security - Safe Instant Messenger for Kids

07
2014-07
  • Bradford

    What's the safest instant message service for kids? I've used Skype before and get random people soliciting me for adult material, free virus scans, etc... Does Google Talk only allow you to chat with people you have added as a friend and they have confirmed?

    • Answers
  • Darth Android

    It really depends on how you use it. Any decent IM client will allow you to restrict incoming messages to only people on your contact list (Yes, Skype has this option too). Beyond that, it's up to teaching your child who are appropriate people to add to their contact list, and how to block people that are harassing them. Beyond that there is no "safest" IM service - all of the major services are public, and are equally likely to have prowlers or people soliciting adult services and the like.

  • studiohack

    There is no such thing as a completely safe service. If you're lucky your guidance will have an impact, but the truth is, it's a jungle out there.

  • Sathya

    Does Google Talk only allow you to chat with people you have added as a friend and they have confirmed?

    Yes, that would be correct. To chat with someone on Gtalk, you would have to invite them ( or vice versa) and the invitation needs to be accepted from both parties

  • adib

    If you want to filter out spam, you probably need an IM service with a high barrier to entry (e.g. it's not easy to get in). One of these is the Blackberry Messenger -- it requires an actual Blackberry device to be able to participate in the network and thus it's not cost-effective for spammers to use it.


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    home server - instant messenger client I can run on my local machine with a web interface?
  • Jared

    I'd like to run an instant messenger client on my server so I can have access to IM anywhere I go. I used to run bitlbee with CGI:IRC but was wondering if there's an easier/more user friendly option out there?


    • Related Answers
  • arathorn

    Is Meebo not an option? It's a web-based IM client, and supports MSN, Yahoo, GTalk, Jabber, ICQ, Facebook, MySpace, and more.

  • heavyd

    SparkWeb is a web-based Jabber client. And although it is jabber only, if you are planning on hosting your client on a server, you could also run the OpenFire server with IM gateways to other protocols.

  • Chris Nava

    For Mac Colloquy has a web based GUI that you can use remotely.

  • tj111

    If privacy is a huge concern, you could always run pidgin with the off-the-record plugin installed on your server, then just vnc into the server to use instant messaging. Seems like a PITA, but would be super private and secure, and possibly easier than setting up your own messaging client with a web-facing GUI.