The Internet should provide safe places for kids and teens to explore without being threatened by predators, harassed by cyberbullies or exposed to inappropriate content. Luckily, there are several great Internet browsers and websites that are perfect for kids and/or teens. These are the top 10:

Buddy Browser

This kid-friendly Web browser is an ideal tool for youngsters due to its safety filters and fun design. There are no chat rooms, and web surfing is disabled, but users can use the “Safe Buddy Messenger” to interact in a constructive way.

Club Penguin

This gaming site for kids was created by Disney and features a whole virtual world where users can create their own avatars, interact through a safe and filtered chat environment, and play age-appropriate games. It also includes a marketplace where kids can create and share media.

Gaia

The virtual world known as Gaia is very popular with a wide range of teens. The social networking site is geared toward role-playing, and includes games, guilds, forums and social interactions.

GirlSense

GirlSense is a website designed for teen girls that includes features such as safe social networking, discussion boards, finance and budgeting tools, advice sections, and a marketplace with media creation and sharing features.

Glubble

The Glubble Internet browser utilizes the Firefox platform, so it is a familiar and user-friendly tool. Plus, this browser provides a family-friendly space focused on safe interactions and media sharing.

Kido’z

This online community for kids provides a safe and fun social networking environment where users can create simple profiles, chat with friends, play games and learn about best Internet practices. Parents can also monitor kids’ behavior.

Moshi Monsters

Kids of all ages love Moshi Monsters, a website that allows users to create their own avatars and pets that they will care for. The digital pet must be fed, bathed, loved and properly cared for.

myYearbook

myYearbook is a social networking site designed specifically for teens as a safer and more youth-friendly alternative to Facebook and MySpace. Users can participate in social networking with special features such as quizzes, matchmakers and secret admirers.

There.com

There.com is also designed for teens, with features including personalized avatars, games, environment customization, online shopping and social interaction.

Webkinz

The Webkinz network is another popular social community designed just for kids, which utilizes avatars with animal themes rather than personal photos. Users can play games and trade cards, share news and get craft ideas.

Graphic Designer

Graphic design is one of the most preferred career options for visual communication majors. The work of graphic designers involves planning, analyzing, and creating visuals to enhance communication. They have to find the most effective way to convey certain messages to their target audiences in electronic or print media, and they can do so by using illustrations, photographs, animation, and other visuals. Most graphic designers work for advertising agencies, publication companies, and design consulting firms, but there are an increasing number of them who choose to offer their services on a freelance basis. The job market for graphic designers is expected to grow about 13% from now to 2018.

Web Designer

As more and more websites are being set up on the Internet, there is a constant need for web design services. Web designers create web pages or entire websites, and they have to develop visuals that are effective in communicating their clients’ intended messages. They usually work for web development companies or large companies that need to update their websites on a regular basis, but they can also be freelancers.

Commercial Photographer

Commercial photographers produce captivating photographs that are used in print and electronic media for promoting products and services, places, people, and events. In order to create successful pictures, they have to be able to select and capture certain subjects to achieve the desired visual effects. They must possess a high level of creative, as well as extensive technical knowledge and the right equipment. Commercial photographers are needed by news agencies, magazine publishers, advertising agencies, web development companies, fashion houses, wedding photography businesses, and others.

Art Director

The responsibility of art directors is to create design concepts and review materials that are to be published in print, digital, and other media. In advertising and publishing, they assume full control over the visual direction of projects, and they will work with graphic designers, photographers, and copywriters to convey ideas and concepts in the most effective way possible. Art directors are mostly employed by advertising agencies, publishing companies, and design firms.

Commercial Artist

The work of commercial artists varies greatly. They can be involved in the creation of advertisements, magazines, brochures, signage, websites, posters, logos, films and videos, t-shirts, product packaging, and others. As such, they can be hired by many different kinds of companies, ranging from advertising agencies to retail companies.

What Constitutes Cyberbullying?

While there are often one-time incidents of ill will and unkind words between adolescents in chat groups and on social media sites such as Facebook, these do not usually constitute cyberbullying unless they include an extreme threat (i.e. murder or serious bodily harm). In most cases, the threats, hurtful posts, rude gossip and embarrassing rumors or pictures spread throughout the Internet must be ongoing to constitute cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can have serious effects on the psyche of a young child or teen, which are often quite devastating during this fragile time in life, particularly for someone who already feels like they don’t quite “fit in.”

