News, Internet age rating system in Britain? (games, monitor, how to)

[JD59]

LONDON - An age-rating system for Internet Web sites may be needed to prevent children from being exposed to unacceptable images, Britain's culture secretary was quoted as saying Saturday.

Andy Burnham, the Culture, Media and Sports Secretary, was quoted as telling The Daily Telegraph newspaper that "clearer standards" are needed online because of the variety of offensive material available.

Internet age rating system in Britain? - Tech and gadgets- msnbc.com

[scorpy01]

No. Absolutely not. I don't want my country or any other censoring the internet. I'll monitor my kids and you monitor yours. The government has no business here.

[WillysB]

The nanny state looms larger every day, with every thought. Maybe they should rate parents effectiveness in parenting.

[pitt_transplant]

I think they should rate it. Who cares if they do or dont. It prevents anything popping up I don't want to see either. Like google "long hair" or something I get a crotch shot...Yuckkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk

Its about rating it not controlling it.

[absolutenobodee]

The ICRA is a rating system in the making but I think it is a very -vague- standard. The ICRA does -not- rate AGE for audiences, only broad CONTENT -number- for language, sex and violence etc; which makes it an obscure standard. A -fair- rating system would base its rating on AGE for audience -and- ICRA divisions for content type; to match the content, because that's what it is about.

Analog to movies; some films which have monsters and horror may be for a younger audience; think of fairy tales and spielbergs gremlins. Then some films with violence may be for middle aged audience; think of action packed comedies. Then films for adults are rated according to their more detailed content; like -hard- and -soft- porno films. The ICRA alone is not enough, it creates a -shady- standard; a proper standard should be simple-, icon- and age- based.

* symbols and icons, just like renting a video (graphic symbol indicates what site is about)
* age indication, what age groups are allowed (simple age indication indicates audience)
* simple indication, vague indicators don't help (complex terms really do not help parents)

When you want to help parents, then do not throw complicated terms at them. Create simple icons, like on a video tape. Create simple click symbols that they can configure in their browser. Create a clear and simple standard with simple icons and not too many divisions that -everyone- can implement on their HTML web site.

* Audience (age audience like on a video, with seperate XXX-rated and 18+ indicators)
* Symbols (sexual (1-4), language (1-4), violence (1-4), internationally understandable)

Just creating -one- stupid rating number with some text is not enough; you need communication symbols.

[plwhit]

You educate the young ones on how the Internet works, In the beginning you watch the sites they go to. One of my sons went to a web site for some cheat codes for a game on his PS3, the page pops up and there is a huge add for penis enhancement pills.... Now WTF does that have to do with games?

I found out the host of the site and sent feedback that there was inappropriate material on one of their sites that children visited. Two days later I get a response saying they pulled that advert off the site and would monitor the site closer, Went back to the site and it was gone.

All parents have to do is monitor what their kids are doing on the Internet. It's become a mean., nasty place but with proper supervision it can be made safe.

The parents have to understand what they are dealing with and install the right tools and know how to understand what the tools are telling them.

Parents who give their kids unrestricted access to the Internet are in serious trouble.