petite anglaise

Unofficial Vista Blog Tour, Day 1

26.11.2006 10:44 pmmisc
uv_cover.jpg

I recently realised that I have a neighbour, a fellow bellevillois, who is also a blogger. A blogger, a Brit, parent of a toddler and a writer, no less. When we met for a coffee the other week in a bobo haunt near Jourdain, after covering the usual ground (work avoidance strategies, the art of procrastination, headlice), he mentioned that he and his co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista were planning a “virtual blog tour” to promote their book, due to be published by Wiley early next year, and he actually had the gall to ask me whether he could stop off chez petite on his tour.

I usually turn down such requests, because the content would stick out like a sore thumb slotted in between a slice of life and a serving of self-indulgent navel gazing, but he must have caught me when my guard was down, probably something to do with the fact that it was before 9am.

“I suppose I could sacrifice a little of my blog integrity for a friend, and a free café crème or two,” I said.

So, without further ado, I will put you into the hands of Mr Stuart Blethers.

Being a good (i.e. controlling) parent

Thanks for letting me visit your blog. I promise to do my best not to get too boring and technical and chase away all your readers.

I want to talk about children and computers, and more specifically about how we can be good parents and stop the little brats from having too much fun with our PCs. Now that Tadpole has discovered the web, it won’t be long before you have to rely on something a little more sophisticated than the fact she’s too young to read to restrict the kind of content she can access.

Fortunately, Windows Vista, the new version of the Microsoft operating system that is about to be released in the next few days, comes with a nice little feature called Parental Controls that lets Mums and Dads like you and me dictate exactly what our offspring can get up to when they’re preventing us from using our own computers.

With the Parental Controls feature, you can:

  • Control what websites your child can and cannot visit – Charlie and Lola, yes; porn and warez, no.
  • Specify what days and times your child can use the computer – no more than an hour on school nights, and a little longer at the weekend.
  • Set rules based on ratings, content, or title to decide what games your child can play.
  • Keep a virtual eye on what your child is up to with activity reports that provide details of her online activity.

There’s an interesting article on the Windows Vista Community website that goes into more detail about Parental Controls if you want to find out more.

Of course, the key to ensuring that our children use computers sensibly and safely is to talk to them about it. But using technology to help set a few boundaries can also come in handy.

– Stuart Mudie, co-author of The Unofficial Guide to Windows Vista

That was relatively painless, wasn’t it? I should compromise my integrity more often…

Please send your bribes/free stuff to petite.anglaise@gmail.com.

55 comments

  1. I don’t remember promising you another café crème, but thank you for being such a charming host.

    Stuart Mudie | 10:52 pm

  2. He he. Couldn’t resist pushing my luck.

    petite | 10:53 pm

  3. I’ve been using Windows Vista for several months now in its various Beta forms and for the last few weeks in final version. Yes, yes I know it isn’t out yet, but unlike for Tadpole, there were never any fantastic parental controls to stop me being introduced to the world of warez when I was young.

    I’ve not yet had a reason to try out the Parental Controls in Vista, but if they have been designed half as well as some of the other features in the operating system, I imagine it is going to take the kids a pretty long time to get past them, by which time they will hopefully be old enough not to need protection anyway :)

    Ignorminious | 10:58 pm

  4. Sorry, that was the unofficial guide to Windows Vista?! What on earth can the official guide be like? Anyone heard of splogging?

    Or maybe I’m just incredibly cynical.

    The B | 1:39 am

  5. Apologies – totally inaccurate reference. I really meant flogs

    The B | 1:43 am

  6. Our daughter is a little further down the road on computer literacy than Tadpole, so we’re at exactly that point where we’re thinking about… well, pretty much the whole combination of those features. I’m loath to pay Microsoft even more hard-earned dosh, but it sounds worthy of investigation.

    I wonder if we’ll ever wean ourselves off being control-freaks N years in the future?

    BTW – we found a good way to get dual computer usage. Book a couple of computers at the library! Both Mum & daughter get to sit doing their own thing for an hour!

    Ellie | 3:11 am

  7. GET A MAC!

    And wait for Mac’s new OS – Leopard – which will be released soon. It will make Vista look like a lame copy of Tiger – Mac’s current OS. I would expect some pretty cool Parental Control features in Leopard.

    Anyway, we all know that Mac is just another word for better PCs.

