content. While the book mentioned careless search techniques as one of the causes of this kind of exposure, the book went on to describe specific techniques to generate good results and avoided examples of careless techniques.

Search engines are powerful tools for finding information, but without a little bit of care, you or your child may have objectionable and inappropriate material suddenly splashed on your monitor. One specific example is when you are searching for graphics or images. Google and other major search engines have an option to search specifically for images. The results page, instead of having mostly printed information, will have an image plus a link to the image or to the page containing the image.

Without going into detail, some providers of adult content have become very good at making their content easy to find. One problem for the person who does not want to see this kind of material is that a poorly constructed search request will cause the search engine to return one or more adult oriented images. One of the easiest ways to have a poorly constructed search is to use only a single word.

For the following example, I went to Google, chose the "Images" search option, and tried several dozen single word searches to see if the first page of results would contain one or more images that were either sexually explicit (depicting either sexual activity or intended to cause sexual arousal), or that were inappropriate for young children and most teens. After less than 30 minutes of efforts, I found that the following words generated at least one sexually explicit or otherwise inappropriate image (test conducted on September 25, 2007):

aunt, banana, barbie, bath, boat, boy, candy, clean, closed, cousin, daughter, dirty, doctor, doggy, doll, eat, family, girl, grandma, homer, lisa, man, marge, meat, mermaid, milk, mother, nurse, photo, picture, play, ride, simpsons, sister, sleep, spongebob, vegetable, wash, woman

These words and many others are typical of the kinds of terms that a child may use when searching for appropriate content. The top three top providers of search services, Google, Yahoo!, and MSN Live Search (accounting for about 86% of all search queries according to an August 2007 study by Nielsen/NetRatings) all have this same sort of weakness, allowing explicit images to be displayed for a wide range of single word searches. Any search, no matter how well constructed, may generate inappropriate results, doing the following will be very effective at keeping you and your child away from pornography and other objectionable content:

Always use two or more keywords or key phrases in any search
Set up your favorite search engines to filter search results
Supervise your child when he or she is learning how to use a search engine
Make sure your child understands what is acceptable online behavior

The Big Cartoon Database

2007-09-25T15:32:00.000-07:00

This site at http://www.bcdb.com is an interesting treat for all fans of classic cartoons. This is a search engine and directory for cartoons produced over the decades by major studios including Disney, MGM, and many smaller studios. This site is best for finding out details like the cast, crew, directors, and studios associated with a cartoon.

Review of Parenting and the Internet in Bookviews

2007-08-31T13:52:00.000-07:00

The September 2007 edition of Bookviews gave a review of Parenting and the Internet, with the full review below:

Parenting and the Internet: The Guide to Raising Your Child to Be Smarter and Safer Online by Todd Curtis, PhD ($19.95, Speedbrake Publishing, 24 Roy St., #302, Seattle, WA 98109, softcover) strikes me as one of those books that a concerned parent would want to read. A US Census Bureau survey in 2003 found that more than 60% of children, 10 to 14 years old, with a computer in the home, used it and no doubt that figure has risen since then. The Internet for this new generation is more than a tool for schoolwork, it is a significant part of their social lives. The book addresses issues of online privacy and security, as well as child predators and inappropriate material that are now significant concerns. If it is one of your concerns, this book will prove very helpful. To learn more, visit www.speedbrake.com.

To order the book, visit Speedbrake Publishing at http://orders.speedbrake.com.

Children and Library Privacy Policies

2007-08-27T10:50:00.001-07:00

Public libraries often provide free use of their computer network to access the Internet. One of the things that parents should know is that all library users, even children, have certain privacy rights when it comes to online activity. One example is the Seattle Public Library, which states that without a court order, information about borrowers or users is protected from scrutiny by individuals, private agencies, or public agencies. One exception is that a parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of 13 may request information about materials borrowed or web sites visited. You should check the privacy policies of the library that you use to see whether you have the option to review your child's library transactions.