The only way i can quit caffiene (specifically chocolate) is to focus on something that i cannot do with shaky hands and the tendency to dehydrate quickly that comes with high levels of caffiene in the blood. Sports based on precision and endurance are excelent examples of this.
I still indulge in my chocolate addiciton during christmas and in the off season (from olympic riflery), but the added benifits of the lack of caffiene in my blood stream (steadier hands and eyes that don't dehydrate as fast) are enough to get me through the headaches...
If you trust your kids, then trust them on the internet. It's that simple. I've had a computer in my room throughout high school...before that, i had a laptop on my lap which created just as much privacy with the old screens that you couldn't see unless you were staring purpendicular to them.
I don't see the big problem. The information is at your fingertips on the internet, but it's ALL there. And regardless of the evils that are out there, it is impossible to get raped, molested, abused, murdered, or held up at gunpoint over a computer: in order for those consequences to be had, you have to have physical contact with another person (or at least be near one for the last two).
And as far as the evil information goes, wouldn't you want your son or daughter to face life with at least a knowledge about what they may or may not be considering...it's a lot more dangerous to have an adolescent daughter go on a date with a horney guy who can convince her that virgins can't get pregnant or some other garbage than it is to have someone find out the easy way (through a browser) that masturbation works. Even if there are predators in chat rooms and the like, they can't really do anything over IM/IRC/etc..
I think the only really important rule is that no one (paretnts included)should divulge personal information (name, address, phone #, ss#, bank/credit card info, etc.) over the internet unless you're really sure that the other person 1) is to be trusted and 2) had a legitimate reason for knowing.
In Kevin Mitnick's book, The Art Of Deception, he says that social engineering (manipulation for information) happens because people want to be helpful, and repeatedly makes comments about how people will usually tell you whatever you want to know if you ask the right way.
And as far as the closing things quickly rule, i think it's complete garbage. When i'm talking to my girlfriend or even close friends online, i'd almost rather wipe my HDD than let my parents read it, even if it's as inocuous as saying goodnight or planning dinner and a movie...parents just didn't need to know. How would you feel if you were planning a date with your wife, and your kids walked in...you'd probably put the planning on hold. And if they asked, you'd tell them, "we're planning a date," but you wouldn't give them a written transcript of the convorsation, which is what you'd be asking your kids to do.
The UN fails in almost every atempt at regulation. I cannot think of a single instance in which they have succeeded when individual civil liberties are concerned, and placing control of the internet in their hands would be a death sentence for our network. We, as people, cannot alow this to happen if we value our ability to write and publish what we think. The threats of kiddie porn, copyright infringement, spam, and privacy invasions pale in comparison to the threats of censorship on this scale. Imagine a world where people can't remember these times of communication. Imagine a time when governments don't need laws to control their thoughts, because they give tacit concent because they blieve that's the way it's always been done, and change has never happened. It's a terrible reality, and the UN will make it happen.
I honestly believe that the UN has outlived its usefulness and should be disbanded, but since that's not a realistic option, we must limit their ability to destroy our way of life.
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The only way i can quit caffiene (specifically chocolate) is to focus on something that i cannot do with shaky hands and the tendency to dehydrate quickly that comes with high levels of caffiene in the blood. Sports based on precision and endurance are excelent examples of this.
I still indulge in my chocolate addiciton during christmas and in the off season (from olympic riflery), but the added benifits of the lack of caffiene in my blood stream (steadier hands and eyes that don't dehydrate as fast) are enough to get me through the headaches...
If you trust your kids, then trust them on the internet. It's that simple. I've had a computer in my room throughout high school...before that, i had a laptop on my lap which created just as much privacy with the old screens that you couldn't see unless you were staring purpendicular to them.
I don't see the big problem. The information is at your fingertips on the internet, but it's ALL there. And regardless of the evils that are out there, it is impossible to get raped, molested, abused, murdered, or held up at gunpoint over a computer: in order for those consequences to be had, you have to have physical contact with another person (or at least be near one for the last two).
And as far as the evil information goes, wouldn't you want your son or daughter to face life with at least a knowledge about what they may or may not be considering...it's a lot more dangerous to have an adolescent daughter go on a date with a horney guy who can convince her that virgins can't get pregnant or some other garbage than it is to have someone find out the easy way (through a browser) that masturbation works. Even if there are predators in chat rooms and the like, they can't really do anything over IM/IRC/etc..
I think the only really important rule is that no one (paretnts included)should divulge personal information (name, address, phone #, ss#, bank/credit card info, etc.) over the internet unless you're really sure that the other person 1) is to be trusted and 2) had a legitimate reason for knowing.
In Kevin Mitnick's book, The Art Of Deception, he says that social engineering (manipulation for information) happens because people want to be helpful, and repeatedly makes comments about how people will usually tell you whatever you want to know if you ask the right way.
And as far as the closing things quickly rule, i think it's complete garbage. When i'm talking to my girlfriend or even close friends online, i'd almost rather wipe my HDD than let my parents read it, even if it's as inocuous as saying goodnight or planning dinner and a movie...parents just didn't need to know. How would you feel if you were planning a date with your wife, and your kids walked in...you'd probably put the planning on hold. And if they asked, you'd tell them, "we're planning a date," but you wouldn't give them a written transcript of the convorsation, which is what you'd be asking your kids to do.
The UN fails in almost every atempt at regulation. I cannot think of a single instance in which they have succeeded when individual civil liberties are concerned, and placing control of the internet in their hands would be a death sentence for our network. We, as people, cannot alow this to happen if we value our ability to write and publish what we think. The threats of kiddie porn, copyright infringement, spam, and privacy invasions pale in comparison to the threats of censorship on this scale. Imagine a world where people can't remember these times of communication. Imagine a time when governments don't need laws to control their thoughts, because they give tacit concent because they blieve that's the way it's always been done, and change has never happened. It's a terrible reality, and the UN will make it happen. I honestly believe that the UN has outlived its usefulness and should be disbanded, but since that's not a realistic option, we must limit their ability to destroy our way of life.