Using the History List

Monitoring your children's surfing habits can be a frustrating ordeal. Without purchasing filtering software, restricting access to objectionable web sites can be very difficult for parents.

Among my friends, I am the resident computer guru (that's pronounced "geek"). My friend Sarah (that's not her real name) asked how she might keep track of what sites her son was visiting while she was at work. I recommended she periodically check her browser's History list.

The History list is a feature that allows users to conveniently access sites they have recently visited. It's also a mom's eyes and ears. You can access the History list in Netscape Communicator from the Communicator...Tools menu, or from the History tab in Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Your browser will probably store a record of visited sites for the last 20 days or so. You can change the settings on your History list using the Preferences menu. Visit each site your child visted by double-clicking on any suspicious links.

If your History list is empty, and you're sure your spouse has not changed the browser's default settings, it is likely that your child has become aware of your snooping. The History list can be disabled or cleared manually by your child.