I think I might have figured this out. I tested the issue over the weekend and noticed the following. When a child logs in to the computer during the block timeframe, the pc is allowed to log in the user. Addiitionally, the user is presented with a box that notifies that the child must save her work and a 60 second timer. The child can simply move that window aside, open a browser and browse the internet. Once the 60 second timer is up, the child can simply log back in, get another 60 sec notification, move it aside, and keep on browsing. This can be repeated for a few times allowing the child 5-7 min of computer use.
The 60 second window is somewhat ridiculous. Why would a child need to "save his/her work" upon logging into the system. Norton needs to log the users completely out when the blocked time is reached, and then not allow any logins on that ID unti the account is permitted. This is how MOST parental safety programs work including Microsofts Free product. Norton needs to do the same.
I see why you made the decision, but that would be in the case that the child has already been logged in. In this scenario, the child starts the computer, logs in, and gets 6 minutes of use when I specifically stated not to be able to log in. That is a problem. I'm trying to curb the child from logging in at odd hours to check email or facebook, not encourage it for an extra 6 min.
I have no issue when the child has already been logged in and you give the child 60 seconds to finish their work. However, you should begin those notifications 6 minutes prior to logging the child out, not to extend the time. Once that timeframe is hit, you should not allow the child to log in period, until the curfew is over.
Thanks for the feedback. I see your point.....However, let's say a 10-year-old doesn't save the homework when receiving three warning messages, do we just simply block him/her out and let the child lose what have been done after all his/her hard work ?
I'm having a similar problem. My 16 year old son's computer locks him out as scheduled. It has been working fine for several months now. My 13 year old daughter just got her computer back (after it was fixed because she got a virus on it) and the first day, I installed the Online Family Monitor on her computer. It was working then, and I extended the time numerous times because she was working on a project. Since then, it is not blocking at the times I have indicated. She is able to repeatedly keep logging back in after the curfew time, tonight the logoff time was supposed to be 9pm but she was able to keep using till 9:30pm even with the 60 second time limits. The main activity page for her account showed in red, that she was logging back in every 60 seconds I guess for a half hour. I noticed that one of her searches on Saturday was to disable the Online Family. She said she didn't do anything to the computer, and I warned her that if she did I would know about it and the computer would be gone again.
Her pc is running Windows XP if that helps. I did log her into the Administrator account so she could download Windows Movie Maker and Sony Vegas, but I checked to see that had she logged it out again and was back on her account.
I'm not as worried about my son because he is pretty much of a rule follower, and now has his setting to just the warning to sign off. His searches are mainly for homework or about music. My daughter is the rule breaker and I'm mostly concerned about 1) her downloading illegal or virus contaminated files (she likes to make animated Lion King and anime' videos with popular music to put on youtube), and 2) her being on the computer too much and not obeying our time limits.
Any ideas why Online Family might not be working on her pc now? She was also able to login today when she got home from school at 3pm despite the settings to not let her on until 4pm.
I think I might have figured this out. I tested the issue over the weekend and noticed the following. When a child logs in to the computer during the block timeframe, the pc is allowed to log in the user. Addiitionally, the user is presented with a box that notifies that the child must save her work and a 60 second timer. The child can simply move that window aside, open a browser and browse the internet. Once the 60 second timer is up, the child can simply log back in, get another 60 sec notification, move it aside, and keep on browsing. This can be repeated for a few times allowing the child 5-7 min of computer use.
The 60 second window is somewhat ridiculous. Why would a child need to "save his/her work" upon logging into the system. Norton needs to log the users completely out when the blocked time is reached, and then not allow any logins on that ID unti the account is permitted. This is how MOST parental safety programs work including Microsofts Free product. Norton needs to do the same.
Actually... yes I think the child should lose the work. Online Family does that anyway after 6 min post the curfew. That might sound callous, but I think to start the 6 minute timer BEFORE the curfew is a good enough warning for the child to save his/her work. This is actually not unlike many of the programs out there (even for adults).
Would Symantec give me 5 extra days repeatedly after my subscription expired if I kept hitting "I Promise to Extend my Subscription"? Nah, Symantec would provide a number of reminders before my subscription was up and then would cease to work on that day.
Since she has Administrator rights on the PC, she has the ability to tamper the system. Also, she is interested in disabling the program as it was indicated in the Search Activity. Can you please give her non-administrator rights (limited or restricted) for awhile to see if the time restrictions issue happens again?
The purpose of Norton Online Family is to help parents to monitor their children’s online activities, the last thing we want to see is a child loses all the unsaved work. After saying that, I’ll pass along your suggestion to the management team for their consideration.
Katie, she does not have administrator rights. I had logged her in temporarily on the administrator account to download those programs, then it was logged out, and logged back in to her restricted account.
Today, it was partially working right. The time limit block worked, she got the warning around 7 pm, came and got me and I did give her additional time (until 8:30 pm). However she was able to continue way beyond that until 10 pm. (The administrator account was not logged into today, only her restricted account.) I've attached a screen print of her activity from 9 pm to 9:58 pm showing all the red "signed-in during curfew hours" and quite a bit of "allowed" activity in black after that. I did not authorize that so somehow she is finding a way around this or else it is not working correctly.
I also attached a screen print of some earlier activity which occurred after the specified shut down period, alternating between the red "curfew hours" with the black "allowed" websites.
I don't think you want to do a forced logout since that would prevent the child from saving their homework. My suggestion would be to do one of these:
disable all internet access, requiring a parental code to unlock. That way they can save any local files, but not online files (google docs, etc.) without getting parental override. It does prevent them from getting time on facebook
lock the screen in some way that prevents any access to the computer, while still leaving them logged in. Again, a parental code would allow them back in to finish what they were doing.
I know that my kids often need to upload homework to their professor, so either approach listed here would work.
Katie, here's the screen shot of my daughter's time settings. Today was like yesterday, the program seemed to work at first - she requested more time at 6:30pm and I granted it till 8:45pm. Once again she was still able to be online after that for 15 minutes until I told her time was up. I was using my laptop while watching tv so I checked to see if she logged off at the appropriate time and she had not. I told her this morning the computer would be taken away if I can't trust her to get off at the required time. She turned the computer off (my husband checked) and I kept monitoring the account. After a few minutes, it indicated she was online again, I called her name and she then logged off. I showed her the indicator that shows if she is online. Why is she able to be online after the time is up? Why is it working for the initial time limit but then not after that?
And a strange thing happened after that. My son is supposed to be off the computer by 9:30pm. I noticed he had gone offline around 9:15pm. He came into the same room as my husband and I were in, watched tv for a minute, then I noticed his account showed that he was online again! He was sitting in the same room with us and the computer was turned off! He double checked to make sure he had turned it off and he had. After about 10 minutes the online indicator went off again. What's up with that? We don't put any of our computers in sleep mode, we turn them all off when finished for the day.
I would be more than happy to setup a remote desktop access and work together with you on this. You're welcome to send me a private message or an email for details. You can find my email address at http://community.norton.com/norton/profile?user.id=15038
I have some of the same concerns as OhioMom. I keep getting messages saying Norton Family has been disabled on that computer but she doesn’t have admin rights and I keep changing the password so I can’t figure out what is going on or how she is doing it. She is 12 and she is also my limit pusher.
What version of Norton Safety Minder do you have on the PC? You can find it by clicking the Norton Safety Minder icon in the system tray and selecting About Norton Safety Minder.