Michael didn’t really have Internet access until KidZui. Why? Our old filtering solution was good but not perfect. I’ve since discovered K9, which is iron-clad and free. (Read my review here.) Nevertheless, K9 doesn’t provide any kind of starting point or home page for young surfers. KidZui fixes that problem and is easy to install, so I let Michael put it through its paces. Here is his expert opinion.

Michael (Age 6): 5 out of 5 Stars

Michael says: “I really do like KidZui. There’s lots of fun stuff to do. Like games. I can’t resist wanting to do it all the time. Games, games, games. I really want to keep it so I can find that pool game again.”

Hmmm.

I asked: “Is it just the games?”

“Yes. I mean no. Also the web sites, and the TV. You can watch the TV episodes like Super Why.”

In case you aren’t in the know, Super Why is a PBS Kids animated television series and website that teaches reading skills to children ages 3-6, including alphabet, rhyming, etc.

Michael’s Dad: 4 out of 5 Stars

KidZui’s web sites, videos, pictures, and games seem to be 100% safe and in good taste. Each child creates their own “Zui” or online persona, and new users require parental email authorization. You enter the child’s age when you set up their account, and the content is customized accordingly. Well, sort of. The sites and videos for a child age 17 were probably more of interest to ages 8-12 in my opinion. Michael’s sites and videos were suitable for ages 4-10. KidZui definitely targets a younger set.

KidZui itself is colorful and flashy. Entertaining, but I was hoping for something more, well, educational. Fortunately, KidZui does let you limit what a child can access. Lock out games if you want. I’m hesitant to do that because my career introduction to computers came through games. Games do encourage basic computer skills.

Basic reading skills are needed for most KidZui games and prompts, so this could frustrate non-readers as well as their parents. When Michael first started using KidZui, he’d say “Dad, what do I do now?” Still, come to think of it, he doesn’t ask any more—he’s navigating like a pro. Hmmm. He learned something in those past 30 days…

Limiting Virtual Reality

When Michael says “I can’t resist,” it’s a concern to me. We’re training new, lifetime behaviors at this age. Church leaders have cautioned against excessive virtual reality and TV watching (limit to around two hours per day of “carefully selected content”) for solid reasons. See the articles for details.

Unfortunately, you cannot limit browsing time with KidZui 3.0. That’s all up to the parent. However, you do get a weekly report of Internet use via email.

Requirements and Glitches

KidZui 3.0 requires Windows and Internet Explorer 6 or later.

KidZui is an application, not a web site, and the installer and program were a tad restrictive for a power user. KidZui installed on only a single user on our multi-user computer (“Welcome” screen). I had real trouble copying the KidZui startup icon to any other user. Why is this important? If KidZui just installs for one user, than all access for all children must take place through a single Windows account. That doesn’t work in our home, where computer use is a privilege that can be given a “time out” by suspending their Windows login.

KidZui also loaded automatically every time Michael started his Windows user, and trying to switch to other applications would have frustrated even a seasoned hacker. (Ah, but I was victorious in the end! I found a back door!) Fortunately, this option can be configured from the Parental Controls, so you can have your way. Turning it on keeps your child (and you) from fiddling with other programs.

Lastly, the mouse kept freezing up on our computer when KidZui was running. (Workaround: unplug and plug in the mouse.) Is this KidZui or coincidence? I suspect KidZui isn’t playing nicely all the time.

Cost

Right now you can get KidZui as an “inaugural member” for half price ($4.95/month or $49.95 a year). That means that later, the normal monthly price will be around $9.95/month ($99.95/year). Still, KidZui is for all kids in the home, it relies on human-reviewed web sites, photos, and videos, and your children can use it from other computers anywhere KidZui is installed. At $4.95/month this is a good option for many. At $9.95/month, I’m less certain. What do you think?

The 30-day trial can be extended another 30 days if you recommend KidZui to three friends. We took them up on this offer while we decide KidZui’s fate in our home.

Alternatives?

