So, the government are to create an organisation to “improve children’s safety online”. Not that there isn’t already a plethora of such groups around and even a government backed one is unlikely to have “teeth”. You see, they don’t have a choice really – people demand something to be done, so they have to be seen doing something. But the internet, all free speech and open access (except China, of course), isn’t designed for you to be able to. Maybe they can shut down some websites in the UK, and only when they’re breaking UK laws, but that’s about it. Other than that they’re likely to be full of pamphlets and online guides.

But that doesn’t make the internet a lawless zone for kids – there is plenty of excellent software around which assists with monitoring and restricting what they see and do. It would be wonderful if Windows came with this as standard, but it won’t. You see, if Microsoft includes any new software where there’s already a market, they’re accused of anti-competitive practice, fined, and told to remove it.

But there’s a thriving market for file searching software – why, for example, is Windows allowed to have such a facility as standard? Or a file manager? Well it seems to me that if Windows has had it all along and these companies have survived anyway, then that’s acceptable. But if Microsoft try to add something – such as child safety software – then the existing companies will cry foul and court orders will begin. It’s very sad and very restrictive. I’m sure many parents are unaware of very good, free child protection software that’s available.

A few that immediately spring to mind are…

Windows Live OneCare Family Safety
Crawler Parental Control
Glubble
Sentry Lite
K9 Web Protection

I’m sure there are many more. And for not a huge amount of money there are even better commercial products available. Many are US-centric which can be an issue, so it’s worthwhile giving them a trial first.

CyberPatrol is one such which, although I had a fall-out with them, I’d recommend.

As I’m sure you remember, my modem/router failed the other week. On top of that I managed to blow out an extension lead. Both of which ended, unceremoniously in the bin in what I like to call “the computer room” (but is otherwise known as “the little bedroom”). In fact, I managed to break in the bin, so I had to get a new one.

Now, this is deviating from the story a bit, but how hard is it to buy a standard plastic waste bin? All Tesco, Asda, et al, wanted to give me was faux-leatherette versions and the such. Anyway, in the end I got an over-sized bathroom bin which works just fine. But I digest…

My wife, who normally is the only one organised to remember to empty the various bins around the house into the wheelie bin before it gets collected, duly emptied the previous bin, full of equipment. Fair enough.

Now, last weekend (also blogged about) I went to my in-laws and helped “fix” their computer. Before I went I carefully went through my various boxes of spare parts, cables, and the like, and made up one box full of the stuff I needed. The rest I put into a large paper bag that I had knocking about. This I left on the floor. In the corner of the room. Near to where the bin used to be (this is before the other day when I got my new one).

Today I went to sort this bag out and found it… missing. I ask my wife where it was. Yep. You’ve got it in one. It went in the wheelie bin earlier in the week. The wheelie bin that was emptied this morning. Every-single-spare-part-cable-and-bolt that I possess. Including all the spare SATA cables (preventing me from ever putting the various parts of a potential second computer together, let alone put my current PC back in its original case if I ever have to send it back), etc. I could cry. But it’s not her fault. Or mine come to think of it. Lessons learnt all around I guess. Spilt milk, etc.

And it’s only Saturday….

I get the occasional bit of spam via the comments on this site. However, all have to be authorised by myself so I don’t allow any thorough. I’ve now added reCaptcha to the comments section and added a personal message stating that nothing will be displayed if it’s spam. Never-the-less I still get it. Now, reCaptcha is rather good and I can’t believe they’ve found an automated way of getting around it ( I use it on the BMTG site and it isn’t bypassed). If that’s the case, they’re typing things in manually, surely knowing nothing will come of it.

Yet my contact form never gets any spam. I’ve only recently added any kind of captcha and it’s not as sophisticated as reCaptcha. Is that because it only gets sent to an individual and isn’t potentially displayed on a website?

My favourite, though, is the BMTG site. I have 3 contact forms on the site – a guest book entry (publishes on the site, but only after being approved), customer form (where they can send their details to the membership secretary) and contact form (where they can contact various members of management). Based on what I said initially, you can probably guess that it’s the Guest Book they target. And you’re right.

I have an easy-to-use switch which allows me to turn reCaptcha on and off for each of the forms, and I only have it turned on for the Guest Book. If I turn it off I literally get flooded. Why? What is the point? Nothing gets through and it’s a monumental waste of their time, surely? Because the Captcha in this case is fooling them, it must be an automated method being used – that might explain why no matter what messages I use, the message isn’t getting through.

Having said that, if it is automated, why doesn’t it target the other contact forms?