What can be done?   

Parents can prevent cyberbullying by limiting children’s access to chat rooms and social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This can help prevent bullies from attacking, as well as protect those being bullied. However, such limitations may not always work. It’s practically impossible to go without an email address these days, and even if parents control their children’s access to sites like Facebook at home, there are always other places where they could be creating and accessing accounts.

When a child comes to a parent with cyberbullying issues or if a parent suspects it is happening, there are several possible courses of action. Criminal charges can be pursued, for example. This typically results in blockage of the culprit’s ISP or IM accounts, or even federal criminal charges in the case of hacking and/or password theft. The most important thing parents can do is to be aware of the issue and talk with their children about it regularly.

The Internet is a big part of our lives now — no two ways about it — and that includes the lives of our children. While the Internet offers many opportunities for children to learn and grow, it also presents many dangers of which parents must be mindful.

Fortunately, there are several simple actions parents can take to ensure the maximum protection for their children as they navigate the Web. Even if you don’t consider yourself tech savvy, you should have no problem applying an Internet protection plan for all the computers to which your children have access in your home. Here are a few tips to help you get started.

Parental Controls and Content Monitoring Tips

Automatically Block Adult Sites – It’s easy for parents to automatically block all sites containing adult content, so kids can’t even accidentally come across it. One of the easiest ways to do this is with OpenDNS, which is easily accessible online without any downloads or software installations. The site has a computer option that provides easy-to-follow instructions. Simply choose a moderate or high filtering level, depending on how much you want to block. Your kids won’t be able to see any websites that have adult images, videos or other content.

Keep Track of What They’re Doing – If you want to monitor what kinds of sites your children are accessing online, there are various programs that allow you to do this. Make sure to also have a conversation with your children about activity you feel is inappropriate.

Pick and Choose the Sites to Block – Some parents just want to block certain sites, such as social networking sites they don’t want their children using or chat rooms where they could be meeting predators. OpenDNS also provides the option to block certain categories of websites or specific sites that parents don’t want their children to access.

Prevent Clicks on Bad Websites – Even perfectly innocent web searches can yield results that include some websites with harmful or malevolent content. There are simple filtering systems available that evaluate web pages that appear in search results and flag the ones whose content could be harmful to your computer (malware, spyware, etc).

Safe Search Options – The leading search engines, including Google, Yahoo! and Bing, offer “safe searching” options that prevent inappropriate content from appearing in search results. Just make sure to reset the “safe search” mode every time you clear the browser cache.

Technology has always been a huge driving force in the art and design fields. But ever since the introduction of personal computers in the 1980s and the advertising campaigns that went along with that advancement, technology has changed these fields at ever-faster rates.

Everyone who was watching the NFL Super Bowl in 1984 surely remembers the 60-second advertisement for the Apple Macintosh, with a woman hurling a hammer through a giant screen projection of “Big Brother.” Those who weren’t alive or were too young to remember have probably still seen or heard references to this ad, whether they know it or not. Even those who have never heard of the ad are still living in the aftermath of this advertising and technology breakthrough.

One of the most important lasting effects of the technological advancements of the ‘80s and ‘90s is the proliferation of advanced computer tools not only in offices, but in homes as well. From advertising agencies to the homes and offices of freelance artists and designers, the art and design industries were suddenly technology-heavy after the original personal computers were accessible to the public.

The way people write has changed, for example, whether they are writing for artistic or pragmatic purposes. Before the advent of word processors and personal computers with word processing abilities, people had to type out documents on a typewriter, edit them manually, and then type them out again. The whole process would have to be repeated until a final draft was settled on. Now, writing and editing can happen simultaneously and from the same virtual document.

The advances in the graphic design industry can be likened to the progression from typewriters to word processors to Microsoft Word and similar software. Designs are never fixed in today’s high-tech environment; the onscreen layout and printouts of designs are merely illustrations of the current stage of the design, which can easily be edited within the program to enable a new idea. Virtually any aspect of the design can always be changed.

In the art industry, technology has also opened new doors for creativity and art appreciation. Artists have new media in which to work, including graphic design software and film technology, and art lovers are able to more easily access new art via the Internet. Art restoration and preservation is also more precise, efficient and accurate than ever before.

