AOL filter, reply function
[email protected]
In a message dated 8/28/2000 12:01:05 PM Pacific Daylight Time,
starshine_lal@... writes:
email address. So, he enters the internet through his screen name, and the
program won't allow him to visit certain sites. Another important
consideration for AOL is that the filter is set to not allow his screen name
to spend $$ online. I've known people who go to game sites and play games,
having no idea there is a charge. I really wanted to avoid that.
We do run into some problems where ds is looking something up that AOL
filters think is offensive. An example would be that he can't get onto
websites that have the word 'breast'. Even if it is a medical or educational
usage. For those times, I turn off the filter and help him find his way
around.
There are different general age settings. I quickly discovered that his
needed to be set for young adult. The child settings were so restrictive
that he was locked out of all kinds of websites that I considered appropriate.
OTOH, the filters are useful for his email, too. I can set it so that he
cannot receive any attachments or pictures. This keeps porn off his email,
for instance.
There are other filters you can get for your computer. I haven't done
research on it, just know they are available. A problem I've run into,
personally, is entering a .com name hoping find a particular website, only to
find it was a porn site using an innocent sounding name. I can't think of an
actual example at the moment, but it can be quite a shocker to enter "go to
the beach.com" and get a porn site! Another good reason for a filter. It's
not so much a matter of not trusting my son as much as not trusting the
website owners. (Besides, he's smart enough it wouldn't take much for him to
figure out how to turn the filter off, if he decided he wanted to!)
As for using the 'reply' feature. It varies from list to list. This list is
set up so that 'reply' automatically goes to the entire list. I think the
theory is that we can all benefit from each other's responses. (At least I
find that to be true!)
If there is a topic you want to discuss personally with someone, simply cut
and paste their address into the 'send to' box on your email form, deleting
any extra addresses that find their way to the form, if needed. For this
list, you'll find the address of the person who posted the message in the
'From:' section of the header. Typically, I highlight the part I'm
responding to and use the forward key to transfer the text to a clean email
form. Then cut/paste the address, complete and send the email.
A word of caution, some people find it offensive to receive personal email
from a list member. I don't know how others here feel about it, but I've
been on a couple of lists where it is very offensive. It is fine with me and
I've never received offensive personal responses or inappropriate spam. So
far, no one has complained when I send a personal response, either. Just be
aware and use common courtesy in your posts (like that's a problem, I'm
sure!).
Eiraul
starshine_lal@... writes:
> Also, a question: WHAT IS "AOL'S FILTER" FOR THE INTERNET AND HOW DO I GETAOL filter comes with AOL email/internet use. He has his own screen name and
> THAT AND HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? We just got our computer and have no
> "filter".
email address. So, he enters the internet through his screen name, and the
program won't allow him to visit certain sites. Another important
consideration for AOL is that the filter is set to not allow his screen name
to spend $$ online. I've known people who go to game sites and play games,
having no idea there is a charge. I really wanted to avoid that.
We do run into some problems where ds is looking something up that AOL
filters think is offensive. An example would be that he can't get onto
websites that have the word 'breast'. Even if it is a medical or educational
usage. For those times, I turn off the filter and help him find his way
around.
There are different general age settings. I quickly discovered that his
needed to be set for young adult. The child settings were so restrictive
that he was locked out of all kinds of websites that I considered appropriate.
OTOH, the filters are useful for his email, too. I can set it so that he
cannot receive any attachments or pictures. This keeps porn off his email,
for instance.
There are other filters you can get for your computer. I haven't done
research on it, just know they are available. A problem I've run into,
personally, is entering a .com name hoping find a particular website, only to
find it was a porn site using an innocent sounding name. I can't think of an
actual example at the moment, but it can be quite a shocker to enter "go to
the beach.com" and get a porn site! Another good reason for a filter. It's
not so much a matter of not trusting my son as much as not trusting the
website owners. (Besides, he's smart enough it wouldn't take much for him to
figure out how to turn the filter off, if he decided he wanted to!)
As for using the 'reply' feature. It varies from list to list. This list is
set up so that 'reply' automatically goes to the entire list. I think the
theory is that we can all benefit from each other's responses. (At least I
find that to be true!)
If there is a topic you want to discuss personally with someone, simply cut
and paste their address into the 'send to' box on your email form, deleting
any extra addresses that find their way to the form, if needed. For this
list, you'll find the address of the person who posted the message in the
'From:' section of the header. Typically, I highlight the part I'm
responding to and use the forward key to transfer the text to a clean email
form. Then cut/paste the address, complete and send the email.
A word of caution, some people find it offensive to receive personal email
from a list member. I don't know how others here feel about it, but I've
been on a couple of lists where it is very offensive. It is fine with me and
I've never received offensive personal responses or inappropriate spam. So
far, no one has complained when I send a personal response, either. Just be
aware and use common courtesy in your posts (like that's a problem, I'm
sure!).
Eiraul