On Saturday, I escaped into the city to meet up with some old friends. Over a beer at a pub in midtown, we chatted about life. One of my friends said that her school is now holding mandatory workshops for parents and their children about Internet security, bullying, and privacy. Our school could use those workshops.

In a recent article, the New York Times discussed this new wave of concerns.

The first wave of parental anxiety about the Internet focused on
security and adult predators. That has given way to concerns about how
their children are acting online toward friends and rivals, and what
impression their online profiles might create in the minds of college
admissions officers or future employers.

Here are our cellphone rules.

One of my readers e-mailed me to ask which parental security software that we use at home. We don't have one yet. Does anyone have a suggestion?

In related news, websites and blogs are making it harder for people to leave comments anonymously. Sockpuppets, trolls, cowards, and bigots revel in the anonymity of the Internet. It's too bad, because there are legitimate reasons to leave an anonymous comment or to use a pseudonym while blogging.