As technology continues to advance, one thing is certain – the possibilities for art and design are virtually endless.

There’s no doubt about it – social networking has become a huge phenomenon in recent years. People started talking to each other online soon after the Internet was made accessible to the public, but it would be many years before social networking sites would become the monolithic force they are today. It started with sites like Friendster, then MySpace, followed by bookmarking sites like Stumbleupon.com. And of course, the international sensations known as Facebook and Twitter are currently very much in vogue. Who knows what people will be using to socialize online in the future? What we do know is that the Internet presents a seemingly endless sea of opportunities for social connections. And with all these connections, businesses have many chances to reach out to their customers in new and exciting ways.

The Power of Social Networking for Small to Medium-Sized Businesses

Small to medium-sized businesses can benefit the most from social networking, because it helps put them on the same playing field as much larger businesses in ways that were not possible before. Reaching out to customers individually is one of the best ways to create brand loyalty and to get a clear idea of what your target market wants, but without the budget of a large corporation, this can be tough. Social networking sites offer an unprecedented opportunity to understand what customers want, while simultaneously spreading brand awareness for your business. Growing businesses have greater control over the way the public perceives them than ever before, thanks to social networking.

How to Harness the Power of Social Networking    

It’s clear that social networking has many powerful benefits for businesses, but it isn’t always clear how to best harness this power. There are many options, and it often depends on what kind of business you’re in and what your unique needs and goals are. Some businesses choose to post blogs that their customers can comment on, while others build profiles on sites like Facebook and Twitter. Still others have forums where customers and members of the public can speak out. From podcasts to online communities, the options are virtually endless. It’s a good idea to get some professional advice. Be sure to remember your goals when implementing a social networking campaign, as well. If a certain method isn’t helping you reach your target audience, drive visitors to your site or positively impact awareness of your brand, don’t be afraid to ditch it and move on to something else.

Most people think that they need a college degree to pursue a computer career, but this is not true. While a majority of computer experts have at least a Bachelor’s degree, it is possible to have a successful computer career without a degree. In fact, some of the most famous people in the computer industry did not complete their college education, and they have managed to amass personal fortunes worth billions of dollars. These icons of the computer industry include Bill Gates, Paul Allen, Steve Jobs, Larry Ellison, Michael Dell, and Mark Zuckerberg. Due to the achievements of these great innovators, the field of computing has been recognized as one of the fields that people can excel in without a degree. True enough, many lesser known computer experts have managed to achieve great success and live a comfortable life without a complete college education.

However, the success stories of the famous computer experts mentioned above should only serve as inspiration for aspiring computer experts. Their innovations were more possible in those times when there was much to be discovered in the field of computing. Due to the rapid advancement of computer technology, there is presently very limited opportunity for someone to come up with a truly groundbreaking innovation. Therefore, it is less likely that such great success stories will happen again. In reality, if you want to have a successful computer career, you will have a better chance of reaching your goal if you have a degree in computer science or other computer-related fields. Nowadays, many large companies make it a point to hire only computer experts who have completed college, and your career options will be limitless if you manage to earn a degree.

There are many different specializations in the computer industry, and each specialization has its own sub-specializations. Some of the more common computer specializations include computer programming, information systems, information security, networking, computer engineering, web development, communications, computer graphics, computer forensics, and others. These specializations have very different responsibilities, and they can range from developing software to designing websites. You can find colleges and universities that offer Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctoral degree programs for every computer specialization.

Salaries for computer experts vary according to experience and specialization, but they are generally high compared to people in many other industries. For instance, computer support specialists earn an average annual income of about $44,000, while information systems managers can make an average of about $107,000 a year.

Network Administrator

The duties of a network administrator include providing resources to all computers that are connected in a certain network, taking security measures to prevent the network from being infiltrated, and making sure that unethical resources are not accessed through any computer in the network. All you need to do to become a network administrator is to obtain a certification in the field. However, if you want to advance further in your career, you need to have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science or systems science. On the average, a network administrator makes about $58,000 a year.

Computer Programmer

Computer programmers can find employment in many different places, including manufacturing facilities, engineering companies, industrial plants, hospitals, educational institutions, government offices, and others. The main responsibility of a computer programmer is to write instructions to enable computers to process information. This task is often referred to as software development. If you wish to become a computer programmer, you need to have extensive knowledge of programming languages, such as C, C++, Java, and others, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information systems, or mathematics. The average annual salary of computer programmers is about $65,000.

