Dad's Computer Rules

Vicki Davis lists her "11 Steps to Online Parental Supervision of your Children" on her (Cool Cat Teacher Blog, Sept 16, 2006, and Miguel Guhlin riffs on them here. Sensible and sensitive advice.

My list for my (now grown) son which I published in Learning Right From Wrong in the Digital Age.

Dad’s Household Computer Rules

• Do not break the law. I don’t have money for bail or fines.
• Do not invade others’ privacy (and I will respect yours).
• Do not give out ANY personal information about yourself or the family.
• Be truthful about who you say you are in online communications.
• Talk to me if anything about a website concerns or confuses you. I know that bad sites can be accessed accidentally.
• Don’t download and install software without my permission. I mean it.
• Be as smart, skeptical, and cautious online as you are elsewhere.
• Don’t do anything you wouldn’t do if I were watching you. I just might be.

If I were rewriting these today, I would add:

• Watch how much time you spend online. Too much and you'll go blinky and possibly psycho.
  

As of this writing, my son is 1) out of jail, 2) seems to have fairly decent values, and 3) hasn't been abducted by anyone.
 

Comments

[Vicki Davis]

These are great guidelines! Wow!