Filtering
What is filtering?
Filtering software is a program that 'filters' or blocks inappropriate internet content before you can see it on the computer screen. People can be easily misled online, we can sometimes stumble across inappropriate content by mistake. If you click on an unsuitable website, filtering software can block the content before you see it.
Filtering can give you overall control of the computer and can help to make using the internet safer for you and your children. But, it is not perfect. No filtering software guarantees to block all inappropriate content.
Use of filtering technologies
In most cases, your computer will already have 'filters' that you can use for free. All you have to do is switch them on.
On Web Browsers
Many of the popular web browsers allow you to block certain websites and pop-ups. (Pop-ups are small advertisements that literally pop up on the screen when you visit some websites. Most are harmless and can be removed by clicking on the X at the top right-hand corner of the pop-up box. Some, though, can lead to inappropriate content.)
How to set the filters on Internet Explorer:
- Go to the menu at the top of the screen. Click ‘Tools’
- A smaller menu will drop down. Click ‘Internet Options’
- Click ‘Content’
- Click ‘Content Advisor’
- In the ‘Content Advisor’ menu, you have options to block particular websites, block websites that contain unsuitable words, or set password controls. In the privacy section you can opt to prevent pop ups and choose your overall privacy settings for your Internet experience
How to set the filters on Mozilla Firefox:
- Go to the menu at the top of the screen. Click ‘Tools’
- A smaller menu will drop down. Click ‘Options’
- Click ‘Web-features’
- In ‘Web-features’ you can block pop-ups or opt not to download images automatically
- Another option is to click ‘Privacy’. Here you can set the history and add passwords
On Search Engines
Search engines are useful ways to find information. They are also one of the easiest ways to find inappropriate content. You can switch on the 'safe-search' option on search engines which will block inappropriate content from showing up in search results. However, no search engine guarantees to block all inappropriate content from children.
How to set the filters on Google:
- Open your web-browser. Type www.google.ie into the navigation tool-bar at the top of the screen
- Click the link for ‘Preferences’
- Near the bottom of the page, you will see three options for ‘safesearch filtering’
- Click the option to ‘Use strict filtering’. This will block websites with inappropriate text or images from showing up in search results
- Click the option to ‘Save preferences’. This means the search engine will remember to use strict filtering the next time someone tries a word search
How to set the filters on Yahoo:
- Open your web-browser. Type www.yahoo.com into the navigation tool-bar at the top of the screen
- Click ‘Web search’
- Click ‘My web’
- Click ‘Preferences’
- Click the option to ‘Edit’ the level of safe-search
- Here you can tell the search-engine to block inappropriate content
- Click ‘Save’, so the search-engine will remember to use strict filtering the next time somebody uses a word search
Publications
