[NTLUG:Discuss] Administration tool to restrict Firefox history erasing

[steve]

Wayne Walker wrote:
> 1. Monitor the kids, not the network.  I have kids too, I know that's
> the much tougher route.

Truly - yes.

Put all of the family computers into your living room - make web
surfing a family activity.

> 3. Read the proxy logs.

This is likely to be UNBELIEVABLY tedious. A kid wandering around
the Internet can hit hundreds of sites in an hour. And even if
you do examine that long list of URL's, it's actually going to be really
uninformative because sites like MySpace are rather hard for you to
get into - unless you also have your kids username/password.

Besides - you need to know where they are GOING - not where they have
BEEN.  Once they've been there, it's too late!

Nah - you have to be in the room with the kids while they play
with the computer - it's the only way that's actually going to
work.  If you force them into becoming evil black-hat hackers
in order to get around your countermeasures, you aren't teaching
them the right values.

Plus it can turn a solitary, withdrawn experience into a family
fun thing.  When my son (age 16 now) and I play computers, we
sit side-by side at our own machines - typically in the same
room where my wife is watching TV - and we trade interesting
links, fun stuff...it's a family-time activity - we both
enjoy it - it's a bonding experience.