1) Though I haven’t checked it out yet, there is another kid-safe browser, PikLuk. This one handles email too. It has a free version, but (and this is a big deal) it looks like you need to manually enter web sites you want your child to visit, and no provision is made for photos and videos. Here is someone else’s quick review:

How To Child-Proof The Internet For Your Kids

2) Another approach: Install K9, then point the child’s browser home page to a good starting page. Examples include:

Yahoo Kids

PBS Kids (TV-oriented; Michael could spell the site URL just from watching the shows)

Discovery Kids (more educational)

Kid Explorers (ChristianAnswers.Net educational home page for kids)

With this solution, you can use the K9 configuration panel to restrict categories (like games). However, you still cannot limit time on the computer or Internet this way.

Bottom Line: 4-1/2 Out of 5 Stars (for the Right Age Group)

From a safety and ease-of-setup standpoint, I recommend KidZui for households with children ages 4 to 11. Your kids will learn basic computer skills while you do other things. Get it while it’s $4.95/month and make sure it works well for you. If you want controlled email access as well, add the free PikLuk browser for email only. If the money matters, try one of the two options above.

Feedback Please

Please tell us all what you choose and how it works for you. (Leave a comment.)

And if you like this article, please pass it on to others using the options below. I’d appreciate it.

Feel the same way? Let me explain where I think this blog is headed in the months just ahead:

• Dating vs. Courting. We struggled with dating questions in non-LDS areas. Who do you date? When? Why? After much thought, prayer, and late-night discussions with more than one teenager, we’re excited about our answer. So were others in our ward and stake when they heard it. Maybe it will help your family too? (Preview: “Dating is a friend thing, courting is a marriage thing.”)
• Reviews of family-friendly technology and solutions. Keeping kids (and parents) safe takes some work nowadays, but fortunately, others have done it for us already.
• The Resurrection and the Atonement. Why was the atonement a prerequisite for the resurrection?
• Supermassive Black Holes and the Book of Abraham. (Yes, you read correctly.) Just discovered a decade ago, SMBH shed profound “light” both on the processes of galaxy formation and the Book of Abraham (cosmologically, symbolically, and especially spiritually).
• Exciting new ways to contribute to family history research. This is both for my very-extended family and everyone in general.
• Review of Ghandi: The Story of My Experiments with Truth. I recently read this and came away with great lessons about covenant making/keeping and consecration. There’s a lot to learn from Ghandi and our Hindu brothers and sisters.
• Discerning Truth. The “Mormon” Church believes in continuing revelation. However, since there is “opposition in all things,” continuing revelation implies that false revelation is also possible. How then, exactly, would we tell the difference between true and false revelation? And are there even more important considerations than that one in seeking, receiving, and following inspiration? (Yes.)
• Web site for Calvin P. and Elsie Midgley and Semilunar Biopsy Repair. We can get the word out about this groundbreaking surgery and the lives of these great people (Lake County, Illinois). It isn’t hard to do. Maybe somebody, somewhere, will pick up the ball and run with it. Without the help of those of us who know about it, those searching won’t find it, because the articles are now buried.

If any of this sounds interesting, I invite you to subscribe to this blog by clicking on the links at the very top right corner. Share your comments and thoughts, and we’ll explore these things together.

Then we bought a Mac.

What a rude awakening! Filtering options are limited in the Mac world. When I faced serious customer service issues with the most obvious choice (to the point of being afraid to call them!) I was motivated to search further. That was a serendipity.

The results: I found K9, from Blue Coat Systems, which now offers a robust filtering solution for the Mac. Better still, K9 (Mac or Windows) is completely free to families and home users. Highly recommended.

K9 offers an impressive, fully-customizable array of blocking categories, easy Web interface, usage reporting, email alerts of questionable use, a three-strikes-and-you’re-out option I’ve wanted for years, custom site overrides (permanent and temporary), P2P and IM monitoring, a safe search engine option that ensures search engines are accessed for the safest results, time limiting, anti-phishing, an online site rating checker (missing for NetNanny 5.6) and more.

Wow!

If you are a corporate or organizational user, you’ll need to buy a license (presumably after the beta period is over if you’re a Mac user). The single license price for non-home use is $30/year.

Feel free to post your own experiences and comments about K9 here.