The World Wide Web is like a vast city. There are museums, playgrounds, libraries,
and stores but there are also dark alleys and dangerous people.
Here are some rules to help keep you safe.
Be polite: Remember anything you post online may be read by many people. Don't say anything online that you wouldn't say when talking to someone you don't know well.
Be cautious: Ask your parents before you tell anyone your name, telephone number, address, or the name of your school. Only share pictures of yourself, your family, or your friends if your parents say it is okay. Don't share your password or your parent's credit card numbers with anyone.
Remember: People you talk to online are strangers. Follow all the rules you know about strangers. Don't meet with them in person without your parents' permission. Choose chat rooms designed for kids and teens.
Be alert: People don't always tell the truth online. Some adults claim to be children. Some girls say they are boys. Some advertising is disguised as information. If an offer looks too good to be true, it may be a trick.
Be fair: Someone worked hard to write the information or make the pictures you find. Don't take words, pictures or sounds from a Web site without their permission and /or without giving them credit. Don't try to change someone's web site.
Be careful: Ask someone if you are not sure how to operate the computer. Don't change the wallpaper or screen saver without asking. Don't modify the operating system or install software without permission.
Respect rules: Use the stop button to stop a page loading or the back button to leave a site that upsets you or violates your parents' rules. If this doesn't work, turn off the monitor and get an adult to help. Ask your parents or teachers if you have questions about something you find on the web.
Limit the time you spend on line: Don't neglect your friends, your family or your schoolwork to spend time on the web. Too much of anything is a bad thing.
Here are some places to visit to learn more about being safe on the Internet.
If you have a fast connection try these:
Play games and discover how well you know the rules for safety on the web. http://disney.go.com/surfswell/index.html
Learn safety rules and web etiquette while watching familiar Disney cartoon characters.http://disney.go.com/cybersafety/index.html
Here are more games to play to test your web sense. http://www.netsmartz.org/flash/index.html
Here are some sites that work with a slower connection:
Here is an internet quiz for younger children. http://www.kidscomjr.com/games/safety/safety.html
And this one is for older kids. http://www.kidscom.com/games/isg/isg.html
Explore this site and then take a test and get your license http://www.safesurfin.com/
You'll find lots of information and some puzzles and games to print out and
play off line http://www.kidsdomain.com/brain/computer/surfing/index.html
Here is information on how to be a good cybercitizen from the justice department http://www.cybercrime.gov/rules/kidinternet.htm
Here is a site that offers some tips on traveling on the World Wide Web http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/welcome/
There is lots of information on the web but it is sometimes hard to find what
you want. Here is a site that helps you
learn the best ways to find what you want http://www.rcls.org/wows/
Berit's Best Sites for kids offers an index to some of the best sites for you on the web This is a good place for finding fun sites. http://www.beritsbest.com/
Cybersleuth Kids is an index to sites chosen by teachers and other volunteers http://cybersleuth-kids.com/
Zeek's Surf Shack is another fun place to look for information for kids from 8 to 12. http://www.zeeks.com/ss_main.html
Start Squad is a collection of sites that offers lists of sites divided by age These sites were selected by librarians in North Carolina. Choose html if you don't have Macromedia Flash installed http://www.startsquad.com/
B. J. Pinchbeck's Homework Helper is maintained by a 15-year-old and his father
and is a good place to go for help with homework.. http://www.bjpinchbeck.com/
Enchanted Learning is a site designed to help young children travel the web
by clicking on a picture dictionary
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/Dictionary.html
Yahooligans is a junior version of Yahoo, one of the oldest indexes on the Web http://www.yahooligans.com
Another way to find your way around is to visit a site that lets you use their special program, called a search engine, to find what you are looking for. You can find hints on using search engines here http://www.multnomah.lib.or.us/lib/homework/search.html
Here are some search engines designed for you.
Kids Click lets you browse and search your way through over 5000 great
web sites - from the weird and mysterious to health and well being. http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/KidsClick!/
Ask Jeeves for Kids allows you to ask a question in plain English and, after interacting with you to confirm the question, Ask Jeeves for Kids takes you to one and only one web site that answers your question http://www.ajkids.com/
Kid's Only Search was created by AOL to provide a safe place for kids http://www.aol.com/netfind/kids/channel/
A meta search engines searches a number of sites. Ithaki 4 KiDs searches: Dmoz Kids, Yahooligans, FactMonster, ArtKidsRule, AolKids, AppuKids, Discovery School http://ithaki.net/kids/
People post things on the World Wide Web for different reasons. Some want to
sell you something. Some want to fool you. Some things on the web are true.
Some are not true and some are partly true and partly false. To help you decide
which is which, ask yourself these questions:
Checking information you find on the web in books and magazines is another
way to decide what is correct. Editors check facts before they are published.
Even so there are mistakes. Be a careful reader and use your best judgment to
decide what information is reliable. Be an especially careful reader of the
web.
You can find more information about deciding what information is reliable at
the following sites:
Quick (Quality Information Check List) is a web site that helps you evaluate what you find http://www.quick.org.uk/menu.htm
What Makes a Web Site Good helps you evaluate web sites http://www.multcolib.org/homework/webeval.html
Visit A Game A Day every day and discover a new game to play http://www.agameaday.com/kidshome.htm
Stop by Bonus.com and find links to lots of fun game and links. http://www.bonus.com/
Try clicking on MaMaMedia to find games, activities, and a place to design and send animated cards http://www.mamamedia.com/
Take your young friends to Totzone where you will find lots of games
to play that are designed just for them
http://www.totcity.com/totplaces/Activities/activities.html
Stop by Pauly's Playhouse to find fun online activities for kids as young as three but there are lots for older kids too. http://www.paulysplayhouse.com/
Spend some time at Kid Wizard where you can play games, solve mysteries,
and participate in interactive stories.
http://www.kidwizard.com/
Created by
Diana R. Norton
Mid-York Library System
Mid-York Library System,
1600 Lincoln Avenue, Utica, New York, U.S.A. 13502; http://www.midyork.org;
Please send comments to Suggestions.
