Re: [GEN: children's metasearch engine]

[Joni J Rathbun <jrathbun@OREDNET.ORG>]

KIdFusion is, of course, just a metasearch engine that searches the
other sites listed. It seems to be okay when searching the targeted web
DIRECTORIES but the inclusion of avFamilyFilter (AltaVista with
the family filter turned on) seems to be the culprit. I came up
with a lot more than 2 naughty sites in 5 minutes -- all coming thru
avFamilyFilter. I tested avFamilyFilter separately with the same
results. One doesn't need to push very hard to get beyond AltaVista's
so called filter.

My recommendation to KidFusion would be to drop the avFamilyFilter
connection and stick to searching the prescreened directories/catalogs
(instead of going out to an open search with AltaVista).

Thanks for the heads up.

On Wed, 16 Feb 2000, susan andrews wrote:

> The recent posting on the KidsProfusion metasearch engine intrigued me, w=
> ith
> its promise of being able to "safely search" the Internet, so I typed rig=
> ht
> over and checked it out.
>
> Unfortunately, I must disagree with the "safe" characterization of
> KidsProfusion.  I was able to access two pornography websites in less tha=
> n
> five minutes (one was a hard-core site, the other an ad for a porn DVD). =
>
> Since some mischievous kids will push any filter to the max just to see w=
> hat
> they can get (and I believe now that I must have been very mischievous my=
> self
> at that age), I will reiterate my belief that nothing keeps a kid safe on=
>  the
> Web like education, education, education.  Further, I would hate to have
> recommended this search engine to a family and have them return to me wit=
> h
> such questionable results.
>
> For those who are interested, avFamilyFilter allowed both objectionable s=
> ites,
> and I did not review results past the first ten.
>
> I hope this helps anyone who is looking at children's search engines, and=
>
> invite your comments.  You will note from my signature that I am still ve=
> ry
> new to the library profession.
>
> Thanks for allowing me to comment,
> Susan Andrews
> Palmer School/Long Island University
> Westchester, NY
>
> mms <mschimmels@KSCABLE.COM> wrote:
> Someone recently posted about children's search engines, and I apologize =
> for
> losing that post, but please take note of this wonderful metasearch engin=
> e
> for children from the Profusion people
> http://www.profusion.com/kidfusion.html, which they call "KidFusion". It
> safely searches avFamilyFilter, Yahooligans, Magellan Greenlight,
> InfoseekKids, AOLKids, and SearchOPolis in any combination of simple,
> Boolean or phrase.  Profusion itself is also an excellent metasearch engi=
> ne
> http://www.profusion.com/.  It doesn't hurt that Profusion was developed =
> at
> the University of Kansas! Go Jayhawks!
>
> Meg Schimmels, LMS
> Funston Elementary
> Wichita (KS) Public Schools
> MSchimmels@kscable.com
>
> =3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D-=3D=
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>
> Susan Andrews
> LIS Student
> Palmer School/LIU
> Westchester, NY
>
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   J. Rathbun | Library Teacher - Media Specialist
   Lincoln Elementary School - Las Vegas
   jrathbun@orednet.org [home]
   The views I express are mine and mine alone.

  "Poetry and hums aren't things which you get, they're
   things which get you. And all you can do is to go
   where they can find you."

             -- Winnie the Pooh

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