Once Upon A Time on CHWradio, Mariana Williams Tells A Story to the CyberHood Watch Partners, Dave & Bill...

No doubt, after listening to the live interview with Mariana Williams, pianist, singer, author, and storyteller, maybe the, “should have asked question” should be, “When are you going to tell or write your story about Paul Williams?”

I would imagine without each other, Paul would write about the blues, while Mariana sang the blues.

Mariana is this year’s 2011 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER Chick lit…Click here to find out more about Mariana’s accomplishments as an author. Mariana’s new novel, Stars or Stripes 4th of July is scheduled for release October 31, 2011. Previous novels include “Happy New Year Darling”

What better way to post about an interview with Mariana Williams, storyteller, than by telling a story…

As I scanned the CHWradio station’s dashboard, Mariana appeared in the queue. “She’s on Bill, let’s bring her in”. “Hi, is this Mariana?” Bill asked. Yes it is….” After our initial hellos and introductions, we chatted before the interview went live. I sensed that Mariana Williams was not only interesting, but also interested in sharing with our listeners her years of storytelling and the best way to tell a story.

Mariana described her years of entertaining in the U.S. and abroad playing piano and singing in the finer hotels and establishments. Throughout her performances, Mariana discovered that her audience would invariably share personal stories, without any solicitation…thus the catalyst that began filling the coffers of great material for Mariana Williams’s storytelling.

Mariana Williams Stops By CHWradio to Share Her Thoughts on Storytelling...

Bill and I listened as Mariana shared her stories. Mariana noted that the art of storytelling is becoming more and more popular. When Mariana said that, I couldn’t help but recall how Christi, my wife, shared a similar experience when she was a flight attendant. She recalls how after buckling into her jump seat, nearby passengers would begin sharing his or her personal unsolicited stories, like those shared around Mariana’s piano. For some unknown reason it appears there are certain environments conducive for loosening the lips and hearts of strangers wishing to share their personal stories.

I agree with Mariana, there seems to be a movement in the art of storytelling. Hal Cannon and his wife Teresa are part of the storytelling movement. I had the pleasure this summer of attending, Hal Cannon’s  first performance debut of his newly released CD, a collection of all original songs. Hal uses storytelling to introduce each song, moreover; his wife Teresa (Jordan) Cannon (also an author, artist, and storyteller), entertained the audience with a childhood story involving a cold bottled of soda, her dad, and growing up in Wyoming on the family ranch.

Mariana Williams shares with everyone the power of storytelling and how the CyberHood Watch® partners, Dave & Bill could adopt these principles of storytelling to teach children to make better-informed digital decisions. Applying these principals will help parents to better connect with his or her child about living a safe and secure digital life in a fast moving mobile market.

“We will go live in five – four – three – two – beep…Blog talk Radio!”…

Listen to the interview now or download now and listen to it later:

Discover how long a good story should last, how to structure a good story to create interest, and what not to do at the end of your story.

Your CyberHood Watch Partner,

david c ballard

Radio Security Journalist

Dave and Bill interviewed Yalda T. Uhls, Parenting In The Digital Age she stopped by The HOOD today to share her thoughts on and especially advice to all The CyberHood listeners and followers!

What We Learned from the show: Rule #1 Model what you preach. Rule #2 Keep Media in Public Places (in front of everyone) Rule #3 Balance Media with other Activities. Please click the play button… and LEARN!

Yalda T. Uhls, Masters in Developmental Psychology from UCLA, M.B.A.

She is a developmental psychology student, getting a PhD at UCLA, while also conducting research with the Children’s Digital Media Center @LA.

It’s the perfect blend of the old (see below) and the new, She did research technology and media… She then learned how it affects children and shared this knowledge with others.

She was a media starved childhood in which she felt left out in the cold as friends discussed the latest TV or movies, she made up for lost time by going into a career that required watching TV, films and reading scripts 24/7. She climbed the ladder starting at Sony, moving on to New Line, then to Artisan and finally ending up as a Senior VP at MGM. Along the way, She schmoozed, had power lunches, attended Sundance and Cannes more times that she care to admit, and made some movies she is proud of (and many more that she is not so willing to admit to).

What a fantastic show and Yalda T. Uhls shared so much in a very short time… Please make sure to take time to listen to this interview, there were 3 tips every parent should be aware of and start the communication with their children today!!!

Thanks Yalda, and we look forward to you joining us again

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

Radio Security Journalist

We had a DREAM!!

