[OT] Child Safty Precautions?

[paul cooke]

On Saturday 08 April 2006 15:16, Amichai Rotman wrote:
> Hi All
>
> I have a one year old chile whom just started to walk. He discovered the
> power button on my PC and keeps pressing it. Although my system's BIOS is
> set to S3 mode, and the system shuts down normaly - I am afraid for the
> integrity of it on the long run.
>
> How can I prevent my kid from touching the computer?
>
> Is there something I can configure in the system and/or the BIOS to disable
> the power button?

first
1) set the options in the BIOS for a four second soft off... that way, he has 
to hold the button in for four seconds before anything will happen. Apply 
decent "gaffer" tape across the recess for the power button (that's if you're 
lucky and it's recessed) so that he can't press it in.

then 
2) get yourself one of those computer desks where the main case can be hidden 
in a cabinet, then put a childproof latch on the door. One of those ones you 
would use on a fridge door...

> Can any of you tell me about his/her experience regarding his/her kids and
> the PC co-existance?
>

My daughter (21 next week), was introduced to computers at a very early age 
(3) and taught how to turn it on, how to find the GEM Paint program (this was 
GEM3 running on DRDOS) and how to print and save her work.

She was programming in Locomotive basic when she was only four years old.

My grand-daughter (three this summer) is already happy using the Edbuntu 
machine I built for her for Christmas.

I pity most kids who're stuck with ms-windows boxes... everything's done for 
them and there's no incentive to actually learn how to get the computer to do 
things by creating your own programs. A few get curious and seek out how to 
do it, but the vast majority just sit back and click on the icons.