Microsoft announced this week that it's going to shut its free MSN chat rooms in a couple of weeks (leaving only paid members in the US, Canada and Japan able to chat). The reason: the rising pedophile threat - adults chatting with kids on Internet chat rooms. What Microsoft is basically saying is that it could no longer guarantee the integrity of its chat rooms or the safety of the kids using them. It's not surprising how frustrating it's been for anyone who runs big chat rooms. Most of them have plenty of users pretending to be who they aren't (standard operating procedure for many folks), plus lots of pornographers and spammers (and pornographic spammers, even).

By allowing only paid members to chat, Microsoft can ensure some accountability among those chatting.

Two viewers have written to me asking what this announcement means. Is this a confirmation that the Internet is an evil place and we should ban the kids from doing any more chatting? What about instant messaging, the one-to-one kind chatting that's wildly popular?

My advice is to do one of two things. You can talk things through with your kids and make them understand the dangers of the Web - the way you should with cigarettes and alcohol. But that doesn't always work. So the other thing to do: use technology to battle the problem.

NetNanny.com's Chat Monitor (from the makers of the excellent Net Nanny safe surfing software) is a new product you might want to try. It's costs $39.95 and can monitor everything your child types in a chat room or instant message session. In addition to giving you transcripts, it can block out certain words and prhases. It can also can provide real-time e-mail alerts to parents. For example, if you child is either receiving or sending material they shouldn't be (such as a home address or a credit card), it can send you an e-mail letting you know this is going on. There's also an option to have the program automatically shut itself off.

The Microsoft decision, says Andrew Tull, executive vice president of Net Nanny's parent company, BioNet Systems, "is a validation of the fact that the problem exists and parents need to be educated about what's going on out there and utilize the proper tools to help them manage the internet experience of their families."

This is a smart, sophisticated program that does exactly what it promises. It has two modes: a visibile one - where your kids know you are going to be monitoring them; and a stealth mode - where they don't know you're doing any monitoring. My suggestion: use the visible mode. I don't recommend sneaking around to spy on your kids (what's next, hiding in their closet? Under their bed?) - unless you have a major troublesome situation that develops after due warnings. You have to decide when you install the program which version you want (to switch you have to uninstall and reinstall it). That's the only change I'd make - allow easier mode switching.

If you are on a PC, you can try this today for a 15-day free trial. No Mac version yet, I'm afraid.

Apart from keeping kids safe, the other motive to try something like this might be to keep track of a spouse suspected of playing the cyber field. About that, I have no comment.

RESOURCE:
Net Nanny Chat Monitor - free 15-day trial
My tips on keeping kids safe online

Write to techguru@sree.net and let me know your thoughts.