I speak to a number of schools and churches on the subject of Internet safety.  I’ve seen the statistics, I’ve done the research, so hear me when I say this:  I don’t care how good you think your kids are, you MUST have some sort of Internet filtering software on any computer they will be using.  Period.  

Trust me, they or their friends will try something at some point and you need to make sure it gets stopped, and that you know it happened.  My favorite software to do this is  K9 Web Protection.  It will automatically block any attempt for a computer to access an inappropriate site.  You, as the administrator can add other sites or unblock sites as needed.  K9 can even enforce the times during the day that the Internet can be accessed.  If you don’t want anyone accessing the Internet after 10 at night, it will do that.  And K9 is free.  

Some other great kid-safe resources for parents to check out include Kidzui, ZuiTube, and TotLOL.  If you are looking for a great white list or need to give your kiddo a safe email account, check out PikLuk!

Google has been trying to break into the social media arena for some time.  Their earlier failed attempts (orchid, wave, and buzz) have never caught on.  Google+, however, is positioned differently.  It could actually give Facebook a run for the money.  See the Video.

Before you start, however, keep in mind you must have a Google profile to start. 

Next, let’s talk “lingo.”  The terms you need to remember are: circles, hangouts, and sparks.

Circles - Here is where Google+ is much better than Facebook.  Instead of having just one big pile of friends, Google+ allows you to group different people into circles.  For instance, you might create one for Family, another for Church Friends, and yet another for Business Associates.  Once your circles are created, Google+ makes it very easy to post messages just to certain circles OR to everyone. Facebook has this functionality with “groups” but it is not as easy to accomplish.

Hangouts - One of the coolest features of Google Buzz revolves around video.  Using Hangouts, you and a bunch of friends can all get together in a video chat room AT THE SAME TIME.  Whomever is speaking shows up in a large window and everyone else is in smaller windows.  When someone else starts speaking, they instantly jump to the large window.  You have to see it to really appreciate how cool it is.

Sparks - Imagine having a feed of JUST the topics you are interested in.  When you have free time, you can always check this feed for something you KNOW you will enjoy.  Using the “Add Interest” button, you can slowly teach Google what you like to see, and more importantly, what you DON’T want to see.

So, will it take off?  Well, my view is that Facebook is too entrenched to actually be beaten by Google+.  However, Google is now paying trendy and famous people to generate “buzz” about this service.  You never know.  With enough money thrown at it, Google+ may actually take off.