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BACK TO CYBERSPACE SAFETY SCHOOL
IT’S that 'Back
to School' time of year again and with school comes homework. With a
world of information at our fingertips it's hardly surprising that
the internet is becoming a key educational resource and the first
point of call for eager little fact finders. However, while there's
plenty of stuff we'd love our kids to use the internet to find out
more about, there's lots we'd rather they didn't come across. Here's
5 top tips to help keep your children safe while they study in
cyberspace.
1. Ideally supervise your children's use on the internet. At the
very least, place the computer in a room that the family uses so you
can keep a subtle eye on their activity.
2. Apply the parental
controls on your PC.
Follow these instructions to do so. In internet explorer go to:-
Tools
Internet Options
Click on the 'Content' tab
Go to the 'Content Advisor' section
Click on the 'Enable' button
Here you’ll find several options to disallow websites by category.
You can also
set your own password so children cannot change the settings.
3. Invest in parental control software. Although free parental
control tools can be downloaded from sites such as the Internet
Content Rating Association, software such as Net Nanny, which is
available at a small cost, provides better protection. Offering a
lot more features, these are particularly suitable for parents with
older children who need a bit more flexibility. These types of
software provide protection from other threats from chat rooms,
offensive pop ups and explicit emails.
4. Keep an eye on what they've been up to Net Nanny and similar
software allow you to audit your child's internet usage but you can
also monitor websites they've been accessing by following these
simple steps.
Click on 'View' in the menu of Internet Explorer
Click on 'Explorer Bar' in the drop down list
Choose 'History' in the next drop down list
A list of sites visited will appear on the left hand side of your
browser and you will be able to see exactly what web pages have been
visited.
5. Get involved:- There’s no better way to encourage responsible
internet usage than to lead by example. Join in to help with your
kids' homework and show them the great things the internet has to
offer so they won't feel the need to 'stray further'. ntl’s
BroadbandPlus service offers Espresso, the award winning Broadband
schools' curriculum service, an invaluable source guiding children
through tasks and lessons in such a way they'll forget it's
homework! |
FIRM GIVES LIVERPOOL TOP MARKS FOR BUSINESS SUPPORT
NORTH West folk have very
particular tastes when it comes to how they wish to be accompanied
to the grave or crematorium, according to new Age Concern research.
For some, comfort would come in the form of a mobile phone; 2% of
those surveyed made this unusual request. Most however, 31%, yes
that's 31%, opted for a picture of a loved one to take with
them to the next world. Next on the list of cherished items follows
jewellery (4%), whilst a further 3% would like a memento of their
pet dog to accompany them.
Thankfully, not one person in the North West asked to take money
compared to 2% in Yorkshire, perhaps slightly contradicting the old
adage of ‘you can’t take it with you’, while a small minority of men
questioned were keen to take their golf clubs.
Top 10 most unusual requests to take to the grave:-
10 Mobile phone
9 Golf clubs
8 Dog’s ashes
7 can of lager
6 The boss
5 A plant
4 A light
3 Teddy bear
2 Ancient Egyptian artefacts
1 Personal stereo
Source:- Age Concern Enterprises, August 2005
The survey also found that discussing funeral plans is very much off
limits for the majority of older people, with men far more likely to
avoid the subject than women. A total of 63% said they had never
talked about their preferred funeral arrangements with family
members or close friends, while 73% of men had not broached the
subject at all. And for the minority of people who do decide to
share their wishes, some 19% confide in their partner in the North
West, with just 5% talking to their children about burial or
cremation preferences.
“Despite having some very particular wishes, it appears that many
people are still very reluctant to discuss what is a highly
sensitive subject. Actively planning a funeral can understandably be
difficult for anyone, regardless of age. However, it does make good
sense, particularly for older people who can rest assured that in
the event of their death, their loved ones will be relieved of the
financial and organisational burden.” said Julie Webster at
Age Concern St Helens.
Funeral costs have more than doubled in the past decade, and they
still continue to rise. If prices increase at the present rate a
funeral costing £1650 today could cost £3,350 by 2012. By planning
and paying for a funeral in advance, it’s possible to avoid future
price rises as the cost will be frozen at today’s prices.
Age Concern’s Funeral Plan provides flexible plans and payment
methods to suit different requirements. The Age Concern Funeral Plan
is provided in partnership with Dignity Caring Funeral Services. |
