Windows XP program to limit logged on time?

Hey all,
I've got a friend with a 17 year old who has become obsessed with being online. He literally spends 95% of his free conscious time staring at the computer. He is doing alot of IM'ing and snailmail has arrived from halfway across the country. When I asked how he knew the person who sent the letter he said from IM. I asked what the common interest that created this friendship was and he just said someone he knows online knows him.

I'd generally encourage friendships but I find it odd that no common interest or friend he knows from school is the cause for the friendship. It has me concerned since young people can be targeted by some very unsavory individuals out there.

So, what I'm looking for is an inexpensive (or free!) program that will allow me to set his acceptable logon hours. It should automatically log him off and refuse access during the hours that I configure it to. I'm using WindowsXP

I'd also like a program that will record and save all IM messages to a file for a certain length of time or till the file is manually deleted.

Any help or ideas are appreciated.

TIA

Xochi

The Linksys Wireless-G Broadband router can be configured to limit Internet access to specific times and days by MAC address or IP. I believe all Linksys routers offer this configuration. While this isn't the same as a timer that shuts off access after a set amount of time, it might serve the same purpose.

Many programs log IM's and other activity, but I don't have experience with them.

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/aimparent.html
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/conntroll.html

Your friend will lose his son by doing this.

Is the computer in an area where your friend can be in the same room as their son while he's online? Does your friend spend time with their son doing things other than with the computer?

They could always just put a password on their account and have to enter it in everytime the son wants to get on.

I think PhotonBoy said something that may be worth reading.

Yes, but I dont see whats wrong if hes keeping his grades up and all.

It's not what he's doing, so much as what creepie people out there collecting addresses of youth are doing. The teen is giving out enough information to get mail, and that's too much information IMO. I couldn't let that slide. I'd say to skip the program and keep the kid off the net for a while, until he can prove he's going to use it safely. Just like some kids shouldn't be driving, some kids shouldn't be online. Computer use is a privilage, not a right. .

It sounds like the parents should talk to their son instead of just tweaking their computer for login times and spying on him.

There's functionality built into NT/2000/XP that can control the hours users are allowed to login. Of course, if the system is being run like most home machines, there are easy workarounds - nevermind that internet-connected PCs are everywhere.

Receiving mail from unknown persons should be a huge red flag.Groups like NAMBLA operate this way.I suggest that the parents try to get the letters to the police who can then check the senders againstlists of registered offenders.It may be all harmless-but who can take the chance that it's perverts who are starting to circulate the boy's info.

I know it's possible to do this with nt/2000/xp in a network environment but I've not been able to find anything in a workstation environment on xp. All the computers at school are monitored and the local libraries issue and require a logon code. Access is controlled based on age when the library card is issued and the logon code is linked to ID.

As far as talking to him goes, certainly. She made him well aware of the possible dangers he could be involving himself in but the fact of the matter is that the invulnerability of youth has him poo pooing the idea that he could be taken advantage of. As far as "loosing her son" goes, he would certainly resent being 'spied' on but the privacy that goes with internet use is something entirely new.

All of his socialization save internet comes with accountability and supervision. When he is at school , adults that she can interact with are available to insure some degree of supervision. When he goes to a friends house or a party, she makes certain that responsible adults will be there to watch over him. All of his activity is nested within our community. Accountable adults who care about the wellfare of the kids in this community are there and can be trusted to communicate any issues that may arise. Certainly this is no guarantee that everything will be hunky dory all the time. The difference with the internet is that it isn't our community. Noone there is accountable to this community, noone there will really care when innappropriate behaviour is happening between a 45 year old and a 17 year old. Noone will care when personal information is coaxed from a young person. 'Spying' it may be to some but the reality is that this only insures that his mother can bring the same level of accountability and supervision that is in all of his other interactions.

Hell, when I think about it , all of MY interactions are coupled with accountability and supervision. I don't think the moderators on CPF consider it 'spying', but they insure that we are following the rules by monitoring our communications wether or not they are interested enough in the discussion to take part and be consider part of the conversation. At work I behave as though at work and those I interact with do the same. I am accountable to the people I care about at home and they will certainly let me know when I let things slip.

Also, as far as talk is concerned. It is important to talk about things like this and she has but 'talk is cheap'. This is what folks often say when the common dramas appear in a parent teen relationship . Very much like the talk show perception that every difficulty in life can be simply solved if folks would just 'get some counseling'.People aren't computers and uploading the appropriate instructions doesn't always change their behaviour. It's actions and caring enough to take the time to 'spy' on him and insure accountability that will effect his behaviour. It would be nice if they could sit down at the computer every time he wanted to chat but that just isn't realistic and I'm positively certain that the boy would laugh at the idea (as would most teens). Let me also say that recording the IM sessions won't be done without his knowledge. He will be made fully aware that his IM's are being recorded and that some will be read.