Software Tester

The job of a software tester is to analyze various kinds of software that are developed by computer programmers. This includes testing software performance and identifying bugs in programs. The minimum education requirement for this career is a Bachelor’s degree. If you decide to pursue a career in software testing, you can expect to earn about $65,000 a year.

Computer Security Specialist

Computer security specialists are also known as information security specialists, and their work involves controlling access to computer networks and protecting important data. They can be hired by business organizations, government organizations, and educational institutions. To become an effective computer security specialist, you need to have a Bachelor’s degree in computer science, as well as a good understanding of networking technologies and computer programming. The average salary of a computer security specialist is $80,000 a year.

Computer Forensics Investigator

Computer forensics investigation is one of the most exciting computer careers. The job of computer forensics investigators is to collect relevant data from digital media, such as desktops, laptops, PDAs, and mobile phones, for use in criminal proceedings. After collecting the necessary data, they have to write a detailed report on the data and present it in court. If you are interested in pursuing this computer career, you can either train with a law enforcement agency or the military, or get a degree in computer forensics or cyber crime. The annual salary of a computer forensics investigator can range from $50,000 to $100,000 a year.

What does all this mean for you, the average computer user? Database languages are also used to enable all the basic functions that you would expect in a database for personal or professional use. Database languages allow for information such as addresses, calculators, credit reports, employee records, inventories, names, past job experiences, prison records, telephone numbers and any other kind of data you can imagine.

The average computer user unfortunately doesn’t know the first thing about these database languages, but they don’t have to. The necessary commands for printing, retrieving and storing information from a database can appear like a foreign language—because they are. This is why databases are programmed to be specific for various companies, organizations and tasks with customizations for the job that are much more specific than the basic languages, such as BASIC and C++.

When programmers use basic languages, such as C+, they need to write commands that store information and write extra directions in order to enable toe manipulation of that data. This doubles the amount of work involved. More specific database languages only require the programmer to falsify the database information.

If you use a database programming language, you write instructions only to falsify the database info. If you use a general function language, such as C+, you must write commands to store info and then write supplementary instructions to manipulate that info, fundamentally doubling the quantity of work to execute the same task.

Specific Functions of the Most Popular Database Languages

Specific database languages allow programmers to write programs much faster, even when they are creating software that will store huge amounts of information.

As a database programmer, you will be able to earn a very profitable living, so it’s worthwhile to learn these languages. As long as you know how to create personalized databases, you should always have a job, assuming people are still using computers.

Institutions offering quality programs in Computer Science include Argosy University, DeVry University, ITT Technical Institute and Kaplan College.

Find the perfect Computer School or Computer College today and start your path to a rewarding career.

What to Look for in a Computer Engineering Program

The first things you should learn before even considering a program in computer engineering is whether the school is accredited. If not, your college credits won’t be transferable; you won’t be able to get federal financial aid; and your degree won’t be much more than just a piece of paper.

The following are some other questions you should consider:

• Are online courses available?
• Does the course schedule and location work with my lifestyle?
• How long does it take to complete a degree?
• What are the costs for tuition and fees?
• What are the instructional methods?
• Where are graduates of this program working now?
• What is the reputation of this school and its computer engineering program?

Your Future Computer Engineering Job

There are many places you can work as a computer engineer. You will have more options available to you if you complete one of the more reputable and esteemed computer engineering programs, though, which is why it’s so important to choose your school carefully. Any business organization that relies on computers will need engineers, from software companies to digital marketing firms to healthcare organizations and more. There are jobs in programming, customer service, sales, research and development and many others. There are even jobs in the field of robotics that you may qualify for with a computer engineering degree.

The salary for computer engineers is very competitive, which is one of the reasons why this is such a popular choice of degree and career path. A recent study of the average salaries of engineers found that the median salary for all engineers, including software engineers, is around $100,000. Even the lower paid entry level computer engineers are paid well and typically have full benefits if they work for a company. Additionally, those in search of more freedom can also choose to work on a freelance or consulting basis.

Institutions offering quality programs in Computer Science include Argosy University, DeVry University, ITT Technical Institute and Kaplan College.

Find the perfect Computer School or Computer College today and start your path to a rewarding career.