To create a weekly radio show… different than any other radio show in the world, and 3 years later we have done just that and it is called: CHWR

The CyberHood Watch Partners want to thank all of our guests, listeners, supporters and followers… and especially Anissa @ The Publicists Assistant for all her hard work on our behalf… and the publicity people, personal assistants and all the good folks who make our weekly show a reality!

and… today’s show was a perfect example of what Dave and I have been doing for the past years… please listen to Rodd’s interview:

Baaaaaaah Baaaaaaah Baaaaaaah Be A Clever Sheep!!!!!

Rodd Lucier joined Dave and Bill today… Rodd is a teacher and edu-blogger who works to create a more relevant learning environment for so-called ‘digital natives’. You can see the range of topics he blogs and podcast about, here at: Lessons From The Rink or Greatest Gift

We really liked the Lessons and how they can apply to parents and their children, teachers like Rodd are a bit harder to come by than they used to be. So please listen to hear how he does it, and how you can learn to be a better educators and/or parents!

Also, learn from Rodd’s Blog: The Clever Sheep Blog or @thecleversheep
and his edu-podcast on: iTunes or his educational app called: The Clever app

please don’t be a follower, use your mind to lead, control, direct, write and orchestrate your own LIFE!!

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

Radio Security Journalist

as discussed on todays show, here are couple of links to see what is in store for your technology furtures:

John Brandon is a tech contributor at Inc Magazine and an Editor for Inc Technology (technology.inc.com). Before starting his writing career, he led a design and writing team at a large consumer electronics retailer.

Communicate Via Brainwaves

Star Trek-Style Communicator Badge

and also: TED’s future of Communication or watch the video below:

Read… Dave’s TED’s post: “In 10 Years We Will Be Here With The Ultimate ‘Sixth Sense’ Brain Implant”

November is nearing its’ final minutes, and so does the Pepsi Refresh Everything grant. The CyberHood Watch partners, Dave & Bill, are looking forward to one of our greatest holiday seasons. We received our holiday gift early, which was all the support we received from everyone who showed his or her trust in The CyberHood Watch by voting on our “good idea”, some voted often, and others voted every day throughout November.

As soon as Pepsi approved us as a good idea, we knew then we won. We may not have won the grant, but we won the attention, and support of many others as well as a continued commitment from those already familiar with The CyberHood Watch and our message.

Be assured as a finalist for the $250K grant, and approved by Pepsi as a good idea, The CyberHood Watch partners will continue to have a positive butterfly affect throughout the Internet. Our good idea will produce a ripple effect that will unfold soon, due in part to the kind support we received from our new, and continued loyal readers and listeners…Thank you.

Your CyberHood Watch partners sincerely thank everyone who took the time to vote for our good idea. We would not have done well without you. Moreover, we welcome all our new CyberHood Watch partners, another gift we received this holiday season.

We are radio security journalists and tireless advocates for the safety of children, families, & businesses in the digital age…We provide solutions for a secure digital life.

Your CyberHood Watch Partners,

Dave Ballard & Bill Wardell
Radio Security Journalists

“Help me Jerry” were the only words his daughter needed  to utter, but never heard.

Today on CHWR (CyberHood Watch Radio), The CyberHood Watch partners, Dave & Bill, had an exclusive interview with Jerry and Janet, parents of a young woman who sadly became the victim of human trafficking.

Michelle Bart On CHWR With Dave & Bill

In addition, to Jerry and Janet were Michelle Bart from Soroptimist International (Best of Women) and the chair of the annual Northwest Conference Against Trafficking (NWCAT). As well as, Suzanne Stafford from My Internet Safety Coach, she educates on Internet safety… And, how parents can oversee their child’s Internet surfing habits and especially when to make it your business to whom they are corresponding with.

This particular human trafficking case did not involve kidnapping. What parents need to understand is this human trafficking case was the kidnapping of a young woman’s free will and complete control over her self-governing behavior. Too many individuals think human trafficking exists in some developing country; unfortunately, the developed countries are a much bigger problem.

Be assured, human trafficking is in the backyards of small town America.

The young woman in question lived in a loving home, well provided for, and looking towards a bright future in medicine. While interviewing the parents, Janet and Jerry, I could not help wonder how this could have happened to such a bright child surrounded by a loving family.

