Blocking Web Acess to teenagers

[calesuar1]

Need help.
This is what I want: block my teenager from viewing ****ographic websites through his Pixi.
This is my problem: The only solution Sprint has offered is turning OFF completely all his internet access (through my account). This is not a solution as ALL DATA is turned off as well, so mostly all apps on his phone don't work, those that need to have acess to the internet in order to function correctly, so, no facebook, no GPS of any kind, no weather, no MMS, NO PREWARE, no palm app catalog, basically all the cool things about this smartphone.

I was wondering 2 things:
1. Is there a homebrew app or patch that can be added to the browser so I can add only those websites I approve, through a password, as the Content Advisor in IE. This makes a lot of sense since most of us only visit a few websites, and can add those new ones little by little. If not,
2. Is there a homebrew patch or app that can delete only the GUI part of the browser, so you can't access the internet yourself, that is, navigate on the web to type and find websites, but your apps will continue to use it to get their needed information to function properly (I am assuming apps make use of the browser to access info on the web). Can he download a regular browser later on? If apps don't use the browser, but get their info directly, then.
3. Can I just delete his web browser. Again, can he download easily another browser himself later on?

I feel funny a bit about asking young adults like some of your tekkies out there, about **** blockage from a 15 year old boy (that you were once not too long ago), but the crap that you can view nowadays is not just boobs and naked ladies, that would be natural. It's not the era of Playboy like in my days. He has access to stuff meant for "consenting adults" with a higher degree of maturity, not for a pimple faced kid, with a very young and impressionable brain still. There is only so much education you can give them. I am trying to protect him from extreme crap out there, some of it, illegal in any country, like child ****ography. No one needs to see that.

Please help.

[sorli]

I guess the big problem relates to getting the list of websites you wish to block. Jason made a Patch called Ad Blocker - http://forums.precentral.net/webos-p...d-blocker.html that basically changes the standard Linux Host file to point a VERY Long list of websites known for Pop-up advertisement and just bad web browsing experiences to localhost (127.0.0.1) and simply blocks those website from being viewed from the Palm webOS web browser.

I tried reworking this Patch for my own particular needs and making some adjustments, but was not very successful making a simply redirect of www.precentral.net to the mobile version of m.precentral.net. Should be simply, but making the patch has not be easy. Either way, the Ad Blocker patch is your best bet for reference on how to do this redirects in the Host file and combine this with a list of known XXX sites you want to block pointing back to 127.0.0.1 (localhost) and your set to go.

Unless, of course, your son can reverse these modifications and knows how to Patch webOS better then we can? Maybe Jason Robitaille can chime in provide some suggestions? Sorli...

Update: reference link to a online resource for more information - http://sherylcanter.com/articles/ore...0_HostsPac.php and as referenced in Jason's original Ad Blocker patch webOS host files in located from the Root in /etc/hosts. Also note, I think someone is making a program or patch to block and secure web browsing, but I'm not sure what progress they have made with it and anyone is still working on the project.

[guggenheim]

possibly try educating him about why you don't want him to see that material as a first step? Or check the history only if you have a reasonable suspicion that he is actually viewing something you would find questionable.

I guess the bottom line is that there probably isn't a way to do this that's easy enough for you to handle while still making his smartphone the useful tool it's designed to be. Unless you are tighly controlling every other facet of his computing experience, a pixi is probably not the **** viewing medium he would choose anyways...

[calesuar1]

Thanks Sorli for your input but i am afraid your avenues are beyond my capabilities. And, the idea was not to create a list to block ALL the **** sites there are, which I am sure are millions, and ever changing and growing. Instead, my idea was to only allow him to view those he can visit, which are few. (in other words, create a list of allowed sites, not blocked, since that woudl be a much, much shorter list, and with a password controlled growth).

And for the rest of other members the Pixi is the only source he was able to see ****ography, as his computer has a password protected browser that only allows to view those websites he wants to view which I have approved. I am sure he has access outside of the house to some degree, but I am only concerned with those things I can do something about. I was a teenager once. I do wanting to explore, but again, there are limits, and levels, age related.

[ryleyinstl]

OP is looking for options on how to control web access on his sons Pixi not parenting advice......keep it on topic please.

<<Posts Deleted>>

[wamiller]

On my home computers I use OpenDNS.org for some control. Is there a way to use OpenDNS as the WebOS DNS?

[Derango]

Anything you do to the device can be easily undone by your son. Especially with a device like the Pre/Pixi which is so open. All it would take to undo it is the terminal application you can grab through preware.

So if you can't get anything acceptable on the carrier side, I think trying to restrict it on the device side is going to be a waste of time. If he wants to get at it, it'll take him about 2 seconds to undo whatever you did to it.

[richard_rsp]

Originally Posted by Derango

Anything you do to the device can be easily undone by your son. ... If he wants to get at it, it'll take him about 2 seconds to undo whatever you did to it.

