A parent's suggestion to MXIT developers

[Syndyre]

The problem is that off the shelf cards then provide internet access to the crooks for one... and they affect everyone whether directly or not.
There's no big brother here - after all, what do you have to fear by signing up for internet access? Every other service provider requires these details, yet no-one complains.

Question - did you use an anonymous proxy to post that last message? Does someone somewhere know your personal details when you post messages on the internet. What did you provide MyADSL with when you signed up. Did you produce false credentials?

No, and I don't have my foil hat on at the moment either. The other service providers require these details for billing reasons, that's not necessary in this case.

I fully support your right to control what your kids do and don't do with their phone, I'm just saying it should be an opt-in system rather than opt-out. And the government's already planning to require registration of sim cards etc. anyway.

 

[Darth Garth]

As a Capetonian, I'm sure you have seen parent's who genuinely try hard but apparently fail.

I am not a perfect parent either but I know that my kids will one day discover the seedier side of life and the internet no matter what I do to protect them but hopefully I would have instilled into them the same values that I hold dear that they will also say NO not to please or out of fear of me but out of their own convictions.

One can only hope.

I don't think banning from something is the right answer either unless they of such an age that prevents them from making clear moral choices and realizing the impact of their decisions.

 

[mancombseepgood]

Does anyone know more?

And the government's already planning to require registration of sim cards etc. anyway.

Does anyone know more about the plan here? I.e. will you need to hav ID / be a certain age, etc?
Just wondering... It could solve part of the problem, but I still think it would be nice to have some method to allow access at certain times of the day / week from a phone number as and when desired. Getting kids to study has become a huge challenge these days with all the entertainment out there.
I am speaking from the point of view of someone who had a hard time concentrating on school work while at school - partly because I am more hands on, but I certainly could have done with more discipline in that department... so there is a bit of experience here. I'm one of those people who's parents are delinquents according to Tibby - my folks were divorced when I was 10 and my mom worked till 5pm every day while trying to keep up with everything else.

 

[Syndyre]

Does anyone know more about the plan here? I.e. will you need to hav ID / be a certain age, etc?
Just wondering... It could solve part of the problem, but I still think it would be nice to have some method to allow access at certain times of the day / week from a phone number as and when desired. Getting kids to study has become a huge challenge these days with all the entertainment out there.
I am speaking from the point of view of someone who had a hard time concentrating on school work while at school - partly because I am more hands on, but I certainly could have done with more discipline in that department... so there is a bit of experience here. I'm one of those people who's parents are delinquents according to Tibby - my folks were divorced when I was 10 and my mom worked till 5pm every day while trying to keep up with everything else.

I think you'll have to have ID otherwise it would defeat the purpose so then you'll have to presumably be at least 16 or so, unless you have some other form of ID e.g. a passport. I'm sure if there's enough of a demand for the sort of service you require some SP/network would bring it in at a premium.

 

[mancombseepgood]

I am not a perfect parent either but I know that my kids will one day discover the seedier side of life and the internet no matter what I do to protect them but hopefully I would have instilled into them the same values that I hold dear that they will also say NO not to please or out of fear of me but out of their own convictions.

One can only hope.

I don't think banning from something is the right answer either unless they of such an age that prevents them from making clear moral choices and realizing the impact of their decisions.

Don't get me wrong, I agree with the point of view that it is the parent's responsibility to instill the morals in their own children from a young age... that all comes with spending quality time with your kids which not all parents do, hence the explosion of problems we see these days.

But it's absolutely normal human behaviour and habits you want to target -I am speaking from experience - I would never have opened a book after school if my parent's didn't force me to... nothing sinister about it. In just the same way, normal good kids are becomming affected by the addiction of new technology. I mean if adults can ooh and aaah about Mxit, then be sure that kids will find it cool and allow it to take over their time if they are left to their own devices. This thread started as a suggestion to assist parents in parenting.

 

[Flippit]

They should force mandatory registration - with some sort of check - credit card or faxed ID. This should scare most of the riff raff for starters. Then they should allow only people over 18 to register - i.e. if your kid wants to use MXIT, then the parent should register for them. If they formalise the process and get the cell phone providers in on this, they can even make a bit of dosh (small registration fee of say, R20?).

Cellphone providers have no control over what programs are used - to them it is all just GPRS (packet) data. MXIT will never make it more difficult to register for MXIT, as this would decrease the rate at which their subscriber base increases. Remember, for them, more subscribers = more money.

