My oldest son is starting to take an interest in what the Internet has to offer, and frankly it makes me nervous. Today I ran across what looks like a promising tool for creating a safer environment in which kids can surf the web.

Glubble is still in Beta, but is available to everyone. The website states that there will always be a freeware edition of the software, but caveat emptor. For now though, the software is free, and creates a “white list” environment for kids to browse in. If they find a page that isn’t allowed they can request the page be moderated, and added to their allowed sites.

The software is a Firefox Add-On, but this shouldn’t cause a problem for the smart ones (those not using any browser other than Firefox).

Remember that no software will ever make the Internet “safe” for kids. Regardless of what electronic scheme you use, be sure to keep the computer in an open area and don’t allow your kids to have internet access in their bedrooms no matter how much they beg!