Saving the Internet, One Kid at a Time

David Heath
Wednesday, 19 March 2008 09:05

Your IT - Home IT

Since the site is targeted at children, it is highly visual in its approach.

Links and short-cuts are generally built as visual objects – the site abounds with pictures and other tools appropriate to the targeted age-range.  Additionally the wide range of sites has been grouped according to age suitability and linked to the child’s age as defined by the parent on registration.

Children are able to rate sites as they are visited, which gives weight to the “most popular” category.  Additionally, parents can still limit the content their children can see and also receive weekly statistics on activity.  Links embedded within approved sites which lead to non-acceptable content are blocked.

Intially free for a 30-day trial, KidZui will cost $US4.95 per month or $US49.95 per year.  This “charter membership” is fixed at 50% off for early adopters, at some time in the future new subscribers will pay double this amount.

Technically, the browser is a locked-down environment – users can only access other parts of Windows by logging out and exiting the KidZui browser.  We can only wait to see how secure the system will be once the “naughty lads of the Internet” get hold of it.  Here’s hoping this really will be an island of calm for our children.