James Batelli said that Facebook and other platforms are increasingly being used as tools that enable abusers to get access to minors, resulting in abductions and sexual assault cases that he has to investigate.

Batelli, police chief at Mahwah NJ, said that there was nothing wrong with parents using spyware to monitor their children’s internet activity or using their passwords to gain access to their private massages left on the various social media facilities that their offspring may be using.

He says: “If you sugar coat it, parents just don’t get it. Read the paper any day of the week and you’ll see an abduction or a sexual assault that’s the result of an internet interaction or a Facebook comment.”

Detectives in Batelli’s department even provide free seminars on how to install spyware on their home computers while he goes on to point out that posting pictures online, sexting and otherwise disseminating pictures of yourself could damage school, college and career prospects later on in life.

He went on to say that it’s been a long time since parents were naïve enough to think that their kids wouldn’t be tempted to try drugs or alcohol when placed under peer pressure, today they shouldn’t believe that their teens couldn’t be coerced online into giving in to requests from online predators who patrol websites looking for potential victims.

Batelli also thinks that: “When it comes down to the safety and welfare of your children, I don’t think any parent would sacrifice anything to make sure nothing happens to their children. If it means buying an $80.00 package of software and putting it on and seeing some inappropriate words you don’t want your child to say, then that’s part of society.”

While he’s right that when you look at the media you see stories all the time, however, fear of crime is disproportionately large in relation to actual crime figures. The media creates folk devils who strike fear into the hearts of the population when in reality while the problem might exist, it is often far less significant than journalists would have you believe. While Batelli says that there is nothing wrong with parents accessing their children’s internet activity it is in fact a crime contravening all sorts of state and federal laws. It’s unlikely a child would bring these kinds of charges against their parents but the point is that he’s abetting a crime.

Of course a parent should be concerned about their child’s activity but rather than spying they should educate themselves and then talk to their kids about internet responsibility. If that doesn’t seem to work don’t allow them a computer in their room but be in the same room when they surf. Spying on your children will only cause friction and conflict.

Dan Cash is a writer who trusts his kids but doesn’t let them use camers or laptops unsupervised.

This post was originally published at  http://www.techlineinfo.com/first-it-wa … ching-you/

Our world is changing at a rapid pace.  Every day new technologies challenge the limits of what we thought was possible today.  No where is that more evident than in the work environment.  Our once tried and true way of going to the office, staying there for the required amount of time, then doing it again the next day is practically gone.  I’m not saying that all corporate offices will disappear, of course.  Some jobs and careers really have to be done in person.  I mean, I wouldn’t want my doctor to perform my surgery from the golf course via teleconference call.  That would be awkward.  But overall, technology has made the idea of working remotely a viable option that could fit into many types of occupations. 

I ran across this fantastic podcast produced by Business Week Small Business called, Boosting Productivity Through Virtual Collaboration.  It takes about 30 minutes but well worth the investment of time.  The two guest panelists give great answers to questions such as these:

• How do I encourage virtual collaboration in my very traditional workplace?
• How do virtual teams create effective communication?
• When should we be face to face?
• What is virtual distance and how do we overcome it?
• How do virtual workers remove the obstacle of seeming non-productive just because you’re out of sight?

The biggest fact that this video uncovers is the idea that virtual is only about telecommuters or freelancers.  Actually, if you even use a PDA, laptop, or any mobile device you work virtually.   How many of us now have to understand how to connect to or facilitate online meetings?  Quite a few I would suspect. 

So watch the video then let me know what you think? 

Do you think that understanding how to work virtually will be a priority for your career growth?

If so, do you see that as a good thing or a curse?

As a manager of virtual workers, what would be your biggest concern?