Does anyone know more about the plan here? I.e. will you need to hav ID / be a certain age, etc?

You need to provide your ID, name, address, etc. when buying a SIM card.

 

[mancombseepgood]

Thanks

Cellphone providers have no control over what programs are used - to them it is all just GPRS (packet) data.

They can provide control over the domains available - there is some sort of DNS and ip addressing involved of course. Provide a white list service on a timed basis and make parents happier! Also, provide a service for outgoing calls and incomming calls to certain numbers only over certain time periods (like when at school, studying, etc)... simple controls to prevent bad habits and allow kids to take their phones to school. Make it the responsibility of the parent to allow access to/from certain numbers only during school time - problem solved? Maybe..? Kind of like Cell C's friends and family service with added ability to turn it on or off at certain times of day.

Now Friends and family is a clever little idea, but my point has been that this is (like many other "value added services") aimed at making more money for the firm in the long run (attracting more clients) - not providing the client with what they want.

 

[TonyA]

Do we need more regulation? Aren't we already over regulated? KISS and let individuals apply own controls>

 

[RichardP]

sheesh.. I love Big-Brothers...
as stated before .. ICQ is avaliable on Cell phones... so is MSN, so is Jabber, why is MXIT the only problem.

Solve the problem, dont treat the symptom.

 

[Turbo_Aspiration]

If parents start restricting, kids WILL start finding ways around those restrictions.
Wats stopping the kid next door from charging your kid a premium to use his unblocked sim?

I agree with tibby. You cant shelter your kids, especially from technology

 

[Riq]

Kids should be allowed to chat as much as they want. If they decide they're want to meet the people. I say allow it. Just make sure certain safety precautions are taken. Eg. Do not give them your address/surname etc. Meet in a very public place with friends etc. Of course maybe kids meeting people trible their age is a bit outrageous. That's where parents need to teach kids common sense. That's all the parents can really do. If they try and force the kids to do something, they will rebel. Only other option is threaten them with boarding school :/ (that actually worked with me)

 

[mancombseepgood]

Lol

Kids should be allowed to chat as much as they want. If they decide they're want to meet the people. I say allow it. Just make sure certain safety precautions are taken. Eg. Do not give them your address/surname etc. Meet in a very public place with friends etc. Of course maybe kids meeting people trible their age is a bit outrageous. That's where parents need to teach kids common sense. That's all the parents can really do. If they try and force the kids to do something, they will rebel. Only other option is threaten them with boarding school :/ (that actually worked with me)

Spoken like a true kid... no offence, but it's not like that with everyone... which is why each parent should decide for their own kids.
I for one would never let my kids meet anyone in public that they met on a bulletin board... There are enough people around in friends circles and at school, it's not like they will be deprived. As for kids should be allowed to chat as much as they like, well that's exactly why we have the problem in the first place, and as I mentioned, this is real - as per the teachers who have to deal with it every day. Unfortunately it is spoiling the whole school thing for everyone else.

 

[mancombseepgood]

If parents start restricting, kids WILL start finding ways around those restrictions.
Wats stopping the kid next door from charging your kid a premium to use his unblocked sim?

I agree with tibby. You cant shelter your kids, especially from technology

My kid couldn't afford it and it negates the cheap chat.. seriously man.
It's not about blocking - it's about giving parents choice. If your kids are going to work around all these measures, then sure, you have another problem on your hands.

But for this thread, I am suggesting a solution to those who mainly have the problem of their kids not being disciplined enough full stop - not rebels.

And as for sheltering your kids from technology - man you are off the topic again. At this stage I shelter my kids from technology that I don't have an option with - i.e. no internet on the phone. If I was given the option to regulate it in a reasonable manner, I would prolly allow it.

 

[mancombseepgood]

Read the whole thread

sheesh.. I love Big-Brothers...
as stated before .. ICQ is avaliable on Cell phones... so is MSN, so is Jabber, why is MXIT the only problem.

Solve the problem, dont treat the symptom.

This is not about MXIT alone - MXIT is one example simply because it is the most popular thing on the cell right now. Big brother implies spying - off the topic - please post elsewhere.

As for solve the problem - man you must have been the real milk n cookies model kid or you must have had awesome parents.
Anyone who has the answers to lives biggest challenge, please post, otherwise stop offering advice not worth 5c

 

[AntiThesis]

This is going to be one of the few times I'll agree with tibby.dude I think

Kids = parent's responsibility. What exactly is the difference between you not educating your kids and preventing them from hooking up with "Claudia" and you not educating them to not take candy from strangers?