Learn More On CHWR.net

For anonymity purposes, we interviewed the parents as Jerry and Janet. As we talked with Jerry, he told our listeners that his daughter had gone online and entered a dating site Jerry called, “Plenty of Fish”, where his daughter met a man approximately ten years her senior, and who turned out to be a registered sex offender.

Jerry’s daughter arranged to meet Anthony at the theater, and unfortunately, for Jerry and Janet’s daughter, he showed up. As Jerry went on to explain, in the end, Anthony groomed their daughter using drugs, fear, and coercion, which ultimately lead to her addiction, submission, and enslavement to her trafficker.

Anthony is in prison, but what should haunt every parent is how Anthony, a trafficker and registered sex offender got around a loving and caring family. Bill and I have stated before how sophisticated predators are online, and they are certainly no match for a child.

Earlier, Suzanne brought up the point how the first thing a predator has to do is build a trust-bridge relationship. Previous guests have talked about how often children and young adults seek the attention and/or approval of another. The predator, trafficker, or pedophile understands this, and are masters of recognizing it in their victim. Once they have his or her victim’s trust, the grooming process has begun.

We Are Tireless Advocates for the Safety & Security of Children, Families, & Business in the Digital Age...Through Communication & Awareness

There is another side to trust that parents should be mindful about. I used to tell my kids “Do not think you are clever because you pull the wool over my eyes and get away with something. The only reason you can do that is because I trust you, and that is worth keeping. Do not give it away.” They seemed to appreciate that thought…Maybe they were pulling the wool over my eyes.

Janet and Jerry’s relationship with their daughter is based on years of trust, and it was at an appropriate time for their daughter to push away and prepare to go out on her own, commented Janet. She was becoming independent; nonetheless, circumstances occurred allowing her trafficker to meet through a dating service.

Some of what was happening behind the scenes that Janet and Jerry did not realize was that Anthony had taken control of not only their daughter’s phone and answering her text messages, but the control of their daughter leaving her void of any rational thinking. A psychologist friend of Janet and Jerry called it a case of “classic victim ambivalence.”

A point regarding technology and something Bill and I have discussed on previous shows are the opinions of those who consider the use of monitoring software as spying on his or her child or young adult. As Janet pointed out in her daughter’s case was Anthony’s use of monitoring software to know exactly what their daughter’s, his victim, every move or comment was regarding her digital communication.

CHWR Through Communication & Awareness

The Internet is a prime example of how technology can be used for nefarious purposes or for greatness. Parents need to be mindful that the intent of monitoring his or her child is to keep his or her child out of harm’s way. One of the first steps in an investigation by law enforcement when a child goes missing or involving an internet predator is to check his or her online activity. Law enforcement is looking for a trail and leads to clues and the safe return of a missing child.

It is evident from Janet’s comment that criminals as Anthony understand the value of technology to control his or her victim. Another critical point that Janet brought up for parents to understand is how Anthony manipulated her daughter. Not everything was belittling or degrading; Anthony would treat her respectfully and do what normal loving couples would do, so that her daughter would believe he actually loved her.

We closed the show with Jerry sharing a few of his ideas to improve what he believed would effect a positive change in the system. Jerry’s first observation was not to release anyone back into society with a homeless status. Doing so, does not allow authorities to track efficiently the status of an individual on probation. A concern that Jerry’s daughter voiced was incarcerating a sex offender among like-minded criminals. The reason stems from Anthony’s comment that he will be able to hone and perfect his techniques for when he is eventually released. Jerry’s final comment was he wished he had been aware of organizations such as Michelle Bart’s Soroptimist International and the Northwest Conference Against Trafficking (NWCAT).

david c ballard

Radio Security Journalist

Related articles by Zemanta

• Clinton Global Citizen Award Winner Ruchira Gupta Leverages Global Attention to Take on Sex Trafficking (prnewswire.com)
• AT RISK: ‘Housewife’ talks trafficking (politico.com)
• Massive Walk to Address Human Trafficking Problem in Washington, DC (prnewswire.com)
• The Butterfly Project, Jewelry Made By Women And Girls Rescued From Human Trafficking (prweb.com)
• Child Sex Trafficking: A Resource List to Help (abcnews.go.com)

As our guest today discussed the tremendous problems facing ALL Americans and the free world… Bob first shared with Dave and I some really disturbing facts about a little known organization called:  North American Man/Boy Love Association… Nambla.org and to find out just how organized they really are, check this out.

as one of our listeners in the chat room said: “this is one scary group of people and one scary organization”

You need to listen to the live show here:

Listen and find out who are the Enemies Among Us, with Bob Hamer and The CHW Partners – Dave and Bill…

Bob Hamer spent twenty-six years as a “street agent” for the FBI, many of them in an undercover capacity. In assignments lasting anywhere from a day to more than three years, he successfully posed as a drug dealer, contract killer, fence, pedophile, degenerate gambler, weapons dealer, and white-collar criminal.