I hate to say it, but I have to agree. Kids these days have no challenge in getting around technology filters (if that is what they want to do). When I was 15, I was MUCH more tech savvy and resourceful than I am now (that was 15 years ago). Putting a filter will maybe slow them down, but that is all.

Just a month ago, My fiance's 8th-grade cousin was telling me how she and her friends were able to get on myspace and facebook at school around the filter like it was no big deal. And trust me, she is NOT a computer nerd.

Whatever you end up doing, good luck!

[crholt]

Originally Posted by wamiller

On my home computers I use OpenDNS.org for some control. Is there a way to use OpenDNS as the WebOS DNS?

Yes there is. Check out the WebOS Internals Wiki regarding DNS:

DNS - WebOS Internals

I use OpenDNS on all the students' computers at a private elementary school where I'm the IT person. It's quite effective and easy to use.

[saves]

Unfortunately, I think the only option is going to be to downgrade him to a "feature phone" that does not have full browser access.

I bet you can find an old microsoft KIN on ebay, that has FB and myspace and the like without access to real internet.

[Pulp]

I don't think you have to worry about too much about your boy seeing the things "nobody has to see".
The things he wants to see he will find - and if he cannot access them on his Pixi he will find other ways to download them.
I doubt he will be searching for the things you are afraid of him seeing - and I don't think he will bump into anything nasty by googling for naked women (and if 15 year olds are anything at all like they were when I was 15 a naked woman is about as much as they can take )

[tejoe]

Your enemy in doing anything to his pixie is updates. As soon as a new update comes all setting you applied would be reverted unless it is oficially supported by Webos-Internals or Jason because without Aupt the patches to your phone would be written over.

The thing about **** and blocking it is a tricky one even the robust option would have it's faults. To block everything but what you approve may crimple the phone.You have to remember that webos is nothing but a big browser and most apps on the phone are web-based aka if you don't know the sights or ip's to those web-based apps they may get blocked inadvertinly(sp).

[wamiller]

Originally Posted by crholt

Yes there is. Check out the WebOS Internals Wiki regarding DNS:

DNS - WebOS Internals

I use OpenDNS on all the students' computers at a private elementary school where I'm the IT person. It's quite effective and easy to use.

Thanks for the pointer!

[calesuar1]

Thanks Wamiller. Took your link, read, try to understand but the contents were more like Greek to me. I didn't even understood the concept. I didn't know what to change on my device, with what, and to what purpose.

But thank you anyway.

[crholt]

Originally Posted by wamiller

Thanks for the pointer!

No problem - let me know if I can help with anything!

[calesuar1]

Jeez, I can't believe I am the only parent concerned with this, and that there is no technical solution to it. I understand that for every action there is a reaction, so what, that has been life since inception. Do we continue to live in caves and throw arrows? I mean why cure Cancer, if some new bacteria or illness will be developed next? Since when knowing that some people will always find a way to override our best defenses prevented us from acting in the right direction, from finding better solutions, ever improving?

I highly doubt my son would be able to circumvent any good application designed only to allow the websites you'd indicate with an ok by entering a correct password. The idea here is the same as when we lock are cars; most will be deterred by that simple act. That's what I am looking for. Sure there will hard core thiefs who will stop at nothing, but I am not concerned about that with my son. I am looking for a good deterrent, that's all.

[jbennett]

You've been *given* a "good technical solution," you just don't understand the details yet. If you're unfamiliar with DNS, try reading this: Domain Name System

The earlier link described how to configure webOS to use a DNS server of your choice: "Edit the file /etc/resolv.conf using vi from command line."

The aforementioned OpenDNS is a provider of "filtered" DNS - by using their DNS servers instead of those provided by default by your ISP (or phone company), requests for "bad" website addresses will come back as unavailable.

OpenDNS > FamilyShield

In the end, if your son is more curious and determined to find things than you are to stop him, then you might as well not waste your time trying. So far, it doesn't sound like you're willing to invest much time or effort in this, beyond looking for a neatly-packaged solution that probably doesn't exist.

Hopefully the additional links above will at least help provide some additional information you might find useful...

--John

[jjeffcoat]

Would installing Sconix's Advanced Configuration for Launcher patch and then hiding the web browser possibly be an option?

(He could probably figure out how to un-hide it easily enough so it's probably not a long term solution).

[philpeeps]

Originally Posted by jjeffcoat

Would installing Sconix's Advanced Configuration for Launcher patch and then hiding the web browser possibly be an option?

(He could probably figure out how to un-hide it easily enough so it's probably not a long term solution).

he could still launch it with a Google Universal Search...

[sledge007]

All I know is that you can look at the aforementioned subject on regular phones as well, providing they have a web browser. It may be possible to put up some sort of shield/wall whathaveyou to block those sorts of things but in this day and age, (some)kids are smarter than their parents when it comes to these sort of things. I had an ex that had two boys, we gave them PSP's for Christmas and found out later that one of them was searching aforementioned subject, and although successful in locking him out, via password for the internet, didn't really fix the problem. (so said the cardboard box full of magazines that we found the basement). Just my 2 cents