There are many parents that need to learn that the responsibility for children is placed squarely on their shoulders. If your kid isn't mature enough/smart enough to deal with an online environment like Mxit then maybe people should consider whether they're mature enough to own cellphones capable of this?

This whole mxit and online thing is going the way of the Hot Coffee mod on GTA. "How dare rockstar provide a hidden, fairly-hard-to-access section of virtualized, pixel porn in an 18+ game!"

If this seems like you or your kids are like these kindly stop parenting. Now.

 

[mancombseepgood]

Lol

This is going to be one of the few times I'll agree with tibby.dude I think

Well, this world wouldn't be the same without the kind of debate that Tibby seems to so easily invoke

Kids = parent's responsibility. What exactly is the difference between you not educating your kids and preventing them from hooking up with "Claudia" and you not educating them to not take candy from strangers?

Exactly my point - I agree, etc. And in educating them, I simply want to enforce some boundaries on the time they spend on the phone, hence my suggestion that a whitelist and timeframe scenario tool be afforded parent's who believe in educating their kids, this is an important part.

There are many parents that need to learn that the responsibility for children is placed squarely on their shoulders. If your kid isn't mature enough/smart enough to deal with an online environment like Mxit then maybe people should consider whether they're mature enough to own cellphones capable of this?

Agreed - which is why I have said many times already that my children don't have internet on their cell phones. I would, however, like to go to prepaid from contract, but can't do anything about that, so I guess it will be contract until this problem is sorted. Maybe that's why we will never see this kind of thing available...

This whole mxit and online thing is going the way of the Hot Coffee mod on GTA. "How dare rockstar provide a hidden, fairly-hard-to-access section of virtualized, pixel porn in an 18+ game!"

Not really the same vein - I don't see kids trying to fiddle with GTA in class. And besides, I don't allow my kids to play GTA full stop, but that's just me... all part of the "responsibility for children is placed squarely on their shoulders" thing. Sorry for those that disagree, but we are back to the same point of who's job it is to look after your kids.

And again, I would like to allow a little freedom on the phone, but since I don't think they will use it responsibly, especially since I think it's good for them to have other hobbies, they won't get it until I can do something about regulating the times it is available during the day. Thats just my kids..
Once again, I am not advocating a police state, I just want options which I am not getting... in fact I am getting little for my money IMO. & I' thinking maybe it's time to can the whole cell phone... certainly I have learnt some valuable lessons and will prolly not allow it for the younger two when they get to that age.

 

[mancombseepgood]

If this seems like you or your kids are like these kindly stop parenting. Now.

Uh - my suggestion is to start parenting...

 

[w1z4rd]

As one user said, get a cellphone that DOESNT support Internet usage. Those funky little nokia`s with the built in torches work. You can pick them up from just about eveywhere for around under R500. Common sense is normally the best tool a parent has. Not censorship.

 

[RichardP]

This is not about MXIT alone - MXIT is one example simply because it is the most popular thing on the cell right now. Big brother implies spying - off the topic - please post elsewhere.

As for solve the problem - man you must have been the real milk n cookies model kid or you must have had awesome parents.
Anyone who has the answers to lives biggest challenge, please post, otherwise stop offering advice not worth 5c

OnePostonder, you have some issues to sort out. My parents taught me the value of Right and Wrong. Teach your kids the value of standards and ethics but that seems to be beyond alot of parenting abilities.

You dont seem to grasp the basic concept... MXIT is a means to chat... block that and then MSN will be a problem. but you seem not to grasp basic concepts at the least.

MXIT is NOT the problem... parents are the problem, and some parents think that kids are taught at schools - they are not! HOME is where the teaching is.

You put a net-nanny on your internet connection and then hand a Open-Cell phone to your kids.. thats plain dumb logic. The device must suit its application. You dont let your kids surf the net unguarded, but you let them use the GPRS on their phone "at their own discression" Thats like shooting yourself in the foot.

The rest of the world teach the kids the hazards... SA wants to Ban it... go figure

BTW - Big-Brother implies monitoring, not spying! go find the definition

 

[Debbie]

Onepostwonder- what is it about Mxit that makes you want to restrict it's usage, if I may ask (and before I offer an 'observer' opinion)?