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Awareness

Limerick businessman designs Cybersmarties.com

Published

8 years ago

on

Cybersmarties – Brendan Woodage, Diarmuid Hudner and Wenqian Xu Picture: Adrian Butler

Limerick businessman designs Cybersmarties.com, Ireland’s first ever social network for children. Cybersmarties.com was designed by local Limerick businessman Diarmuid Hudner. Mr.Hudner described the website as a “safe educational social network for kids”.

Cybersmarties is similar to existing social networks such as Facebook. Similar to Facebook the site has like, share and commenting functions. The network is aimed at primary school aged children from the ages of 6 – 12. No adults are allowed on the site, however school teachers act as ‘moderators’, and as a way to verify the identity of children signing up.

Users of the site are authenticated via registration through their school, making the site predator free.  Cybersmarties.com is a fully interactive network, allowing children from across Ireland the chance to make friends safely. Children make friends on the site through their common interests in sports, music, films, etc. Using behavioural based messaging system, kids are taught how to use social media. The messenger app in the site has a behavioural content filter which blocks negative words. If users of the site try to use a word that is listed as negative they will be unable to send the message.


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While the system used to block out negative words and variations of negative words is very robust, it cannot filter everything, but it is a promising start. Cybersmarties.com has many other features designed to ensure children do not engage in cyber-bullying. Each day, 7 days a week, each child receives a positive message or video. The time spent on the site per day is limited, so children do not create an unhealthy or addictive relationship with the internet.

There is an annual charge of €20 for use of cybersmarties.com. Giving the age of the users of the site this will most likely be paid by a parent using their credit card. This also ensures a further level of security, plus a guarantee the web site is free from advertisements.

Cybersmarties.com aims to be a safe and fun place on the internet for children, eliminating the risk of cyberbullying from an early age.

 

To like Cybersmarties on Facebook click here.
To follow Cybersmarties on Twitter click here.
To learn more or visit Cybersmarties own website click here. 
For more stories about anti-bullying campaigns click here.

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Richard is a presenter, producer, songwriter and actor. He was named the Limerick Person of the Year (2011) and won an online award at the Metro Éireann Media and Multicultural Awards (2011) for promoting multi-culturalism online. Richard says that the ilovelimerick.com concept is very much a community driven project that aims to document life in Limerick. So, that in 20 years time people can look back and remember the events that were making the headlines.