We worked hard on Sunday to present in a focused and meaningful way, embracing the fact that we were only going to be able to scratch the surface of this topic. Still, we are grateful for a platform like this to be able to reinforce all of the information and advice that was put out there!
Near the beginning of the message I showed clips from a TED Talk by Sherry Turkle. It is worth watching the whole thing and here is a link to the video.
I also mentioned a piece of software to keep you accountable and makes it easy to talk to someone about the temptations you find online. This isn't a free service but a great investment.
It's called X3watch and you can find it here.
Also,
took some time to write down everything that he said and give you the links to be able to out and do what you need to do to protect yourself and your family. Thanks to Brad!
Brad writes...
Hello everyone! Here is the information I promised to provide you. Please follow the links throughout this post, and have a nice day.
First we will start with
DD-WRT
.
is a Linux based alternative OpenSource
suitable for a great variety of WLAN routers. It provides your router with many extra features that will allow you to do things like add virtual wireless interfaces, schedule your wireless connectivity and device specific internet access.
Here is a list of all of DD-WRTs features.
This is probably not for everyone. Here are the precautions: Firstly it WILL void your warranty. If power fails during the firmware upgrade you can permanently damage your router (the same as with most hardware).
Again I got my routers from Factory Direct for
and
The M10 is even Gigabit!
If you are tech savvy and need the extra features, their
will help get you started.
Now lets talk about
OpenDNS.
is the best, smartest, fastest, and free-est (not a real word) DNS service, keeping you safe online. What is a DNS you ask? Think of DNS like a phone book, it's what turns
into
. :) Two things about OpenDNS: First, it is faster than the one your internet provider provides. Second, it offers
, the single easiest way to protect your kids online, block adult websites and protect your family from phishing and malware. But it only protects your devices while they are connected to your home network.
Using most built-in router interfaces you can easily set up your router to use OpenDNS.
Even if you don't use the FamilySheild (although I'm not sure why) it speeds up your resolve times.
If you know what you are doing the OpenDNS servers are 208.67.222.123 and 208.67.220.123
Now let's talk about blocking advertisements.
Nobody cares about them anyways and they make your web pages take longer to load as well as use up precious bandwidth.
WILL change your life. No really, it will.
"Just changed my life... :) Thanks B-Rad!"
- Matt Jamieson
Anyway, it is available for most major web browsers.
,
,
,
, and
. Check it out!
By the way you can opt out of GoogleAds here
.
That brings us to
K9 Web Protection Software.
is a free Internet filter and parental control software for your home Windows or Mac computer. It is also available for your
and
based devices. It does require a free licence that they send you when you register. Because the protection is software based (a little program that runs in the background) it does use system resources on the device it is installed on. However, it offers protection on-the-go for mobile devices.
This brings us to my last point
KidZui
.
is the Internet for Kids. A safe, fun, friendly web browser for children 0 to say 12. Kids can search the internet, play fun games, watch videos, chat with friends, and more
. The parental controls are great, allowing mom or dad to allow or deny different aspects of the browser. The content is also age appropriate so as your child grows the content matures with them (no dumb baby stuff). If you have more than one child each can have his or her own "account" and favourite content.
It is up to us to protect the innocence of our children and teach them to be internet smart.
----------------
Also, a big thanks to
for sharing his heart and experiences with us too.
Please let us know if you have any questions or any insights to share!
TD