Enemies Among Us: A Novel by Bob Hamer

The Last Undercover: The True Story of an FBI Agent’s Dangerous Dance with Evil

Bob worked undercover against such diverse groups as La Cosa Nostra, the Sicilian Mafia, Mexican Mafia, Russian Mafia, Asian organized crime groups, and Los Angeles-based street gangs. His successful infiltration of NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association) resulted in the arrest of what one defendant called eight members of the “inner circle.”

He received numerous awards throughout his career including the FBI Director’s Award for Distinguished Service, four United States Attorney Awards for Distinguished Service, and numerous letters of commendation including one from then U.S. Attorney Rudy Giuliani.

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

Radio Security Journalist

There are Enemies Among US and They’re Trying To Steal Your Freedom… Please Don’t Let Them Succeed!

Be PRO-Active!

What a HONOR for Dave and I to to have one of the top security professionals in the world on today’s CHWR show, David Perry – Global Director Of Education For Trend Micro to announce their brand new product called:

Titanium

David talked about some the MIND Boggling Statics that we the consumers deal with on a daily basis in protecting our own PC’s and not really understanding or knowing how big the problems really are, that they the internet security companies of today deal with 24/7 such as 100,000,000 new threats to keep us all safe from!

Folks it’s very alarming to say the least, you need to listen to the this interview now, so do it today don’t wait!!!

And, please get yourself protected TODAY!!

David says that at least 1/2 of the worlds computes are infected with some type of virus, malware, Trojan, or malicious code!!!

That is 50% of the worlds populations Personal Computer’s are compromised, right now…

So, what does that mean well if you like me and have more than one computer in your HOME then at least one them is letting the cybercriminals steal your ID, or grooming your child, sharing your banking information to the Cyber-underworld for profit!!! or for just plain old fun by causing disruption, conflict or CHAOS!!

DON’T Wait and be a part of the Problem… BE A Part Of The Solution!

You can get a 30 day free trial here: 30 Day Trial – TITANIUM

Key features and benefits include:

• Cloud technology — leverages the Trend Micro Smart Protection Network plus real-time antivirus scanning to provide always-on Internet protection to keep you safe from the latest and ever-evolving malware threats
• Automatic protection — removes the guesswork of protecting your PC, intelligently and immediately reacts to threats
• Simple installation — it takes just a few clicks
• Streamlined interface — it is easy to understand and simple to manage

We want to thank David Perry for taking time out of his hectic schedule to stop the CyberHood today and share his news with The CyberHood Watch and all of our supporters, listeners and followers, and CHWR friends

Learn IT, DO IT, Teach IT, Share IT, BE IT

Your CyberHood Watch Partner

Bill Wardell

Radio Security Journalist

David Perry Interview With TheCyberHood Watch Partners, Dave & Bill

There is no doubt about the accuracy of the recommendation written on behalf of David Perry:

“David was born at the foot of the tree of knowledge, and he’s in the front-seat of the technology truck.” Someone knows Dave all too well.

Our interview, or should I say a couple of good old boys talking amongst themselves in the CyberHood, provided a boatload of practical information. Considering information as part of the new currency in the Digital Age, our visitors and listeners just hit payday.

“The Internet is not computers, it’s people”, said David Perry. What an interesting perspective when many of us think hardware and technology as the primary components making up the Internet. That makes me think of a previous guest comment, Winn Schwartau, who also diverted from technology to have us focus more on people and behaviors.

Trend Micro's Dave Perry On CHWradio

When I asked David to make the connection between the human perspective and the profile of what a malware writer might look like today. Suddenly, the profile of  people/Internet scenario vanished and the playing field dramatically changed. “Malware writers are companies with thousands of employees in India and China”, said David with a chuckle.

If you come home and find everything rummaged through and thrown about, it is probably safe to assume you have been burglarized. Most consumers expect the same with malware. They expect to see cross-bones, computer crashing, or something to indicate they have been hacked. However, today’s intruder operates in stealth mode not to destroy but to plant malware to capture your system (PC) without your knowledge so that they can resell it to other criminals for nefarious purposes.