    Boris | 3:43 am

  8. I’ve been reading your blog avidly for about 2 months now, and eventhough we don’t have the slightest bit in commmon (I am a 15 year old Lebanese/Dutch girl from the Caribbean with no Tadpole or Mr. Frog to speak of) I still run home to read your latest post. It has been my dream one day roam the beautiful streets of Paris and your blog has somehow made that dream come true, as cheesy as sounds =)

    Merci :)
    Erica

    Erica | 5:23 am

  9. The B – yes, I’m aware of splogs/flogs. I even read about a “payperpost” website the other day. What a horrible invention that is!

    petite | 9:48 am

  10. This leaves me feeling totally left behind by computer technology and grateful that I no longer have to worry about what my children (now in their thirties) are up to on the net.
    Maybe this splog/flog thing has something to do with trackbacks (whatever they are) from dubious places which I recently discovered on my blog. I changed the title and publish date of the article under attack and have since learned how to ‘delete and block’ but they keep coming back. Any advice anyone – please?
    Sorry Petite, hope this isn’t taking advantage of your readership. Feel free not to post if it is.

    Sablonneuse | 10:37 am

  11. My blog has trackback disabled, and also old posts have their comments closed after 10 days, because after that, in my experience, the spam just comes flooding in. And even if my software blocks it, I still have to manually delete it all.

    petite | 10:55 am

  12. What a small expat blogging world it is. I kind of know Stuart Mudie. By “know” I mean that I emailed him several times when I first arrived in Paris, as he used to kind of work with a friend of mine from Australia. I never actually met him.

    Anyway it was kind of surprise to see him here.

    bec | 11:29 am

  13. The B, if you mean that we’re flogging our book, then yes, I’m afraid we are. But if you mean we’re flogging Windows Vista, then I suggest you read some of the other posts in our blog tour (which you can track at http://unofficialvista.com) to see how we try to point out both what we like and what we don’t like about the operating system.

    Vista has had a lot of problems – and in some areas, it still does – but “Unofficial” doesn’t mean you have to say that everything is terrible. All we do is tell the story as we see it; they’re only opinions, after all.

    Stuart Mudie | 11:38 am

  14. Could some kind soul say if this Windows Vista thing is a whole new operating system that replaces Windows XP (as Windows XP replaced Windows 98, for example), or is just a suplemenary programme you ‘bolt on’ to your existing system? Or are we all obliged to buy a new computer? Ta. Jim.

    Jim | 11:47 am

  15. This post looks like Microsoft advertising to me.

    BLA | 12:16 pm

  16. Hmmm, think I’ll forward this post to my best friend, who recently discovered (by checking her 14-year-old daughter’s website history files) that the girl has been looking at porn sites, in particular lesbian porn. She’s pretty sure it’s just teenage curiosity and they didn’t even ask her about it but they ARE implementing parental control software now, just in case. They might like to know about the new operating system; sounds like a very good feature!

    The Bold Soul | 12:31 pm

  17. BLA – well, it’s not intended to be. It’s to help sell a book, not software.

    And my new laptop is going to be – A MAC. So no-one can accuse me of being a Microsoft devotee…

    petite | 12:45 pm

  18. Stuart, I think that Petite is due at LEAST TWO more Cafe Cremes, probably three, for “stopping off” at her site. She is one of THE most read bloggers, so you should sell lots of books through her.

    Book looks good though!

    Sally

    Sally Lomax | 1:02 pm

  19. Unofficial or Official, Stuart,I think you’re very clever to manage to live in Paris, while embarking on this Vista thing. MANY more café cremes are on order for this posting opp IMO…

    ParisBreakfasts | 1:57 pm

  20. Dont’worry, Petite,
    Vista could be launched on new Macs but you really don’t need it !

    Saluki | 3:01 pm

  21. Which bobo haunt? How about a neighborly (Hauts de) Belleville Bloggers meeting some time? La Gitane, à l’étage? Or coffee at Place des Fêtes on market day? Oh, but I’m not really a blogger. I do read blogs tho.

    - Kai (Buttes Blogger^W Browser)

    Kai Carver | 3:09 pm

  22. A bad deal and if I were your agent I’d be furious. You HAVE compromised yourself but what’s worse is that you’ve lent your marketing power for no apparent gainful return.
    Btw have you noticed that in French, the imported words ‘marketing’, ‘deal’ and ‘business’ all have totally negative connotations?

