Hi,
I just got the email notifying about plans to drop IM Chat monitoring. I partially agree (with qualified "if"). Who cares nowadays for AIM, MSN/Live Messenger, Yahoo Messenger and the like? These are all yesterdays tools and usually it is us parents who use them, way more than kids do.
However, there is a big "IF" in my complicity - and rather a request, so here it is: drop these but please focus on monitoring built-in chat in voice/VOIP internet calling clients that allow kids to chat and talk, especially in group calls/chats settings. Major applications in this space are: Skype and GoogleTalk.
Essentially, if you know how kids think - they prefer to use tools letting them talk, chat and exchange links/files at the same time, all while playing online games. They also exchange links to dangerous websites, and oh, by the way, if you do not know where your kid learned this new attitude and profanities, check their skype chat logs - you will be quickly to pinpoint who is learning from whom and what. And who is talking someone into something "inappropriate".
But keeping huge logs would only make sense if there is a contextual configurable filter/report tool to search for most "inappropriate/profane phrases" as well as customize it, all with chat log zoom-in capability. Such tool would be something of real value to monitor your kids online interactions with peers.
So again, please focus on Voice/Voip Internet calling clients with IM Chat ability. Like Skype and GogleTalk.
Premium Members/Users - if you agree with me, feel free to chime in :)