[mythtv-users] Parental Controls -- Time of Viewing

Mark Perkins perkins1724 at hotmail.com
Thu Feb 12 00:59:08 UTC 2015



> On 12 Feb 2015, at 9:11 am, "Gary Buhrmaster" <gary.buhrmaster at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> On Wed, Feb 11, 2015 at 3:46 PM, George Galt <george.galt at gmail.com> wrote:
>> All:
>> 
>> I've searched the wiki and the archives, but I can't seem to find how to
>> accomplish my goal.  My goal is to prohibit viewing of recorded programs and
>> videos during certain hours.  My problem is my son is waking up early (about
>> 4:00 a.m.) and has discovered he can watch MythTV.
> 
> 
> Your house, your rules, but I will offer that attempting to use
> technical controls to try to enforce behavior is the wrong way
> to do it.  Eventually (maybe not even eventually) individuals (or
> their friends, or their friends friends) learn the ways to bypass
> the technical controls, and think of themselves as special.
> If one's goal is to encourage learning, problem solving, and
> hacking, then adding in technical controls (increasing in
> difficulty over time) might be a good plan.  But if the goal
> is to actually change the actions, I would suggest that
> defining the desired and expected behavior, defining the
> consequences of not following that behavior, and then
> follow-through is a better training and learning approach.
> _______________________________________________

Not to start an in-depth parenting discussion on a MythTV list but I don't see that the question implied that the technical solution was 'instead of' the normal parenting techniques. It could equally apply 'in conjunction with'. Nowhere is the age of the son mentioned - he could be two or three years old or he might be ten or he might be twenty. The 'parenting' techniques will need to be adapted to the age. But I believe technical controls have there place in conjunction with 'good parenting' - I have young children and see that locks on the poisons cupboard and placing sharps / breakables out of reach as entirely appropriate and not just training them to be lock-picks / ninjas.

Not to draw too long a bow here, but you may be interested to note that in risk and hazard control, engineering controls are deemed to be more effective than administration (training) controls. (The most effective method (elimination) of course being to throw the MythTV system away.... The least effective (protective equipment) being to require his son to wear a welders mask between 4:00am and 7:00am.... ) http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchy_of_hazard_control

Could maybe substitute the TV for a nice painting?

Ok I will get back under my rock now...




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