There's a lot hype out there about cyber-bullying and how to ensure that kids don't come across bad people or bad sites when online.
There are a number of steps that we're taking to ensure that Dinosawus is safe for its users:
- There will be no chatting between users. Any communication will be strictly mediated and restricted to preset phrases like "Hello" and "How are you?"
- Sign up and registration is done using an SSL-encrypted website so your personal data is safe
- The environments are strictly controlled so users can't accidentally roam outside of the Dinosawus prehistoric world
- There will be a countdown timer so that after a period of time (say, 15 minutes) the player's character will lead them in some exercises before they're allowed to keep playing
- After a period of time (say, 30 minutes) the player's dinosaur will be too tired and they will need to have a break until the next day
- There will be a school where players can learn more about dinosaurs and the exciting world they inhabited
There are other steps that parents can take as well:
- Keep the computer in a family place like the lounge or the dining room. That way Mum and Dad can keep a casual eye on what's happening
- Discuss what's happening in the child's activities and share in the experience. Play the game together.
- Set rules around computer use (e.g. only 30 minutes a night and only after all the chores have been done)
- Some young ones may have co-ordinating their mouse clicks. If you use Internet Explorer you can push the F11 key to make it fill up the whole screen. This means they less likely to inadvertantly click something they shouldn't. (Push F11 again to go back to normal mode)
If anyone else has good ideas on how we or parents can make things safe for young explorers, feel free to add some comments...
