Internet Filtering Program

Internet Filtering Program - What To Get From Where?

Internet filtering program comes in various form. This article will provide you tips on where to find or acquire internet filtering capabilities. that suits your needs. This article will explain various sources that provides internet filtering capabilities.

If you are interested to know what features internet filtering program must have, then read my article what features to look for while buying an internet filter.

To have Internet Filtering capability parents can take one or all the following steps:

Look for ISPs that provides Internet Filtering capability

When choosing an Internet service provider, look for one that provides built-in Internet filtering tools. Best example is of AOL, which provides its subscribers with a downloadable program that filters Web site content, e-mail contacts, instant-messaging chat contacts etc… Furthermore, it also allows parents to limit their children's Internet usage.

Another ISP that provides Internet Filtering is AT&T Yahoo high-speed Internet and dial-up. They call there Internet Filter tool Smart Limits. One nice feature on Smart Limits beside setting time limits, and block access to instant messaging and other applications is that it filter Web searches too.

Both of these above mentioned tools also report children’s Internet activity/habits to their respective parents, but one should not confuse it with monitoring which both the above software does not provide or provide it in very limited way. For example both of this tool does not monitor children usage of social networking sites which is really important.

Operating-system controls

If you already have an ISP that does not provide Internet Filtering capability, and you want to stick with them, you can still have Internet filtering capability through operating systems. Microsoft’s Windows Vista has included a suite of parental controls which block or allow specific programs, games, and websites; and provide option to limit time spent on the Internet.

Internet Filters From Third Party Vendors

Regardless to the fact that whether you have OS and ISP based parental control, its always safe and best to have Internet Filtering Program from third party vendors. Internet filtering program from third party vendors are more robust, and provides more filtering features.

Safe Searching

Most of the children use search engines such as google to search for a site that interest them based on search terms or keywords. But you never know what comes up up on the Internet for harmless search terms. This is because most major search engines get their listings by crawling the web, rather than through human review and categorization. This means its easy for possibly objectionable material to appear in search results. If you do not have third part internet filter or ISP based internet filter, major search engines offer some type of filtering ability for objectionable materials. Google's strict filtering setting, available through the search and preferences options, can help you to filter both explicit text and explicit image searches. The SafeSearch options for Yahoo's and MSN's search tools provides same functionality.

But remember those filters are not perfect, even google admits that's its strict filtering is not perfect.

Internet Browser Blocking

If you are looking for a way to block inappropriate content through web browser, there is not much in the market except the third party internet filter. Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 uses parental control, which is part of the Windows Vista operating system. The Windows XP version of Internet Explorer 7 does not include any parental controls.

For Firefox Web browser there is a free ProCon Predator extension can be used to block explicit content.

Internet filtering program should be used along with monitoring software, or better still have a true parental control software with internet and filtering capability. Depending upon the age of your child and your circumstances internet filtering may be sufficient. If you have a child or children who have just started using internet, and does not posses enough information to bypass or disable the internet filtering program then internet filtering program is sufficient. Here is the guide on what feature to look for while buying internet filter.

You can read my detail review on Net Nanny Software, which I feel is the number one family internet filtering program.

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