Parents can activate either system by adjusting preference settings in Microsoft's Internet Explorer or through the NetWatch feature under Netscape's help menu. But doing so, parents would still have to deal with all the sites that are unrated. And blocking them out means shutting out most of the Internet. The Internet Content Rating Association, which took over from the RSAC, is behind the newest rating system, which attempts to address diversity through a three-layer model developed by Balkin. Led by the Bertelsmann Foundation and leading Internet companies, the Rating Association issued new guidelines in December.
Sites answer similar questions on violence, language, gambling, drugs and alcohol.
They mark whether chat rooms are available. Next, based on those descriptions, outside groups can develop software templates to block the types of content they consider inappropriate. Europeans might want templates from European groups. Finally, parents can add lists of acceptable sites and override settings in the first two layers. Parents can obtain child-friendly lists from a group such as Aftab's CyberAngels.