Hard Light Productions Forums

Off-Topic Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Rictor on September 01, 2003, 08:23:13 pm

Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Rictor on September 01, 2003, 08:23:13 pm
That darn Internet, its turning my kids crooked. You know its time to worry when you see that your kids aren't turning out exactly as you want them to gosh-darnit.

Thats why we're talking back control (http://www.wired.com/news/culture/0,1284,60255,00.html)


__


New software and hardware have come out over the past year or so to help parents enforce time limits. America Online includes such software with its service.

Ginny Meacham, a mother of six in Orem, Utah, uses Time-Scout Monitor to track their time online. Each child can "buy" about two hours a day by doing chores.

Before, her oldest son, 17-year-old Jon, would continually complain that time limits fell in the middle of a video game, causing him to lose and turning her into "a mean, bad, icky, ogre parent." Now, there's no arguing, because once the allocation is out, Time-Scout automatically shuts power to the computer's monitor.

Other parents still use old-fashioned means -- a kitchen timer, a watch or an estimate. Stacey Calhoun, a teacher in La Mirada, Calif., enforces her rules by taking the keyboard, mouse and microphone away when she leaves the house.



___

My parent's don't monitor my Internet time. They used to, but that was like years ago. And I turned out fine. Can't people just accept technology. I mean, if you're actually putting your health in jeopardy that one thing, but how many people go that far? I fail to see how you can think that ICQ can be taking over your child's life. Its just not that interesting....
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Woolie Wool on September 01, 2003, 08:54:10 pm
How much are you willing to bet that these soccer moms know nothing about the Internet?:p
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Turnsky on September 01, 2003, 08:54:56 pm
feh.. twitchy yuppy parents:doubt:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Knight Templar on September 01, 2003, 09:09:00 pm
*laughs at Lobsterclaw
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: adwight on September 01, 2003, 09:17:31 pm
Funny thing is, I know that lady.  And yes, she doesn't know about the internet, and she's definitely a stickler for being on there a long time.  (she once talked to my parents about it... but they didn't give a crap)
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Rictor on September 01, 2003, 09:55:27 pm
You know THE person reffered to in the artcile? small world
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Admiral LSD on September 01, 2003, 10:21:13 pm
So, this would make 65,001 reasons not to use AOL as an ISP? ;)
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Stryke 9 on September 01, 2003, 11:17:40 pm
Anyone too incompetent to bypass a monitor shutdown that's anything short of a nasty virus shouldn't be allowed online in the first place. It's like driving, there should be a basic-skill aptitude test, and this net-nanny **** is as good a one as any.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: diamondgeezer on September 01, 2003, 11:27:47 pm
'Tis there own fault for thinking the internet was anything more than a global pornography network anyway
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: lobsterclaw on September 01, 2003, 11:33:15 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Knight Templar
*laughs at Lobsterclaw


Ahh, shutup!:p
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Knight Templar on September 01, 2003, 11:39:00 pm
Well it was funny because you don't even play soccer.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: lobsterclaw on September 01, 2003, 11:55:42 pm
Meh...:blah:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Stryke 9 on September 02, 2003, 12:05:33 am
Shall we consider hilarity to have ensued from that comment, and leave it?
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Knight Templar on September 02, 2003, 12:16:30 am
Oh sorry, I didn't know I was on duty..  yeah, so I have this really funny bar joke. This guy walks into a gay bar and walks across the room. He's sees stryke, pulls a seat up next to him, asks for a bud and says "howdy partner, names Sammie. I'm from Houston."

...


right.. carry on.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Nico on September 02, 2003, 02:16:25 am
Quote
Originally posted by Stryke 9
Anyone too incompetent to bypass a monitor shutdown that's anything short of a nasty virus shouldn't be allowed online in the first place. It's like driving, there should be a basic-skill aptitude test, and this net-nanny **** is as good a one as any.


I don't know how to bypass a monitor shutdown.

owwww pwease!!!! hurt me!
:doubt:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Goober5000 on September 02, 2003, 02:27:14 am
Quote
Originally posted by Knight Templar
Oh sorry, I didn't know I was on duty..  yeah, so I have this really funny bar joke. This guy walks into a gay bar walks across the room. He's sees stryke, pulls a seat up next to him, asks for a bud and says "howdy partner, names Sammie. I'm from Houston."

...


right.. carry on.


I've got a better one.  This guy walks into a bar, and he says, "Ow, that hurt!"

:p
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: vyper on September 02, 2003, 03:55:49 am
Guy walks into a thread - "gee thats ticklish".



:nervous:

What?
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Rictor on September 02, 2003, 06:56:04 am
Quote
Originally posted by Stryke 9
Anyone too incompetent to bypass a monitor shutdown that's anything short of a nasty virus shouldn't be allowed online in the first place. It's like driving, there should be a basic-skill aptitude test, and this net-nanny **** is as good a one as any.


I don't know how to. I shall now follow your sage advice and retreat into online exile in disgrace. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Kamikaze on September 02, 2003, 07:15:14 am
Well, if it's a soccer mom it won't be particularly hard. I'd assume that many soccer moms might keep system administrator passwords around on paper, that'll make it easy. In the case that there's no password written you can probably use one of the many security exploits in windows to gain access (I really, really doubt a non-technical soccer mom could truly secure a system if her life depended on it).