The one that captures your system is the “Bot Herder” who then sells to the criminal. Do you remember the “conficker”, which planted a “Bot” of twenty-million people? The conficker did exactly what it was designed to do; it gave that bot herder all those computers to sell off.

There is no programming or writing software for the bot herder, he actually buys the bot software and tool kits online, and unbelievably it comes with upgrade contracts and tech support. Talk about your ready homemade business.

If that isn’t bad enough after finally getting across the idea with the public that malware protection is important, along comes a pop-up claiming your computer has been infected and it is imperative you act now and buy the advertised anti-virus protection. That happened in December of 2009 to the tune of One-Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000.00) in one month.

That makes me want to rant and rave when you consider there are free programs available that offer decent protection against malware…Go figure! I am still having trouble getting by the $100,000,000.00 in one month. Somewhere in there has to be a marketing lesson that can be used for good.

David Perry Chats With The CyberHood Watch Partners, Dave & Bill On CHWradio

David brought up an interesting point that I wish we had spent a little more time talking about. David asked, “Why is Visa Corporation and Master Card, processing card charges for these people? We knew they were criminals for a couple of years.”  In light of PCI, Red Flags Rule, and other compliancy issues mandating others to adhere to best practices that seems to be a fair question.

The Internet and the Digital Age operates on a global scale and all of us need to be mindful of that concept. Good or bad, our world is changing with or without our input. Be assured organized crime either on a corrupt government level or corporate level will continue relentlessly towards whatever unethical goals they seek.

Fortunately, David has a larger vision of the Digital World and understands there is hope, which rests on four legs.

1.  The systems we are using: referring to operating systems, hardware, applications, and the actual computing systems we use on a day-to-day basis. The Internet and the systems have to be more secure by design.

2.  The security software we use needs to be better.

3.  User education…The CyberHood Watch radio show interviewing David is an example. David does not believe people understand that information is property and that the computer is not a box, it is a window to your personal information.

4.  Rule of law – We are making headway to pursue jurisdictional law. For example: there is a brand new law in Norway that states that cell phone data can be kept for a longer period of time and sequestered as evidence.

The Old Currency - The New Currency Are Numbers & Information In A Computer

Commerce has become the world of exchanging information, and money is no longer, what we baby boomers would envision as the five – ten – and twenty-dollar bill. Today’s money is just numbers on the computer and all stored on those computers. Makes sense that computers become the target and even more sense to attack the end user who is less likely to have an IT department fending-off cyber attacks.

Education, education, and more education of end-users…According to David there is a big private partnership coming down the road with government, which will be announced in a press release in two weeks. It includes the Department of Homeland Security, The White House, all of the security industry players, EBay, Amazon, Sears, Visa, Master Card all coming together to launch a huge add campaign to educate the consumer to stay safe online. “You cannot take a computer out of the box and run it and expect it to be safe at the end of the day. You have to know what is going on”, said David. There is a lot of resistance to that but, how do think the cybercriminals made a hundred million dollars in one month? “Complacency” is the term The CyberHood Watch partners, Dave & Bill have used to describe the problem in the past.

David gave a little more insight what the big public message campaign to educate the consumer would contain, “that you need to pay attention and that you need to learn more on a regular basis, and that you should do everything you can to protect yourself.”

Here is an interesting thought David made regarding Facebook or any social network for that matter, and that is to ask yourself, “Who is the customer”? Once you understand who the customer is – then think about what the customer wants in return for their investment. Are you beginning to see how your personal information is the new currency or a sought after valued commodity of the Digital Age?

If cybercriminals can socially engineer individuals to spend $100,000,000.00 million dollars in one month, how much do you think advertisers can socially engineer you to spend, after data mining enough personal information about you, knowing your personal likes and dislikes, and keeping a step ahead of your buying habits?

I have only covered a little more than thirty minutes of David Perry’s interview with The CyberHood Watch. You can fast forward to the time stamp of thirty-five (35:00) minutes and hear David talking about how he believes in the next couple of decades there will be a digital crisis that individuals will demand a reset of the Internet. David went on to talk about the importance of your credit rating and how that will become the measure of your worth for financially functioning in society.