Please also understand that the teenage years not only involve growth and maturation of the body but also the brain. Neurological developement in response to hormones changes the brain and the ability to make sound decisions is not always reliable. Teenagers are notorious for risk taking behaviour, and that's fine but the risks that this boy takes will take place in an environment of caring supervision no matter how much it pisses him off.

Oh, almost forgot, thanks was_jlh , that looks like what I'm looking for!

[ QUOTE ]
idleprocess said:
It sounds like the parents should talk to their son instead of just tweaking their computer for login times and spying on him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Another vote for open dialogue and setting reasonable limits. Bottomline, parents are in charge.

Who asked for a vote for chrissake? Everybody is an expert! Ask for some advice on SOFTWARE to help a parent and all of a sudden every ******* and their brother thinks I asked to see there asshole, er, opinion. Didn't ask for'em , Don't wantem. To those of you who actually gave some advice for software or reiterated the possible dangers out there on the internet, THANK YOU!

And how many of you, who were so quick to think that my friend doesn't know what she's doing and should be offered parenting advise instead of what she asked for...ARE ACTUALLY PARENTS OF 17 YEAR OLD BOYS? Please mark what I said , I didn't ask How many of you ARE 17 year old boys!



[ QUOTE ]
greenLED said:
[ QUOTE ]
idleprocess said:
It sounds like the parents should talk to their son instead of just tweaking their computer for login times and spying on him.

[/ QUOTE ]

Another vote for open dialogue and setting reasonable limits. Bottomline, parents are in charge.

[/ QUOTE ]

greenLED, admittedly my last post was a little verbose but did you actually READ it? How do you set 'reasonable limits'? Or are you in a position to stay home with your child during holidays and summer vacation ? How about the person who works 8-6 and then has to do things like shop for groceries , cart his siblings around and numerous other errands? What do you think that my last post said?

Idleprocess made a PC , strait from the mouth of Dr.Phil statement that says nothing about the how-to's or where-fore's of that actual conversation or the means to ensure that the guidelines are followed. He said NOTHING accept "Sheesh, why don't you behave like the world is warm and fuzzy like the rest of us fully developed Homo Sapiens who love their kids!". You said no more, greenLED. Oh, but you used words like "bottomline" and "parents in charge" so I'm sure nothing ever gets by you cuz your an authoritarian of the old school and you take responsability for your actions /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif. This woman is doing a very responsible thing in utilizing technology to insure that her (verbally laid out) quidelines for internet use are followed by her son.


Most importantly, when this woman is desperate enough to come to CPF and ask for advise on how to raise her children, she will. Until then, keep your comments on her parenting to yourselves.

I think depending on how resourceful (computerwise) this kid is that any software that is used to limit his time/access to the internet may end up a task of trying to outmanuever the kid bypassing/breaking such stuff. If the kid isn't overly technologically bright you should be able to come up with something, I seem to recall there being perhaps hardware that didn't allow a computer to be used without a password and if the parent(s) of the kid would come to him and say times up, and make sure it was turned off then the kid would have to wait for the parent to type in the password next time the system was turned on. If the parent is having to resort to these measures it sounds like the kid is already rebelling and resisting normal *discussion* and trying to skirt any sort of restrictions making trouble to the point that talk... is too much of a hassle.

The password would put absolute time usage back into the hands of the parents and the kid would therefore have to be respectful or lose absolute access to the computer.

Hey xochi, I think your last post came up way short on invective.

I have been an 18 year old for a month now. I have had fiends who have told me of their parents doing what you have proposed to do. I am just going to tell you that I gave them advice on how to get around key loggers and spy software (not hard). Teens are smart people too. Our brains are still developing, but you are talking about a 17 year old. That person will soon be able to smoke, go to war, and other such responsibilities. But... this still may not be enough to distinguish right from wrong. I still see some of my friends' making bad decisions. I do know that we do not enjoy being spied on. I believe that I have grown up under very good parenting. My parents say that I can only be on the computer for 2 hours a day MAX. An Obvious exception includes home work. I am obviously not a parent, so I don't think I am giving you parenting advice. But I am an 18 year old living in the current culture. Nothing here said on CPF can make you do anything, or even think about any thing. I am still pretty sure that that child will not take kindly to such an idea, and will find a way to get around it (maybe on the internet). Or maybe I should have kept this to myself.

It seems like you're over reacting a bit. Maybe tone it down a bit dude.

Bole64, in spite of Negeltu's condescending remark, I think by virtue of your age, your opinion is very relevant and welcome here. Xochi can ask advice on which software will do what he wants, but his expectation that we ignore the potential impact of his plans is unrealistic. Treating seventeen year old boys like ten year olds doesn't seem prudent.