[svlug] Accountability Software.

[Sarah Newman]

On 05/05/2016 11:19 AM, Michael C. Robinson wrote:

> 
> I'm more interested in why Covenant Eyes which makes accountability
> software for Windows insists that they can't port it to Linux when they
> have an Android port?

Just because android uses a linux kernel fork, doesn't mean the application development process for Android resembles the one for Linux in any way.
They can't port it because it costs money to port it and they're highly unlikely to make that money back with sales of the product on linux.

> 
> I'm also interested in accountability pal, an open source project that
> needs developers.  Technically speaking, can accountability pal compete
> with the proprietary Covenant Eyes?
You are in a better position to answer that than any of us.

> 
> A lot of folks are reluctant to go with Linux because of the lack of
> accountability software.  Software that reports what you are doing.
A lot of folks? I've never heard this reason given once. But if you think there's a market, feel free to work on it.

> 
> Dansguardian is not accurate enough for my taste and it only filters,
> it does not report.  In the world of wifi hotspots and 4g networks, 
> you won't be behind Dansguardian most of the time.  On Android and 
> IOS there are apps like Convenant Eyes and filtered browsers as well 
> as google safesearch.  If you rely on firewalls, they won't be there
> when you are having trouble.  Furthermore, you have to train your
> children, employees, or self if you have a proclivity for unhealthy
> content to just say no.  A reporting app is not going to stop you all
> the time from going to unhealthy or inappropriate content on the
> Internet, but a report could be a heads up to someone who can help you
> develop the discipline to use the Internet in a healthy manner.

You could probably take a standard network monitoring solution and adopt it. The filtering and monitoring doesn't have to be in the same software.

Incidentally, a software firewall can and probably is running on your local computer.

--Sarah