7 December 2010

Joy Burch brings the Cybersafe Help Button

| johnboy
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help button

Earlier in the year the ACT’s Minister for Children and Young People, Joy Burch, wrote to the Federales’ Stephen “Filter” Conroy asking that Australia roll out an internet panic button for children in the manner the UK has had from some time.

And today she’s announced that button has been launched at Telopea Park School today by Filter.

The Cybersafety Help Button is essentially an application that can sit either on the screen or can be minimised to sit on the taskbar. When clicked, the Help Button takes the user to a website that provides them with information and assistance to deal with cyberbullying, unwanted contact and offensive or illegal content.

“The internet and social network sites provide an excellent opportunity for young people to interact with each other, to discover new things and to tap into resources all over the world, but they need to be educated about the risks and dangers that the internet presents.”

You can get it from the DBCDE website.

Anyone think it’ll be any good?

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I wonder if we can get a “polliesafety” help button to help protect us from stupid pollitians.

Couple of fun facts about the cybersafe button.

1. It cost $136,000 to make.
2. It’s just written in Adobe Air. So you have to install Air to use it.
3. All it does when clicked is open a website. In other words, it’s a shortcut to a URL.

Gooooooooooo Labor!

Grail said :

If I ever meet Sen Conroy in real life, it’ll be everything I can do to not hit him.

Don’t try too hard to control yourself. The man really does need a good slap upside the head.

Yeah right – willingly install onto my own PC something created by Conroy of the mandatory filter and data retention agenda, then allow the young ‘uns to click at will.

“The Button” takes you to http://www.dbcde.gov.au/online_safety_and_security/help-and-advice – a web site obviously designed to satisfy a Government decree that the site had to be built. Note the prominent Govt and ACMA logos, while the stuff they want the kids to actually read is almost the smallest print on the page.

If I ever meet Sen Conroy in real life, it’ll be everything I can do to not hit him.

“Then just click it twice if you ever need help or advice about something unsafe or upsetting that you have encountered on the internet.”

Step One: install button.

Step Two: visit DBCDE website on proposed internet filter.

Step Three: report something very upsetting.

What a joke.

You have to have javascript running on the DBCDE site (great example of how to browse securely); the installation is a Flash process (see previous comment); it works on (some) Windwoes and crApple only.

One would think the X at the top right of the screen and a supportive, attentive parent would be enough.

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