Good Email For Kids?

mgessner writes "My kids are starting to want email accounts of their own. Even though gmail does a pretty good job of filtering spam, it's not perfect. Searching the web the other day for kid-safe email, I found a few sites that say they can do the job. What do others do for their kids' email? Pay for it? Just use a free service like gmail or yahoo? I don't pay for email accounts out of my own pocket, so I don't really see the need, but if the cost was a few bucks a month, I'd do it."

Re:What the problem with Gmail?

[Eg0Death]

The OP probably wants to prevent his kids from viewing the contents of the Spam folder. I know I'm not ready to explain to my 5 year old what a message about "H0t Yung $luts ReadY 2 Suk C0K" is really all about.

If you want "GOOD" email service....

[zappepcs]

Try looking at Motorola? http://www.good.com/ [good.com]

Re:Just do what your parents did..

[Anonymous Coward]

You people anymore!

Re:Just do what your parents did..

[Eg0Death]

I didn't have email and the intratubes when I was kid! We had to go pick up the phone and use the rotary dial! Now get off my lawn!

Re:What the problem with Gmail?

[geoffspear]

Duh, so his friends can contact him when his cellphone is off.

Re:It's the Ads!

[Ethanol-fueled]

Girls In Underwear Pics
Find Fresh Girls' Underwear Info. Fast'n Easy.
-someunderwearwebsite

Meet Vampire Males
Meet Local Vampire Males Near You. View Profiles 100% Free. Join Now!
-somegothwebsite

Those ads have a lot more to do with what Google knows about you than what your friend sent...

But thanks for sharing!

Re:Is it ok to keep kids off the internet these da

[devaudio]

I must second parent post. I used Dans Guardian and 3 VLANS (kids, parents, outside) at my home, and their internet access level defined by their login. It all started when my 8 year old googled for "butts"

Re:How old are they?

[Freeside1]

I think that parents encouraging their children to look at porn would be a decent deterrent.
The last thing I want to think about when I'm "seriously" looking at porn is my parents encouraging me.

Re:It's the Ads!

[tsalmark]

I always try to explain that to people right after they say "Gmail has strange ads". They never get around to explaining the ads after that. I figure it's better for both of us.

Re:Is it ok to keep kids off the internet these da

[dietdew7]

You can get physically hurt on the internet. I have the callouses to prove it.

Re:Worry about IM!

[edmicman]

I discovered that my wife was sleeping with her best friend (who is a lesbian). You should take a look at it.

So you're saying an IM filter can eventually lead to a 3-way with my wife and her friend? Awesome!

Re:What the problem with Gmail?

[zumajim]

Lazy? Wow, I think you're asking for it now. Life's too hectic for me to check my kid's Gmail accounts everyday -- I'm busy watching porn and running the meth lab.

No Spam Filter = Free Sex Ed

[Anonymous Coward]

1) Wait till you think they are ready to have the "sex talk".
2) Sign them up for an email account and turn off free spam filter.
3) Kids learn about sex and human anatomy without you having to have an uncomfortable talk with them.
4) Another problem the internet has solved for us!!

I love technology!!

Re:Is it ok to keep kids off the internet these da

[ins0m]

Use more lotion.

At least your wrists weren't sprained enough to type that post, right?

Re:Is it ok to keep kids off the internet these da

[philspear]

It will mean a lot of work, but it will avoid more problems than it causes.

Yeah, but one problem it might cause is extreme awkwardness. You're increasing the chances that you'll have to use the line "Well, at least I know now you're not gay." Do you really want to risk those type of situations? Sure your kid might grow up with unhealthy views of sex, but at least you won't know about it.

Re:Get a Wii

[Anonymous Coward]

Child A: Hey, let's be friends!!! What's your email address?

Child B: It's [e-mail]

Child A: Fuck you buddy!

Re:What the problem with Gmail?

[pbhj]

At 5 it's not like they should be using the computer without supervision anyway.

Should I be worried that whilst I'm on the loo my 3 year old can put on the computer, load up firefox and go (via bookmark) to BBC iPlayer in order to get his fix of "The Owl" or "Bob the Builder" or whatever?

Sometimes he'd rather play gcompris but mostly it's iPlayer that grabs him.

Re:Is it ok to keep kids off the internet these da

[Zwicky]

Well, maybe not so sucessfully since they haven't made me a grandpa yet

Quick, somebody reply to me and make him a GP.

Re:Is it ok to keep kids off the internet these da

[gottebag]

done