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January 2003 Newsletter:
New Year's Resolutions

As each person in their own way celebrates the onset of a new year, each person decides whether to commit themselves to improving some aspect of their life. Resolutions seem to be like promises for most of us - made to be broken.

If you decide to make a New Year's resolution, be sure that your goal is something within your personal reach. For example, instead of saying "I'm going to lose 100 pounds this year", say "I'm going  to lose at least 4 pounds each month this year".

And if you consider some aspect of online safety as a family New Year Resolution, make the resolution reasonable for your family. Perhaps your family could consider a reward system. The following guidelines are an excerpt from "Stay Safe in Cyberspace: Kids' Guide". They are questions to help families communicate more about internet experiences.

How many computers are in the house? How many are connected to the internet?

Is the computer used by young children in a busy room where the screen can be seen by other family members?

Who needs to use the computer for how many hours per day for which days of the week for school or work?

Can some school or office work be done offline? Can it be done on a different computer?

How many hours per day would each person like to use the computer? How many hours per day should each person use the computer?

Which family members need undivided adult supervision when connected to the internet? surfing? finding information? using instant messaging? visiting chatrooms? checking email?

Who can use which username?

Is filtering or monitoring software attached to a username? If so, are the settings for the filtering or monitoring software appropriate for the person using the username?

Make a folder for each family member of the websites they like and are allowed to visit. Decide who is allowed to use which folder.

Decide who can go to which websites and chatrooms.

Decide which adult will examine, approve or disapprove the websites children want to visit. The adult will want to decide if the website and their privacy policies are appropriate for the family member.

Decide who can and can not sign up for which newsletters or mailing lists.

Has the parent or person responsible met everyone’s online friends?>

Decide who has permission to buy what, where and with whose monies online. It is a good idea for persons under 13 years of age not to be able to purchase anything online without a parent or adult physically present at the purchase.

Enforce the rule ‘No phone calls or in-person meetings with any online friends‘ for family members not of legal age.

Consider having each family member under the legal age ask permission before sending or posting any attachments, files or pictures to any person or website.

Find out which neighborhood friends use the internet, how and who supervises their internet activities, and if your family will be safe online at their house.

Discuss online safety and supervision with all family member’s schools, workplaces and local libraries.

Assign a family member on a regular basis (weekly, monthly) to download and install anti-virus software updates and security patches for your operating system and for all programs installed (not just those programs used on a regular basis) on every computer. You can also keep updated the list of infectious email attachments by the computer.

Have regularly scheduled online safety drills just like your family fire drills. Practice as a family how to get away from a stranger when they approach or will not leave you alone in your neighborhood and on the internet, in a chatroom, through email and instant messaging. Each family member should teach and remind the younger family members how to recognize, avoid, and get away from the bad people online.

Follow your family everyday rules for internet usage. For example, tell a parent when someone makes you or your brother or sister uncomfortable; when someone uses bad words; is following a family member online; sending too many emails; asking too many or weird questions; a website needs personal information before a child can use the website; a website does not require parental consent; or any other situation where family members would tell parents or parents would want to know.

Consider a suitable reward system specifically for your family where each family member earns “points”. After so many “points”, the family member can ‘do this’ or ‘get that’. Decide what needs to be done to earn “points”. For example: not bothering someone for so long when they are at the computer; or, sitting with the younger members of the family while they are online; or, taking the time to explain something to another family member; or, any idea your whole family can consider that will be fair to each person in your household.

Well, I hope each person has a much better year than last year. Please don't forget that by keeping your family safe, you are also helping to keep your community and country safe.