BFTP: Dad's Computer Rules

A weekend Blue Skunk "feature" will be a revision of an old post. I'm calling this BFTP: Blast from the Past. Original post September 18, 2006.

An updated list for my (now grown) son which I first published in Learning Right From Wrong in the Digital Age many moons ago...

Dad’s Household Computer Rules

• Obey the law. I don’t have money for bail or fines.
• Respect 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.
• Be respectful, be constructive and be specific when you disagree with others. Always make arguments about ideas not people.
• 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.
• 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.

Inspired by Vicki Davis's 11Steps to Online Parental Supervision of your Children.

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