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Appropriate Spying
Is there such a thing? I'm not talking about the political espionage type. I'm not talking about the spyware some companies try to install on your PC for marketing purposes. I'm not even talking about companies spying on their employees to ensure their employees aren't misusing their internet access.
I'm talking about installing software on the family PC. There are many programs out there that can accomplish this to varying degrees of detail. You can log every keystroke anyone performs. You can take screenshot after screenshot of websites that are visited. You can even "spy" on the chat rooms that are frequented. Whatever level that is decided on, is there an ethical question here. Many of us can kick around the hypothetical question "Would you want someone spying on you?" Most would emphatically say "NO!".
However, in today's world, we are not talking about a personal diary or some hidden "stash" we might not want our parents to ever read or see. This is the internet. It's a whole new world and changes the whole question for me. When it comes to my children I don't want to leave there safety solely in their hands.
The internet, and the access to chats, emails and the outside lunatics of the world make my involvement necessary. I have had the above-mentioned software installed on the family PC in the past. I have found peace of mind knowing, that the kids in the house know how to use the internet responsibly. Perhaps the harder question is "What will I do if something does turn up?" That is a tough one. There are so many scenarios that could occur, some of which would just be a natural part of growing up. I guess I'll have to tackle that one when the time comes...give me the strength and wisdom to do the right thing.
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