CHILDREN Think time-limit items will cut kids' usage? Think again

By ANICK JESDANUN
AP INTERNET WRITER
NEW YORK (AP) -- I am neither a parent nor a kid, but I can certainly act childish when called upon. So I tested five systems for setting limits on how long children can use the Internet.
I also tried my best to beat them, to exceed my allotted time.
I started with the $69.95 Time-Scout Monitor, a strictly hardware approach from Card Access Inc.
Plug your computer monitor into the device and move a lever to lock it. Then plug the device into an electric outlet.
You then give or take away time in half-hour increments by swiping a series of bar-code cards included with the package.
Power to the monitor shuts off automatically when time runs out. With another swipe, you can also deactivate the monitor completely before going to bed.
If only it weren't so easy to bypass.
Most monitors come with detachable cords, so even though one end is locked, the other can be replaced with a second cord that plugs directly into an outlet. And the locking mechanism is rudimentary -- it only takes a paper clip to unlock the plug for use in a regular outlet.
To gain more time, I tried to forge a bar-code card using a black marker, but the device caught me both times. And the card is covered with a red film so the bar code can't be photocopied.
But I noticed additional cards are sold in packs of three for $12.95. I know how I'd spend my allowance money.
One system busted. Mua-ha-ha-ha.
Combination approach
Next up is SecuriKey Personal Edition 1.0, a combination hardware and software system that Griffin Technologies LLC retails for $149. Once you set it up on your Windows 2000 or XP machine, you can run your computer only when you plug a "key" into the computer's USB port.
You pull out the key when you think your child has surfed enough and take it with you to prevent any sneaking online after bedtime.
It's rather complicated to set up, and once you do, disabling it is rather easy. Just reboot your computer in a diagnostic "safe mode with networking" -- at least when you use default settings.
True, a 9-year-old kid may not be able to figure it out, but my money's on the older, tech-savvy teens. It only takes one to discover it and spread the word at school or in chat rooms.
If you block safe mode, your kid can still disable the system by unchecking "Use SecuriKey Authentication" in the software. A kid can do it when the key's plugged in and you're not looking.
Two systems busted. Next!
AOL controls
I tried the parental controls built into America Online. With its new software for Windows, AOL 9.0, parents can block Internet access for the entire computer, eliminating a loophole that before let kids still surf using a non-AOL browser.
You set how many hours and at what times your child can use the Internet each week and each day. For instance, you can give your child unlimited use on weekends, but permit only one hour between 5 and 8 p.m. on school nights.
It's fairly easy and straightforward. The first time you try to access the Internet, a box pops up asking for your AOL username and password, even if you're not using AOL at the moment. If the username is tied to a controlled account, access is blocked.
But the software does not check to make sure a particular username belongs to a user on that computer. I got a username and password from a co-worker and was able to bypass controls. I can see kids borrowing unrestricted accounts from friends.
Three systems busted. Child's play!
Changing the clock
SurfControl Inc.'s CyberPatrol 6, which costs $39 per year, has a time manager included with its filtering software.
It works like AOL's, except you can also include specific applications -- such as games or word processors -- in the limits.
CyberPatrol was smart enough to detect when I set the computer's clock back an hour or so to try to gain more time. But it didn't catch me when I set the clock ahead to a time I know is unrestricted.
Four systems busted.
Finally, I tried the $39.95 Cyber Sentinel 2.0 from Security Software Systems Inc. You can permit or deny Internet access at specific hours, but there's no provision for a daily or weekly time allowance.
It was good at catching attempts to change the clock back or forward. However, if I change the clock right after booting the computer and restart it quickly enough, I sometimes get away with it.
And Cyber Sentinel didn't block my AOL instant-messaging software. In trying to indirectly access Web sites using the IM program, I got Cyber Sentinel to crash once and ultimately had unfettered access.
Five systems busted.
Game over.
Of course, if your kid is going to go to such lengths to try to break the rules, you probably have bigger problems.