Educating your kids is the first step; if they know what to look for and avoid and why, they will be able to protect themselves online as well.
In addition to talking with your children about how they use the internet, the article offers many helpful tips to allow your kids to be safe while they enjoy all the internet has to offer.
Earlier this year, ATL joined with Stop Child Predators (SCP) to encourage Americans to follow five easy steps to help families stay safer online:
* Make sure kids respect one another online and abide by good behavior. They should not write or post anything that could bring harm to themselves or someone else. The web is a lot more public and permanent than it seems.
* Talk to your children about the responsibilities of being online and how their own behavior might put them and the family at risk. Make sure kids know they can come to you when something makes them feel uncomfortable without fear of losing their Internet privileges.
* Place the family computer in a common place in your house and use family safety software so you can restrict the websites your children visit, monitor who they contact, and limit the time they spend online.
* Tell your children that they should never physically meet with anyone they have only become “friends” with online. Kids may think they know them well, but they may be fooled.
* Make sure children know that they should never share personal information online, including their address, phone number, social security number, current school or when they will be on vacation. All of these things create a personal profile that a predator could use for nefarious purposes.
Microsoft and Yahoo! announced a deal that will create more competition in the online search and advertising space. According to reports, Microsoft search engine Bing will become the default search engine for Yahoo!, creating one tool that can rival Google’s 70% market share.
Consumers and content providers would benefit from more competition in the search and search advertising worlds. Consumers will have more choice and more ways to access online content. The market will benefit
by increased competition, leading to more innovation. And content providers will be able to reach users and consumers through more avenues by creating another platform for competition.
“Competition equals innovation. But with one player dominating 70% of search, that field has been pretty lopsided. This transaction will create a healthy competitor that’ll keep
everyone on their toes.”
A piece in the New York Times concerning the deal asserts that the advertising industry will also benefit. The new partnership will ensure more competitive advertising by creating a counterweight in the search
industry. A search engine that receives more traffic is far more profitable and enticing to advertise on.
ATL applauds opportunity for greater competition in the marketplace
Washington, DC – In response to news that Microsoft and Yahoo have reached a partnership agreement in search and search advertising, Randy Skoglund, executive director of Americans for Technology Leadership, issued the following statement:
“Search and search advertising is fundamental to the continued success of the Internet as it fuels much of the content and applications that consumers use every day. This partnership between Microsoft and Yahoo will provide an alternative solution to Google’s technology and will keep the Internet innovative, open and competitive and will have immediate positive effects. While it will take several months for the deal to close, the competitive effects will be felt across the marketplace immediately. As a result, consumers win.”
“Given Google’s position as the dominant online search engine and ad platform, the combination of these two companies search and search ad businesses offers consumers and advertisers more choice and innovation. Additionally, businesses, advertisers and web publishers will benefit given more competition which offers them more choice and better revenue opportunities. A Microsoft-Yahoo collaboration is beneficial news to the tech industry, businesses and consumers alike.”
