Peter Macaulay wrote:
Off topic, but be charitable. Netsafe have launched their cybersafety ambassador http://www.netsafe.org.nz/hector_protector/hector_protector_default.aspx Please give it a work out. It is pretty important that they have this right, the last thing we want it to have a kid's safety tool able to be hi-jacked. I am happy to pass on comments.
On a more serious note, I don't think it's entirely wise to have a "safety tool" that is a Windows executable. What if someone passes on infected copies of Hector? In fact, I can imagine virus writers would want to rengineer Hector into a Trojan Sea Horse. Is the executable digitally signed? I didn't see a signature. Having to reboot the system after installation is bad. Shouldn't the program or screen saver as it appears to be come as Open Source to be more in keeping with InternetNZ's philosophy of supporting open standards and non-proprietary technology? I see that even though the readme file says Hector works with e.g. Mozilla, the Web site implies it only works with IE: "Once downloaded, Hector can swim alongside children (in a corner of their computer screen) as they surf the Internet using Internet Explorer, or communicate with others using Outlook or Outlook Express. " -- Juha