Be sure to stop by and become a member of the new CyberHood Watch Community.

david c ballard

Author Princess Clark-Wendel on CHWradio

Live the life you dream about…Worry Free Living. That is what Princess Clark-Wendell, consultant to CEOs is doing. Princess is currently applying one of the seven tools she teaches in her own life, which Princess advises her clients and others to implement to reach their goals to living a worry free life. Princess is in the process of “share it”, one of the seven steps to live the life you dream. This is the time when you help others. You might think that by sharing, you reduce what you have accumulated over the years; however, nothing is further from the truth. It is something you need to experience; the act of giving or sharing in most cases has a profound unexpected return.

Princess’s soft spot for her Grandmother has influenced her “share it” step, in this case it is sharing her years of wisdom with, “Retirees” and helping to empower them to navigate their retired years gracefully.

However, the other end of the spectrum is our children and empowering them to envision how they can live the life of their dreams.

The CyberHood Watch partners, Dave & Bill, are consistently reminding our readers the importance of communication and awareness that we need to establish with our children to empower them to make better-informed decisions throughout their lives.

Princess Clark-Wendel's New Web Site

This is what makes this post so valuable. What Princess is communicating with our readers right now, is the time to talk to your children and help them become aware of their passions and help set them on a course of a solid plan and clear goals to enable them to live the life of their dreams. Begin the process by asking your child what he or she would like to do and point out their best qualities, they might not be aware of them. In the end, communication and awareness will have far more reaching benefits for our children, on many levels. Many of the authorities, we have had on CHWradio; have told our listeners that children avoid telling their parents about inappropriate and/or dangerous attempts of being contacted by adults online. The adults are potentially predators and/or pedophiles. The main reason is kids fear losing their computer privileges or their parents freaking out. An open communication and an understanding that a child can approach a parent without repercussions may just save your child a life of torment.

The same open communications may also provide your children a means to living the life of their dreams. Personally, I think too often we focus on the problems and keeping our kids in line, that we forget that we are their life teachers. How does that happen if we are not communicating with them and aware of what is happening in our children’s lives?

Princess Clark-Wendell On CHWradio

A question that Princess says to ask yourself is, “If you had your choice, what would you want to do and not be paid for it?” I identify with this, and I’m certain many parents including myself, have suggested to their children to find “that something” they really enjoy doing and become the best (expert) at doing that one “special thing”.  Princess takes this a step further and teaches how to become proactive and map out a strategy for “that special” thing, which includes how to educate yourself and develop a skill set to achieve worry free living, capitalizing on your passion.

Princess shared an interesting piece of advice that we can all implement…”The Hour of Power”. The hour of power stems from one of Princess’s seven steps (Investment) to achieving, “Living the life of your dreams”. The idea is to “pay you first”. The first hour, of earnings, of your workday is paid to you, and set aside for the life you dream about. However, something that I realized is that that hour of power can be whatever you want it to be – it belongs to you…It’s your dream of living life worry free.

david c ballard

Related articles by Zemanta

• Good advice for stay-at-home dads (timesunion.com)
• Will Texting Affect Childrens’ Spelling? (blisstree.com)
• Facebook Might Add ‘Panic Button’ To Protect Kids (thenextweb.com)

Related Blogs

• dsd's weblog » Blog Archive » One Laptop per Child, Nicaragua
• European Tactical Communication Market Remains Buoyant | Defense …
• SRC : Home | ::: Cura de Ars :::///
• Balloon Juice » Blog Archive » Something rotten in the state of …
• It’s all about enforcement
• Eye Candy 1.0: 1 columns Pink Fixed Width Free WordPress Theme For …
• Paperova: 2 columns Gray White Right Sidebar Fixed Width Free …
• Mini Characters: 2 columns Right sidebar Fixed width Free …
• Alt Text: Episode 6 | Technology Base
• Noodle Day, 24th March 2010
• The elements of online communication 5: video « Onlignment
• From The Morgue : Wikileaks: Something is up
• Twistie's Sunday Caption Madness: The Frightening Fendi Edition …
• leftyfb's Blog » Blog Archive » Earth Hour
• kidcityblog.com » Blog Archive » Free The Robots- CTRL ALT DELETE
• 10 points, help, email attachment ? | Feed-Xmlrss.com | News Feeds
• The Latest from Iran (26 March): Break Time | Enduring America
• Something Different: A Strong-Side Overload | Boston Celtics …
• SRC : Home « Brentinoz's Blog
• Bodybuilding.coms – The Next Step – Thursday PM: Step Class …

Happy Birthday CHWradio

Something’s just cannot be undone…Like running off to get a piece of CHWradio’s Birthday Cake and leaving your partner holding the mike. We said goodbye ten minutes early to our guest Mary Kay Hoal, Founder and President of YourSphere, who had to board a plane for New York, and as normal, after saying goodbye, I instinctively disconnected from the call. Oops,…I was to remain on the line with Bill, and finish the show talking about the last two great years and especially today, February 2^nd being CHWradio’s 2^nd Birthday.