If they ran, say, OpenBSD you're screwed though. :p
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Rictor on September 02, 2003, 07:36:00 am
I wonder if our (considering the age range of the forums there really is no single "our", but those peoplle who are now between 15 and 25) generation will finally turn out to be the "cool" parents and not get freaked out by technology. There is a ,lot of generalization going on, like for example:

"The Internet is all shortcuts and smiley faces."
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Hippo on September 02, 2003, 07:37:23 am
my parents tried to limit me once... i downloaded a key tracker and ued their password to disable my limiting... shortly thereafter, the computer needed to be re-formatted, and they never cared how long i was on, as long as it wasn't late a night, and my homework was done... now that it was summer, they didn't care if i spent 13 hours on it, as long as i didn't all of a sudden gain 50 pounds or stop being semi-social...

You people don't know how to bypass a monitor power shutdown? :rolleyes: :lol: :blah:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: diamondgeezer on September 02, 2003, 08:01:26 am
Quote
Originally posted by Rictor
I wonder if our generation will finally turn out to be the "cool" parents and not get freaked out by technology.

I saw an advert yesterday for a Mac with a 21" widescreen flat-panel monitor. That freaked me out, I don't mind admiting. What a waste of a beautiful monitor :sigh:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Grey Wolf on September 02, 2003, 08:56:19 am
WTF? Cutting power to the monitor? I sincerely doubt it actually physically cuts power to the monitor. I would think that's beyond the technical capabilities of a soccer mom to install. What does it do, cut the signal from the video card?
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Hippo on September 02, 2003, 08:58:44 am
no... the monitor is plugged in through a timer that disconnects the monitor when the timer runs out. some fat people use a generator that they have to pedal the whole time they use the computer...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Woolie Wool on September 02, 2003, 09:10:31 am
[mall mom]Oh NO! What am I to do? Now Junior will never grow up to be a sensitive pissant middle-class pinhead like me! *bawls*[/mall mom]

Hell, if I were one of those kids, I'd just kill the program and overwrite the executable with zeroes, and then chuckle as Mr. and Mrs. Dumbass spend hours with tech support trying to find out why Windows is saying "whatever.exe is not a valid Win32 application".

I think it's the soccer moms who need to grow up, throw out their pie-in-the-sky world, and embrace technology.

I have an idea for a game show: Computer nerds visit soccer moms' houses and wreak all kinds of harmless havoc on their computers, like causing Doom to run every time the computer starts, changing Windows' colors to all kinds of horrible shades, configuring the sound scheme to play a sound clip of Beavis and Butthead going "Huhhuhhuhuhhuhhuhuhhuh" every time a window opens, etc. A soccer mom that manages to undo all the changes gets $10,000.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Nico on September 02, 2003, 09:12:59 am
Quote
Originally posted by Hippo

You people don't know how to bypass a monitor power shutdown? :rolleyes: :lol: :blah:


I never had to try it, mind you. nobody messes with my computer. well, at least, they never do it twice.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Grey Wolf on September 02, 2003, 09:15:24 am
Quote
Originally posted by Hippo
no... the monitor is plugged in through a timer that disconnects the monitor when the timer runs out. some fat people use a generator that they have to pedal the whole time they use the computer...
Then why not, I don't know, remove the timer and, say, smash it with a sledgehammer?
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Kamikaze on September 02, 2003, 09:18:26 am
Or, even better, take the timer out and put it back when you're done.

The article seems to imply it's software though.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Hippo on September 02, 2003, 09:22:28 am
Quote
Originally posted by Grey Wolf 2009
Then why not, I don't know, remove the timer and, say, smash it with a sledgehammer?


sometimes the power plug from the monitor is locked in with a padlock... you can kill the power to the timer, and when it resets, the monitor comes alive again...

Quote
I think it's the soccer moms who need to grow up, throw out their pie-in-the-sky world, and embrace technology.


*shudders*

I... agree... with you...

*shudders*:shaking:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Admiral LSD on September 02, 2003, 12:30:23 pm
Quote
Originally posted by Hippo
no... the monitor is plugged in through a timer that disconnects the monitor when the timer runs out. some fat people use a generator that they have to pedal the whole time they use the computer...


Serious? I'd have thought it far simpler to use a software solution which sends the DPMS blanking pulses (you know, the ones that blank your monitor and turn it's power light orange if you leave it long enough?) after the time runs out...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: StratComm on September 02, 2003, 12:45:11 pm
Have we really gotten to the point that sarcasm is lost upon us?  Honestly.  At any rate, I don't see how this will work because at most all one would have to do is identify the process monitoring time online and kill it.  And since most kids know more about computers than their parents...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Unknown Target on September 02, 2003, 01:18:52 pm
unfortunately for me, when I'm at home, my parents monitor me very strictly (at least since High School). But they don't use any timing stuff. They give me one hour, and that's it.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Admiral LSD on September 02, 2003, 01:25:09 pm
Quote
Originally posted by StratComm
Have we really gotten to the point that sarcasm is lost upon us?  Honestly.  At any rate, I don't see how this will work because at most all one would have to do is identify the process monitoring time online and kill it.  And since most kids know more about computers than their parents...


