Contents

• Acknowledgments
• Research Team
• Introduction
• Culture Shock . . . Understanding the Spirit of the Internet
• You Don't Need to be an Expert
• How to Read this Book

Part 1 Outfitting Yourself for Cyberspace (everything you need to know to get online)

1. Clueless? . . . You'll Feel Right at Home!

• There's Nothing to be Afraid of

2. Cyberspace . . . A Map for Non-Geeks

• What is the Internet?
• What is the World Wide Web?
• How Do You Access the Internet? . . . Online Services and ISPs
• What Else Do You Need to Know? . . . Gopher, FTPs, Usenet and Newsgroups, List Servs and IRCs

3. Hardware Technology . . . Don't Worry, I'll Go Really Slow and Draw Lots of Pictures

• What Do You Need to Know to Buy a Computer?
• What If You Can't Afford a Computer?
• Alternatives to a Computer . . . WebTV and Internet Box Technology

4. How Do You Get Connected?

• Getting Online . . . Choosing the Right Service for You
• Comparing ISPs with Online Services
• What's the Difference Between the Online Services?
• If You Choose an Online Service . . . How Do You Get Signed Up?
• If You Decide to Go With an ISP . . . How Do You Select the Right One for You?
• Confusing Matters Further . . . Using a Cable Company as Your ISP

5. Once You Get There . . . How Do You Find Anything?

• Search Engines
• Bookmarking—Leaving a Trail of Breadcrumbs
• Hello Information? . . . I'd Like the E-Mail Address for . . .

6. Person-to-Person Online . . . E-mail

• Getting an E-Mail Account
• Your E-Mail Box
• Spamming and Junk E-Mail
• How Secure is Your E-Mail?
• "Daemon" . . . Does that Mean My E-Mail is Possessed?

Part 2 The Dark Side . . . Keeping Things in Perspective

7. What's Really Out There . . . and What Can We Do About It?

• Keeping it in Perspective
• Adult Site Self-Regulation . . . A Partial Practical Solution
• Global Access . . . Means Finding a Global Solution

8. The Law . . . Is The Bad Stuff Legal?

• What is the Communications Decency Act and Why Was It Ruled Unconstitutional?
• You Say "Obscenity" . . . I Say "Serious Literary Value"
• Your Community or Mine?. . . The Thomas Case
• Child Pornography . . . It's Still Illegal
• The Anatomy of a Cyber Predator . . . Protecting Your Children from Pedophiles

9. Cleaning Up Cyberspace . . . Helping to Enforce the Law and Get the Web Rated

• Who Enforces the Laws in Cyberspace?
• How You Can Make a Difference

10. Understanding the Other Risks . . . Hidden Dangers

• Misinformation and Hype . . . Know Your Source
• Hatred and Bigotry
• Cyberstalkers and Predators
• Just Plain Rude People . . . Flaming
• Cookies and Other Risks to Your Privacy
• Targeting Cybertots . . . Marketing to Your Children Online
• Mom . . . How Do You Build A Bomb?
• Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco . . . Oh! My!
• Are We Raising Future Riverboat Gamblers in Cyberspace?

11. The Bad Stuff Goes Both Ways . . . Protecting Others and Yourself from Your Kids and Their Friends

• Hacking and Computer Crime
• Breaking the House Rules
• Hey! . . .That's My Intellectual Property!
• Protecting Your Boss . . . Don't Use Your Business Account for Family Computing
• Protecting Your Computer in Cyberspace . . . Viruses

Part 3 Making and Enforcing Your Choices as Parents

12. Understanding Your Options

• Teach . . . Your Children Well
• Making Your Choices . . . Finding a Fit That's Right for You and Your Kids
• What are Other Parents Doing?
• When Is Your Child Old Enough to Use a Computer?
• Balance . . . When Do You Know If They've had Enough?

13. Defensive Parenting . . . Avoiding Problems by Planning Ahead

• Forewarned is Forearmed
• Know Your Kids and Create a Workable "Internet Use Policy" for Them
• Educate Your Children About the Dangers in Cyberspace

14. Ms. Parry's Guide to Netiquette

• Origins of Netiquette
• Ms. Parry's Rules for Correct Internet Behavior

15. United We Stand

• Build a Solid Team of Parents, Friends, Librarians and Schools

16. Using Technology to Implement and Enforce Your Choices

• Parental Control Software . . . Added Protection
• A Little About the Products
• Comparing the Products
• Our Awards . . . Please Limit Your Acceptance Speech to 30 Seconds or We'll Be Here All Night
• Parental Controls from Your Online Services
• Server Blocking
• How We Conducted Our Review and Testing of the Software

17. Rating the Web . . . PICS, the Platform for Internet Content Selection

• PICS . . .What is it?
• The Recreational Software Advisory Council's Labeling System For The Internet (RSACi)
• SafeSurf's Labeling and Rating System
• Net Shepherd Rating System and Software
• Microsoft Internet Explorer and PICS

18. What Have You Learned So Far?

• What? You Never Told Us There Was Going to Be a Quiz!
• How CyberSavvy are You?

Part 4 The Good Stuff . . . 99.44 percent pure 197

19. It's a Wonderful (Online) Life

• Johnny Can Write (And Research)!
• Shopping Online
• Let the Web Entertain You
• Traveling the World

20. A Family Project . . . The Web Can Bring You Together

• Let Your Children Teach You . . . Learning to Listen
• Your Own Soapbox . . . Create a Website Together
• Family Sports—Take up Web Surfing Together

21. The Wonders of E-mail . . . Families Keeping in Touch

• Parents Talking to Children . . . Love Notes to Your Kids
• Creating Teams
• More than E-Mail . . . Keeping an Eye on Your Family
• E-mail Can Be Used to Accomplish Many Things

22. And Now . . . A Special Word from One Grandmother . . .My Mom's 2¢

• A Grandparents' Guide to the Internet and How to Enjoy Yourself in Cyberspace

23. Special Families . . . Special Kids

• Looking for Inspiration? Try Lisa's Page
• Exceptional Children, Special Needs
• Adoptive Families and Foster Parenting Online
• Single Parenting and Step-Parenting
• Parenting Twins and Other Higher Order Multiples
• Grandparents Parenting (Again)

24. Some Great Family Websites and Parenting Resources

• Parenting Sites
• The Moms on the Internet . . . Cybercelebs All
• Fun Sites for Kids

25 . Our Kids' Reviews

• What Our Kids Think and What Our Kids Like

26. Parry's Picks

• What's Parry's Picks?
• For Newbie's
• For Younger Kids
• For Slightly Older Kids
• Older Kids
• Teens

27. The Bottomline . . . On Balance

• Appendix
• FAQs
• Glossary Terms (for non-geeks)
• Buzz Words . . . To Impress Your Kids
• Directories (of companies, products and websites referenced)
• Directory of ISPs, Online Services and Products
• Directory of Websites
• Directory of Credits, Copyrights and Trademarks
• My Model Internet Use Policy