I couldn’t have said much anyway, my mouth was full of Birthday cake. Like everyone else, I will have to listen to the end of the show to hear about our Birthday and the last two great years. The last two years have been outstanding for both, Bill and I, and our guests have been remarkably open and generous with sharing their years of wisdom with our listeners.

Happy Birthday CHWradio and thanks Bill for being a great friend and a dedicated partner. Moreover, I would like to say thanks to our families for allowing Bill and I the time to build and share our dream together. Without their sacrifice of personal time with us, our dedication to building a healthy Internet and empowering others how to enjoy the Internet safely would be hindered.

Mary Kay Hoal Founder, President & COO of YourSphere

Mary Kay definitely falls into latter category, by building one of best social network sites dedicated not only to kids and teens, but to their ultimate safety. Mary Kay taps into the best of what kids have to offer each other without all the devious threats associated with the Internet. A site like YourSphere does not just happen; it takes dedicated people to maintain that level of protection for children. However, it is that precise level of dedication to demand safety first that makes YourSphere a place for parents to allow their children to play and grow socially while enjoying the Internet safely.

Mary Kay points out that it is about safety first and shares her approach to accomplish this:

• Parents need to be educated about what is occuring on the Internet and the different trends that are happening. Parents need to be aware.
• Parents need to know the different tools available to them that will help bridge the digital divide that exists…Understand how to use the browser history – Parental controls – Privacy settings – etc.
• Moreover, something the CyberHood Watch partners, Dave & Bill, talk about all the time and what Mary Kay reiterated and that is Communication – Communication – Communication.

Today, especially with the new media and communication devices it is imperative that parents be aware of the power of what their children carry in their pockets and/or purses. Children have access to other people’s beliefs, viewpoints, fetishes, deviant behaviors, that some parents are not even aware of their existence. That is why I like Mary Kay’s position of an “open phone policy” that allows a parent to view at any time their child’s history of where they have been.

When it comes to monitoring your child’s online activities and behavior online, the CyberHood Watch partners believe it is equally important to know who might be contacting your child, and if that unthinkable day would ever happen there will be a record of events to follow for law enforcement.

When Mary Kay was handed the CyberHood Watch “magic wand” to make changes for the betterment of her cause, Mary Kay summed up her dream with the following quote (48:45):

“I would love online communities to be modeled like the real world. Our kids are protected, they’re the most important part of society, there are adults only zones, kids are protected pro-actively from people that intend them harm.

I would love to see education mandated for both parents in terms of safety. That if they are going to have Internet access in their home or allow their kids to be part of a social network, and even protect themselves, there should be some baseline education just as when we drive a car, we all had to take a test, get education, and get training.

I would like identity verification, so that if you travel around the Internet world you know who everyone is because just as in the real world somebody always has a type of ID on them. I would love it if adults were kept away from children, unless if it was family of course, and I would love to focus on all the positive and wonderful things about our kids. And, I would love finally, to see sites rated so that we as parents could know if our kids we were entering a “R-17” zone, or an “X” zone, or a “PG” zone, or a “PG-13” zone. I would just like the simple application of common sense, because the solutions are out there.”

YourSphere on CHWradio

Before I forget, which I am proof it happens even on a Birthday, Mary Kay has presented CHWradio and all its listeners a bighearted Birthday Present.

Hold-on, I’m opening the gift – WOW – a full six (6) months free access to YourSphere. What a generous Birthday Present…Thank You Mary Kay!

To get you birthday present all you need to do is visit YourSphere and use the Birthday code: YS10-CYBH

Again, thanks to our families and thank you Mary Kay for such a wonderful gift.

david c ballard

Related articles by Zemanta

• More studying ‘on home computers’ (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Digital Inequality: Differences in Young Adults’ Use of the Internet (tc.eserver.org)
• Groups: Net Rules Could Make Digital Divide Worse (techdailydose.nationaljournal.com)
• CyberDodo: Empowering Children to Exercise Their Human Rights (newswire.ca)