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On The Net
Kid-safe Web sites
May 12, 1997
Web posted at: 2:44 p.m. EDT (1844 GMT)From Correspondent Steve Baxter
(CNN) -- The Internet is a great place for kids to learn but, with questionable content so easy for them to find, many parents are concerned. They can feel safe, however, letting their children roam "FreeZone," and "Bonus.com."
Curiocity's FreeZone is the computer companion to the Curiocity series of books.
Designed for ages 10 to 16, the site features interesting articles and activities, plus bulletin boards, chat rooms and an electronic pen pal database so kids can write to new friends around the world.
What sets FreeZone apart from other sites is that it's one of the few that are monitored.
Trained adults keep an eye on all the chat rooms and will expel anyone for inappropriate language.
Pen pal profiles and bulletin board messages are also screened by the monitors before they are posted for kids to read.
And youngsters can become "Junior Reporters," adding their own material to the site.
The publishers of Bonus.com call it the "supersite for kids".
This easy-to-use electronic playground is one-stop-shopping for children looking for useful information and fun activities.
It's created by Appaloosa Interactive, a successful publisher of children's software.
The site has hundreds of games and activities made exclusively for Bonus.com, plus a large collection of links to other children's Web sites.
The biggest bonus here is that when kids access the site, they have to stay there -- or visit only approved links.
The site puts up a virtual fence to the rest of the Net.
But with free access to more than 500 linked sites, you probably won't hear the kids say, "I'm bored."
Related stories:
- Instant reassurance for working parents - April 30, 1997
- Gaps found in Internet screening software - April 25, 1997
- Site-Seer: Web sites let kids chat, learn, get published - February 27, 1997
- Site-Seer - Kidding around on the Web - February 7, 1997
Related sites:
- FreeZone
- Bonus.com
- Parental Control of the Internet - resource for parental control software and organizations
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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