    Parkin Pig | 3:54 pm

  23. No gainful return. Hmm. Friendship doesn’t count, then?

    petite | 4:04 pm

  24. *Cheers Petite’s news in comment 17 and then goes back to watching the TNT tracking for her own MacBook*

    Sarah | 4:36 pm

  25. I have a vision:

    “The Coca-Cola (R) ‘Petite Anglaise (R)’ Superblog, sponsored by Cadbury’s (R)- keeping expats happy abroad since 1920. ‘Slices of My Life in Paris’ (R)”

    David in London | 6:01 pm

  26. Black one? White one?

    Mardo | 6:11 pm

  27. #14 Jim – Vista is indeed the replacement for Windows XP. Unlike the gaps between Win 95 and 98, 98 and ME and ME and XP, Vista has been a full 5 years in the making. I’ve been running it on some slightly older computers with no major performance problems so hopefully you won’t need a new computer. However, if you are curious about whether your current spec will do, take a look at the Microsoft website. They have a spec table there, as well as a piece of software you can download which will check your system compatability and tell you what you will need to change, if anything.

    Ignorminious | 6:21 pm

  28. a big black throbbing MacBook

    petite | 6:22 pm

  29. You don’t need to wait for Vista and go through the pain of trying to install a new operating system simply to control what your children do on the Internet. Google “parental control software” and you’ll get hits for information about and options for software that’s been around for years.

    Passante | 6:23 pm

  30. And just to counteract the cries of “sell out”, I’ll have you know I turned down a $120 ad for my sidebar last week on the grounds that it was unsuitable in content.

    I do take these things very seriously.

    petite | 6:27 pm

  31. Vista???

    You haven’t switched yet???!

    Sigh…

    A.

    Adrienhb | 6:39 pm

  32. $120? That’s a lot of café crèmes!

    Stuart Mudie | 6:45 pm

  33. Hi

    I read your Mac vs PC entry a few weeks ago with interest, and you’ve definitely made the right decision getting the mac :)

    In case you’re interested, it is possible to get a free MacBook here: freepod.awardspace.com

    You have to do stuff for it (sign up for free offers etc) but it doesn’t cost anything – is very useful if you’re time-rich but cash-poor (as writers often are…). I’m a student and I just got a free iPod, so I’m v impressed with it :)

    Hannah | 9:26 pm

  34. Oh *that* type of flog ….

    I recently got called to my neighbour’s house on the basis that “you play around with computers at work” and their broadband was playing up. On checking the PC it was obvious malware as everything searched at Google presented images of what Dad used to call “Ladies with no vests on”. I wondered how to explain to the wife that the only way they could have caught this was a visit by her 63 year old husband to a dodgy site before she confessed that their son had been “researching” a trip to Amsterdam.

    For kids keeping the PC in a family room and keeping an eye on them seems sensible….

    Mark | 9:54 pm

  35. What – no mac?? What a letdown..

    adrian | 10:02 pm

  36. Well, up until now I couldn’t have said there was ever a post I didn’t greatly enjoy reading.

    Emily | 10:07 pm

  37. Dear Parkin Pig,

    Why on earth would you be furious if you were Petite’s agent?

    Surely an opportunity to promote someone else is a good thing, because if we all be nice to each otehr and promote each other, word gets around. I would hope that if Petite is generous in occasionally allowing her friends to promote themselves through her site, then in turn firends will be generous to her when she too needs promotion of her book. The old adage… I’ll scratch your back………

    I think it’s a good move Petite.

    Sally

    Sally Lomax | 10:43 pm

  38. Everyone deserves the right to ’sell out’ now and then. How else can you feel virtuous the rest of the time if you’ve never given into temptation?

    Une Fille

    Une Fille | 11:00 pm

  39. I should also point out that the site is distinct from any book contract and there is no input from any agent/publisher, however lovely they might be…

    petite | 12:12 am

  40. Hey Petite

    I check your site two or three times a day (hour?!) in the hope of a new post, as I am truly an addict. This was a littile bit of a disappointment – not really interested in books about computer software – however useful they may be.

    I hope your inbox is not going to be overflowing now with pleas from people you have never met to advertise their stuff. Your blog’s advertising power is obviously enormous. But as you’ve clearly been through much worse than an overflowing inbox I will shut up now! :-)

    Elisabeth | 12:30 am

  41. I am a professional software developer. I have had access to Vista for some months now. I am completely and utterly underwhelmed.

    The parental controls cover the same ground that third party software has been covering for years.

    I would like to know what happened to a number of the “features” that were supposed to have arrived with Vista, and have pretty much ALL been pulled.

