Instant messenger

ski · 3 Mar 2007 at 21:58

Is there a program that blocks im's?I don't want to remove program but i would like to be able to block it when I want to ,My son goes on it all the time and I would like a little control over it

toString · 3 Mar 2007 at 22:03

Another messenger/parent/kid thread asking for a software solution that doesn't exist, but can be solved with simple parenting.
No offence, of course

ski · 3 Mar 2007 at 22:55

parenting is never simple

oldbag · 3 Mar 2007 at 22:58

Since most of the IM clients tunnel over port 80, it's pretty hard. Some firewalls have IM blocking built in which should work.

Ak!ta · 3 Mar 2007 at 23:04

You should be able to block it through Windows Firewall....

esoteric · 3 Mar 2007 at 23:05

Log off the IM? change the password?

wormvortex · 4 Mar 2007 at 00:15

stop censoring the kids life?

Pez · 4 Mar 2007 at 08:33

wormvortex said:
stop censoring the kids life?

Wow, you are SO hard done by, fight the system man, fight! :rolleyes:

He has every right to sensor his childs life, as much as he sees fit. If he thinks he's spending too much time on MSN, then that is that. He obviously has his reasons, and as a parent, he is doing what he thinks is right.

OP: Prehaps create a limited account that for your son?.. and block access to MSN?

Or if you have vista, use the built in parental controls

Gimpymoo · 4 Mar 2007 at 08:42

Wouldnt the kid just use Web Messenger/other variants if the IM client is blocked?

revrondo · 4 Mar 2007 at 09:24

or you could buy the kid a contract mobile and have him run up a huge bill on it

Una · 4 Mar 2007 at 09:42

Gimpymoo said:
Wouldnt the kid just use Web Messenger/other variants if the IM client is blocked?

Sure there are always ways round these things, just depends how much effort your willing to put in.

Kierrox · 4 Mar 2007 at 10:30

Well the problem is if you were to block it, they can just go on a web-based messenger anyway such as meebo.com. Unless you want to just block the internet in general at sceduled times, which can be done.

toString · 4 Mar 2007 at 11:39

Exactly, utterly pointless to block anything. If you thought 'we' were determined to get around things at school/college, kids these days are just as determined.
Anyone knows if you tell a kid they can't do something, they'll just have motivation to do it more.

TrUz · 4 Mar 2007 at 12:49

I have just knocked up a quick program which might help you out. Set the program to run on startup and it will monitor processes and kill the ones you specify.

There is a text file call proc.txt that needs to be in C:\WINDOWS\System32 add each item on a new line, it needs to be formatted processname;window title

Create a file in System32 call proc.stop to stop it killing processes.

This should battle web messengers.

http://truz.co.uk/Release.rar

Hope this helps truz.

Mobius 1 · 4 Mar 2007 at 12:50

You can set widnows up to only allow your son/daughter to log in at certain times for certain periods of time am i correct?

PinkPig · 4 Mar 2007 at 13:42

The only real way to do these things is with proper parenting and supervision - establish a culture in your house that the PC is something they only use with your explicit permission and when they're allowed to. If that's the case and they're ever-so-slightly scared of not doing what they're told, then a software solution is much less important.

The reason I say this is mostly that software can never do what a parent can do - even if it blocks something, it can't let your child know how upset and disappointed you are that they've broken your perfectly-reasonable rules.

More to the point, any software solution can be circumvented if someone wants to do it enough.