Q for those of you w/10.4

[mkaake]

I have a quick question... as a parent, this jumped to my mind a while ago, but never got around to asking:

is there some way as an admin that I can prevent other users from using safari's new private browsing mode? the thought of my children being able to browse w/no way for me to know what or where they were browsing is not a happy thought (its not really too much of a problem, as the computer is located in the dining room, where anyone in the living room, kitchen or dining room has a clear view), but it's a little unsettling just the same...

 

[DavidLeblond]

I have a quick question... as a parent, this jumped to my mind a while ago, but never got around to asking:

is there some way as an admin that I can prevent other users from using safari's new private browsing mode? the thought of my children being able to browse w/no way for me to know what or where they were browsing is not a happy thought (its not really too much of a problem, as the computer is located in the dining room, where anyone in the living room, kitchen or dining room has a clear view), but it's a little unsettling just the same...

I've never used 10.4 so I can't answer that.

But I do have to mention that my wireless router (and some other routers I've seen) can be set to keep a log of pages visited, regardless of how you have your PC or Mac set. Might be an alternative.

 

[MikeLaRiviere]

Something else you should know is that the current iteration of Safari has a "Reset Safari" button. If your kids are computer-proficient, they will, of course, find a way to erase where they've been: clearing cookies, clearing history, emptying cache, resetting Safari - it's all really easy to do and easy for a kid to figure out. The previous poster is right - I would recommend that you enable your router to log web sites, and then be sure to password the router. All routers come with an easy-to-guess password (chiefly because the manual tells what it is), and your kids would have little problem cracking that, so be sure to make up your own strong username and password.

Now, I assume that you're talking about kids age thirteen or older, because I can't imagine that younger kids would intentionally visit bad websites. As you probably know, there are some very computer-literate kids even at age thirteen (many of them on this forum, no doubt), so your child need only have one computer-friend, and he's got the key to every door. Passwording your router and enabling it to log websites is really the only thing you can do... and just hope no one is able to crack that password.

Mike LaRiviere

 

[mkaake]

Something else you should know is that the current iteration of Safari has a "Reset Safari" button. If your kids are computer-proficient, they will, of course, find a way to erase where they've been: clearing cookies, clearing history, emptying cache, resetting Safari - it's all really easy to do and easy for a kid to figure out. The previous poster is right - I would recommend that you enable your router to log web sites, and then be sure to password the router. All routers come with an easy-to-guess password (chiefly because the manual tells what it is), and your kids would have little problem cracking that, so be sure to make up your own strong username and password.

Now, I assume that you're talking about kids age thirteen or older, because I can't imagine that younger kids would intentionally visit bad websites. As you probably know, there are some very computer-literate kids even at age thirteen (many of them on this forum, no doubt), so your child need only have one computer-friend, and he's got the key to every door. Passwording your router and enabling it to log websites is really the only thing you can do... and just hope no one is able to crack that password.

Mike LaRiviere

They're not really old enough to where it'll be a problem, but it was th first thing that popped into my mind hwen that was listed as a feature...
see, right now, (if they were old enough to do this or care to do this), i would at least know if and when they cleared their cache and cookies, which would send up flares like crazy. but the idea of any user at any time browsing sites of questionable content w/o any way to check that...

bummer.

of course, this is why they don't get online w/o my wife or myself in the same room (or in the living room where we can directly see anything being done)

 

[BWhaler]

I think your best bet will be trying one or all of these options:

1. Norton Internet security or similar product which has Parental controls
2. Airport Extreme and Airport Express have the ability to turn on AOL parental controls if you use AOL as a client
3. Turn on web logging on the Airport.

Finally, since kids are always more technical than we think, and your child can always surf the web at a friend's house, I think your taking the time with your child, building a good moral base, is the best solution.

But check out the Norton solution. It'll filter most of the bad stuff out for you.

 

[mkaake]

I think you best bet will trying one or all of these options:

1. Norton Internet security or similar product which has Parental controls
2. Airport Extreme and Airport Express have the ability to turn on AOL parental controls if you use AOL as a client
3. Turn on web logging on the Airport.

Finally, since kids are always more technical than we think, and your child can always surf the web at a friend's house, I think your taking the time with your child, building a good moral base, is the best solution.

But check out the Norton solution. It'll filter most of the bad stuff out for you.

oh, i completely agree with that. i guess its just the parent side of me immediately wondered if apple would make some way for us to turn this off, as its just one more easy way for people to get involved with things they shouldn't...

when the time comes where my chillins can surf the web w/o me being around, those actions will go into place (of course, the moral base has already been started ). just hoping that apple will take the high road on this one (of course, i suppose they already sort of haven't, as they've included the feature in the first place)

 

[emw]

You could always force them to use a browser that doesn't have that option (Netscape, etc.).

If you give them their own user ID on the Mac, then restrict the applications that they can use, then they couldn't use Safari's capabilities.

 

[soniquev8]

It shouldn't be too much of a problem to prevent them from using this 'feature.' You could create a special 'guest' account and tell the system that they are not allowed to use Safari. Instead, install a special browser that doesn't have the private browsing feature... like KidBrowser or something simpler like FireFox.

My guess is that Apple will include an option to disable it without a password, my friend is a developer and has 10.4, I could ask him and get back to you if you'd like.

 

[realityisterror]

and since apple isn't done with tiger yet, some developers here could submit your suggestion, which, i agree, is perfectly valid...
if enough people would suggest this, i'm pretty sure it wouldn't be too difficult to implement...

reality

 

[mkaake]

My guess is that Apple will include an option to disable it without a password, my friend is a developer and has 10.4, I could ask him and get back to you if you'd like.

that would be fantastic...

 

[XnavxeMiyyep]

In pretty much all web browsers, there is a way to delete pages from the history one by one. (I figured this out in Internet Explorer 5 when I was 12 or so) This is currently true in Safari, FireFox, IE, Camino, and probably all the other web browsers out today, so Safari's Private Browsing will make almost no difference at all.

So your best approach (aside from explaining to them and teaching them your values), would be to use one of the filtering softwares recommended by the previous posters.