Well it is AOL we're talking about...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: StratComm on September 02, 2003, 01:32:49 pm
oh, didn't realize this was AOCrap :rolleyes:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Flipside on September 02, 2003, 01:35:29 pm
I used to be with them, then one day I discovered the Internet.....

Flipside :)
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Woolie Wool on September 02, 2003, 01:38:09 pm
Quote
Originally posted by StratComm
oh, didn't realize this was AOCrap :rolleyes:


Reason #248340585623975252572545705826520 not to use AOL.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: diamondgeezer on September 02, 2003, 01:42:04 pm
From what I know of AOL... using it would be nothing short of a living hell if you knew what the internet was supposed to be. :ick It doesn't bear thinking about. And to think they charge the same as proper ISPs...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Woolie Wool on September 02, 2003, 01:47:42 pm
Quote
Originally posted by diamondgeezer
From what I know of AOL... using it would be nothing short of a living hell if you knew what the internet was supposed to be. :ick It doesn't bear thinking about. And to think they charge the same as proper ISPs...


They charge two and a half times as much for 56k.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: diamondgeezer on September 02, 2003, 01:48:55 pm
Ya, I think they charge a squid or two more than my local ISP does for 600k cable. Bastards. They're practically robbing people, charging that kind of money then delivering a fraction of the internet's content
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Hippo on September 02, 2003, 03:12:35 pm
Quote
Originally posted by diamondgeezer
From what I know of AOL... using it would be nothing short of a living hell if you knew what the internet was supposed to be. :ick It doesn't bear thinking about. And to think they charge the same as proper ISPs...


*waves*

AOL, 56K, the need to pause any Kazaa downloads just to post a reply...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Woolie Wool on September 02, 2003, 03:18:12 pm
Quote
Originally posted by diamondgeezer
Ya, I think they charge a squid or two more than my local ISP does for 600k cable. Bastards. They're practically robbing people, charging that kind of money then delivering a fraction of the internet's content


It costs that much because of the memory-eating proggy, the pretty colors and the news, the world's worst forums, and a whole bunch of other **** that impresses people who use computers for picking up chicks online and playing solitaire.:doubt:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: diamondgeezer on September 02, 2003, 03:24:09 pm
Solitaire? Pah! FreeCell, sir. 'Tis a real man's sport.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Rictor on September 02, 2003, 03:48:34 pm
Someone ought to hack AOL, disable all that time-monitoring crap and let kids be kids. I find it hard to believe that these people are members of the hippy generation, the so called free spirits or some **** like that.

Oh dear, they don't use proper punctuation, oh dear they use smily faces, oh dear they read views and opinions other that those perscribed for proper American children. If all these kids do is chat about Britney Spears with their little friends, than other than the inherent stupidity of doing so, I see no harm being done. Its amazing that these people can at the same time rant about the dangers of the Internet (and of free thought, by association) and on the other hand raise their kids up to be little morons, listening to every other little moron, from Bush to Britney, with such zeal.  

Oh and DG, I assume to meant to say "quid", unless you are reffering to some very strange barter system...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: diamondgeezer on September 02, 2003, 03:51:57 pm
I know what I meant
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Rictor on September 02, 2003, 03:58:03 pm
Yes, but when communicating with other people, it is important that they know what you mean. Just a little tip for ya, buddy :yes: :yes: That, and not everyone may be familiar with British terminology...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: vyper on September 02, 2003, 04:19:16 pm
Quote
Originally posted by diamondgeezer
I know what I meant


I know what he meant.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Zeronet on September 02, 2003, 04:20:07 pm
What you need, is a monkey. To beat your kid up if they're on the internet for too long.
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Carl on September 02, 2003, 05:03:46 pm
(http://www.penny-arcade.com/images/2002/20020419l.gif)
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Woolie Wool on September 02, 2003, 05:05:27 pm
Seen it, but still...
:lol:
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Rictor on September 02, 2003, 05:12:04 pm
I thought about posting that, but then I realized that Ive been posting alot of Penny arcade stuff lately, so maybe I should ease off a bit. Check the "Truck Dismount" thread, I posted the same pic  :):)
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Flipside on September 02, 2003, 07:03:29 pm
LOL Well, I've never had a problem with being contstricted online, except back in the days of Home run Bulletin boards by phone bills.

And as for the AOL thing, I've changed to DSL now, and I get ten times the speed for double the money per month :)

Flipside :D
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: adwight on September 02, 2003, 10:41:46 pm
Quote
You know THE person reffered to in the artcile? small world


Sure do, she lives like 3 houses away from me...  I thought the same thing...
Title: Soccer-mom to the rescue
Post by: Hippo on September 03, 2003, 08:12:52 am
Quote
Originally posted by Rictor
Someone ought to hack AOL, disable all that time-monitoring crap and let kids be kids.


Its not that hard... Just get on the parents screen name, and disable it... single child families often save their passwords...
(long story, but i am not an only child)