Internet Usage

Alright folks, here comes the obligatory public notice about internet safety and usage.  Safety!?  The internet is... dangerous??  Well, we don't want it to be.  The internet is a great place to learn and research (go wikipedia!!), connect with friends (gotta love facebook), and occasionally waste some time on youtube (you know you love it too)  =)    But at the same time you need to be aware that there are some people online that want to ruin it for everyone.  Yeah, I know, jerks, right?  Well they are.  These are the guys that try and get your address or phone number, say uncomfortable things in chat rooms, or try and get you to download harmful programs.

OK, time for a true story.  So, once upon a time there was a dumb, I mean 'inexperienced', young man who wanted to watch a movie online... for free.  What a silly child.  All he had to do was fill out a questionnaire and the next hour and a half would be bliss.  Yes, it would be, except for this:  The questionnaire got his phone number, he was then charged $20 in texting fees, oh yeah, and he didn't get the movie.  I think the moral of the story is fairly obvious here.

As an educator (and your parents too) we're going to help you along the way the best we can.  If we see something suspicious (like you spending an inordinate amount of time online, or turning off the monitor when we walk into range) we're going to ask what's up.  So don't try and be sneaky, be honest with us because we're going to be honest with you.

I'm sure you've noticed that all the computers in class are in public spaces, and each has a firewall and search filters.  This isn't because we don't trust you.  It's because we know that it's easy to just start surfing and run into something that's not appropriate.  It's happened to all of us. 

Now, if you're feeling a little bored, make sure to check out some of the science videos we've got posted on the website, oh yeah, and get your homework done!  ; )

see you all in class!

- Mr. Miller