Fun Firefox parental control, by Glubble
Glubble is a parental control extension developed by Glaxstar first released in beta form last June and has finally reached 1.0 status today.
When I first reviewed Glubble last year, I was impressed by its simplicity and efficacy in delivering an easy way for parents to control what their kids can access on the web, while providing a fun simple interface children may get really interested in using.
This final version makes some important user interface changes while the workflow remains basically the same. After installing it you are prompted to create an administrator account for the parent, who gets to use the normal Firefox interface with all the menus and full web access.
Glubble adds a new tab that remains visible at all times and serves as a control panel. Here parents add new child accounts, leave and read messages in a common family wall, and manage web sites kids can access. Glubble provides fifty sets of hand picked web sites called glubbles, and parents can allow access to each or all of them at once.
A distinctive feature is the use of helpers, friends and relatives that are also Glubble users you trust to approve content for your kids. This also helps the discovery of new good web sites.
When the Glubble tab is selected, a users tab bar is displayed just above the menu bar listing all accounts. Click on a child tab and Firefox will restart in child mode. In child mode, Firefox is presented with a colorful theme and locked down with no menus or options and access limited to approved glubbles only.
If a kid encounters a site for he is not authorized to access he is prompted with the option to ask for permission to a specific helper (a parent and other designated Glubble users) or just move along.
The helper then receives the request and a link to the requested page. As with every page a helper visits, he can add it to the Family Glubble by pressing the Add button in the location bar. A helper can also choose whether to grant access to a specific page or the whole web site, so you can for example approve a specific YouTube video while not letting your kids roam freely in the video jungle.
A feature that has been removed since beta is the ability to authorize a specific child to a web site. In the final version there is only one Family Glubble. Ian Hayward, Glaxstar’s founder, notes that it was removed for simplicity on users request. Later this month, an update will allow more than one family glubble and you will be able to grant access to a specific kid. A happy medium that prevents access management becoming too complex while providing the flexibility families with multiple kids need.
An option I would like to see in the future is limiting the hours a specific Glubble can be accessed. Parent must also be sure to understand that it is not a bullet proof solution: if a kid gets to start Firefox in Safe Mode he will get the option to bypass Glubble completely and launch Firefox in full form. So think of it as protection for very young web surfers only.
Glubble is a 1MB download and currently available in US English only for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux, available from Mozilla Add-ons.
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February 2nd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
” Parent must also be sure to understand that it is not a bullet proof solution: if a kid gets to start Firefox in Safe Mode he will get the option to bypass Glubble completely and launch Firefox in full form. So think of it as protection for very young web surfers only. ”
Do you really think most of the kids are tech geeks?! xD
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RANEMay 2nd, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Yes, most kids are tech geeks. I should know; I am one. Computers are easy. There are only a handful of parental programs that I consider up to the task. A program like Glubble would take me mere seconds to get past, and I can do it in a number of different ways. I learned how to sever a file straight from it’s roots without having to use an uninstall program when I was 14. I use folders all the time that are usually labeled “hidden”. And, no, I didn’t learn any of this through rebellion or trying to do anything illegal, but just out of need to use programs in more advanced ways.
From what I’ve seen, PC Tattletale and Webwatcher are the only programs that will work against a person who might willfully try to get around the programs which are only useful to keep an honest child honest.
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February 3rd, 2008 at 1:34 am
Asgaro, circumventing parental controls can be good motivation to becoming one! ;)
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February 15th, 2008 at 9:42 am
Parental control software can not keep up with the over 100,000 new pedophile, sex, and gambling websites that are created everyday on the internet. Parents don’t have the time to find 100,000 new sites a day and add it to their software.
WiHood (http://www.wihood.com/) is probably the best service to protect our children since WiHood updates its list of blocked websites every 24-hours so parents do not have to and it uses Firefox as well.
WiHood provides each child with their own virtual desktop on the internet which means our kids don’t access any of your files on our PC, they only use their own virtual PC that is on the internet, cool idea!
WiHood includes tools to help kids do their homework, games and a browser that allows them to use the internet but blocks all the web pages that can be harmful to children.
My kids have the WiHood USB bracelet which makes WiHood like a virtual laptop inside their WiHood USB bracelet. They can plug their WiHood USB bracelet into any internet connected PC and access their safe desktop from anywhere in the world. I tell them they have to bring WiHood with them on vacation instead of their laptop so they can do their homework and not risk losing or breaking their laptop. They love it because WiHood is their personal PC on the internet and is fun but for us parents, we know our kids are most importantly safe.
Just my recommendation to all those parents and grandparents that want to protect their children on the internet. WiHood has a free trial version, so it worth giving it a try.
http://www.wihood.com/
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