Out of touch.

Wow, it's amazing what a vacation can do to your sense of things. It seems like forever since I've been blogging and now I don't know where to begin. My family was away on holidays for a bit and we just got back. And of course before that was the mad rush to get things organized and clear work off the plate. The mad rush didn't give me much time to keep up with my posts nor did it give me much time to even keep up with news to blog about. The reverse works on the other end. Now that I'm back I've got to get caught up with everything I've missed, put on my work hat, unpack and do laundry and get groceries and... and... and... So forgive me if I'm a little out of touch. I promise to be back on line soon. And in the meantime, drop me a line and let me know what I've missed!

Cyber Summer Break

What ever happened to going outside to play in the yard when school let out for the summer? When I was a kid, I couldn't wait for the last day of school and the endless weeks of endless fun that followed. But it seems that these days, all kids can think about is the opportunity to play Nintendo and x-box all day long without homework getting in the say. Well, at least one school board in NJ understands this phenomenon and is hosting a seminar on keeping our kids safe while they are online during their summer break. I wish all our schools where as thoughtful. Read the article here. Actually, what I really wish for is that our kids would find the back yard as interesting as the internet!

States Stats with a Swiss Accent

The great blog Edukey is based in Switzerland and has lots of helpful information for parents. There was a recent post there about cyber predators. The stats quoted are from a US study and they mirror the recent Ipsos Reid-Microsoft study from Canada that I mentioned a while back right here. The conclusion is that the only real solution is more communication between parents and their kids. I couldn't have said it better myself!

Yo Yo Yo

I received a nice e-mail the other day from Lynn who is part of a group who has developed a new web site that is really great. Here's how she describes it... "This site was developed with children's safety in mind. Parent involvement is key to helping keep our kids safe. The only people our kids can communicate with our the ones we, as parents approve. No personal information is give out at any time."

Although the site is still in it's Beta stage (that means it's still being tested to us ordinary folks), it has a lot of great features worth looking at that kids will love - e-mail, instant messaging, homework help, and games. For parents, there's the assurance that it is a safe place for our kids to play. Check it out here. Registration is free.

If it's good enough for the office...

A recent survey - reported on by Canada's CBC - shows that the majority of businesses monitor online use by their employees. The whole story is here. There's a lesson here for all of us - we should be willing to monitor use by those in our care. For a business that's an employee, for a parent that means our kids. The article points out that businesses should set in place clear and reasonable guidelines, expectations and awareness among employees - both for fairness and for privacy reasons. As parents we should do the same.

Macleans tackles online porn in this issue

There's a great in-depth story in Canada's Macleans magazine this month about those nasty types that prey on children and how they thrive in the online environment. The article quotes investigative journalist Julian Sher in this paragraph:

The Internet "doesn't create pedophilia," Sher notes, "but it certainly does fuel it." In the past, pedophiles were isolated, repressed by the revulsion most people felt toward them and limited in their opportunities. "But now offender after offender will tell you about their eureka moment," says Sher, "when they first went online and saw not only the images -- the live images -- available, but immersed themselves in the acceptance, the assurance they
were among like-minded people."

Read the entire story here.

It's a reality check we must constantly remind ourselves of that the dangers online won't go away any time soon. So let's pay attention. Let's inform ourselves by reading this kind of story and paying attention to what our kids are doing online.

Public Pics in a Pickle

An interesting debate is going on here about recent suggestions that public photography be banned or at least regulated in certain places - especially where kids congregate. There are some good points - about privacy and concern about online posting of inappropriate snaps of unsuspecting kids. I wonder where this one will go or how far the authorities (or the public) can push such an idea? Any thoughts? I'd like to hear what you think.