    I won’t fill Petite’s comments up too much with anything technical, but I would like to point out to whoever might read this that there were some genuinely great features talked about for Vista several years ago, and NONE of them have made it to the final release version.

    Jonathan | 1:56 am

  42. Was not commenting on anyone selling their book, or on you lending a bit of free ad space to a friend (why not?!) – hope you understood, petite.

    But in answer to Stuart, was more surprised at how very very positive an “unofficial” guide seemed to be, and yes, had been to the main site and checked out a few posts and didn’t find a negative comment amongst them. I just found it very difficult to believe that Vista is so very amazing that this book, and accompanying pr tour, is genuinely unbiased journalism. As I say, maybe just incredibly cynical. Writing something that is anything other than a total hagiography might help.

    The B | 2:22 am

  43. Hooray on your Mac choice. I always love it when a windows persons converts. : )

    Check out dooce.com (she was the “original” person as far as is known fired for having a blog, and her husband’s site, blurbomat.com. They make a living between the money for the discreet number of ads on both their sites. Amazing, huh? Check them out. Of course, you should be very select, but you should consider advertising offers too, I think.

    jersey girl (that's New Jersey, USA) | 5:18 am

  44. Oh yes, How painfully unobvious. Let us all sell out to the largest speculating bidder, and in years to come, when the deals fade away and no one buys the books, watch out bank balance.

    Sue | 5:45 am

  45. Personally I think Petite should be commended for making the advert obviously an advert. By not trying to integrate it into a regular post and by stating clearly what was her writing at what wasn’t, no one was left in any doubt or confusion about what was being said. I don’t see that there is anything wrong with plugging something for a friend provided a) you make it clear that that is what you are doing so that those who don’t want to read it don’t have to and b) you don’t do it so often that it disrupts the flow of regular posts.

    Ignorminious | 3:44 pm

  46. What is this throbbing Mac Book business?!

    Sigh.

    Mlle Smith | 4:27 am

  47. Does the black of your future MAC reflect the fact that you can no longer wear white ? ;-)

    Lost in France | 12:18 pm

  48. I so hate that you did this :( it’s so typical Microsoft, to con someone to publish something on a popular blog, with that someone having no idea how lame the advertisement is and them just hoping to catch a few others in a cheap way. Please would you consider not pushing product on your site, unless you are being paid for it or you really, really, really know it well and you want to endorse it because, personally, it really does it for you. Please. Yes, this is your site, but this is alienating and just all wrong. Stuart, you’re a cheap slime.

    Clara | 2:04 pm

  49. Clara – I’m sorry you feel this way, and I don’t intend to do this again, after the reaction it has provoked, even though there was no gain involved for me.

    But Stuart is a freelance writer, not in the employ of microsoft at all, and I was just volunteering to help a friend with his virtual book tour.

    petite | 2:09 pm

  50. To The Bold Soul,

    Wow, a young teenage girl just discovering her sexuality and her parents want to *ban* it? Would they have reacted so harshly if it was “straight” porn?

    Totally off-topic, apologies. This sort of knee-jerk reaction really scares me. “omg, our daughter might be a minge-muncher! We can’t possibly have that – ban the interweb. That’ll stop her!”

    kali.

    Kali | 4:11 pm

  51. Well, at least one Very Good Thing has come out of this debate. My google ranking for the search term “minge-muncher” will be greatly improved.

    petite | 4:55 pm

  52. lol, sorry about that, petite. Apologies for posting only to express umbrage at The Bold soul and being so un-British by not introducing myself or expressing my delight at your blog. Here goes….

    [generic introduction #521] Been reading your blog for a while, absolutely love it, keep up the good work, post more often please!, yadda yadda yadda. [/gi #521]

    Kali | 5:57 pm

  53. oh, no, introductions not necessary. I like people who get down to the nitty gritty immediately. Keep up the good work.

    petite | 6:26 pm

  54. I don’t think you made a wrong choice. Granted I’ve been using the betas of Vista for awhile now so I enjoy it. However

    techgirl | 1:47 am

  55. Bravo, petite Anglaise! I hope you enjoy your new Mac. To my mind, OSX is far better than Windows.
    Secondly, no, I don’t think you’re sacrificing any of your integrity. It’s your blog, and you can do as you wish. But Mr Mudie owes you (at the bery least) lunch!
    Cheers

    Xavier

    Xavier Kreiss | 9:16 pm