parent viewing chat

[zicki]

I am a parent. I have read all the info on the game, and safety issues, etc. I would like to know if I have a separate account on WOW, can I see the chat going on wherever my child is playing at the time? I don't necessarily want to play the game. I just want to be smart and check it from time to time to make sure all is well and no one talking inappropriately. Do I have to actually make a character, play the game, and be in a guild or his friend?

Thanks, any advice appreciated.

[zicki]

Oh by the way, my child knows I will be doing this.. one of the stips of getting to play.. so no sneaking around for me.

[Khab]

There is probably an addon that will record the in-game chat but there's really no way for you to see any chat in real time unless you were playing the game. Lemme see what I can find. You may also want to set the profanity filter in the game options.

This may work for what you need. It enables the internal chat logging automatically:

http://www.wowinterface.com/downloads/info9356-EWOlson_ChatLog.html

[Your Average WoW Player]

There really isn't a way to monitor the chat real-time unless you are either A: standing over your child's shoulder, or B: playing the game with him (and subsequently in the same area/guild/party to monitor the chat that would be around your child).

Some advice I can offer is removing the element of possibly inappropriate chat. I myself have played on very few servers, but can vouch that the US Scarlet Crusade server is a relativley mature server. Heck, I'm 20 and I'm one of the youngest members in my guild. So server choice can be a bit of a factor as well. Generally, more mature servers lead to more mature guilds, which in turn leads to more child-friendly chat. A lot of these guilds may have age restrictions, but in some cases (IE: Parent and child) the leaders will allow the child in if the parent is in as well. Of course, this would require you to play, but who knows? Maybe you'd end up liking the game! It's one more way to connect with your kids.

[zicki]

Thanks for both your comments. So would I have to be on the same computer that he is for this interface to work.. therefore making a log of the chat?

Can you just get on and observe the game? Do people do that? I feel a little inept just jumping in...

Also, question: Is there ALOT of social/sexual references by players to players that he might see? Or players hitting on other players etc.? Is it like a chat room type situation, or more focused on the game?

Thanks so much, this is helping alot.

[zicki]

[QUOTE=Your Average WoW Player;4164741] B: playing the game with him (and subsequently in the same area/guild/party to monitor the chat that would be around your child). QUOTE]

So what you are saying is all I would have to do is log in and go to the same area as my child (playing on another computer in the house) and go to whereever he is playing at the time in order to observe his play, interaction, and chat? Or do I have to join his guild/party etc?

Thanks again

[Erinion]

Can I ask how old the child in question is?

[zicki]

eleven yrs old .. almost twelve

[Marlous]

Hm, it's rather difficult to monitor your child so specifically.. you could install an addon such as the one linked to, which means that all chats of your child will be recorded for you to read later on. However, you'd have to wait until after your child has finished playing, because you'll need to read it on the computer they're playing on.

As for joining the game yourself, here's a bit of insight of the various types of player contact. But first and foremost, keep in mind that you can make your child leave certain channels - should you so desire - by hitting the 'o' key, then going to the chat panel, right-clicking the channel in question, and choosing 'leave'. Anyway, the channels:

Chat: there are a few channels that are public, and sorted by area. There's the Trade Channel, which you can see when you're in a capital city, and which mostly contains advertisements of people wanting to sell or buy items, and people looking to fill up the last spots in their party for an instance. Also used for more general questions, since Trade reaches the most people. Then there's the General Channel, which is restricted to the zone that you're playing in and only used for talk concerning that specific area - like where to find a certain quest giver, or where certain mobs that you need to kill can be found. Some of these channels are rather notorious, because they're known for their jokes about a certain actor/martial arts fighter or because of the stupid arguements people have over there.

Guild: only accessible by people who are in the same guild as your child. Subjects can vary from social chat to specific help, or use of a service some people might be able to provide - seeing as how your 'guildies' (i.e. people in the same guild as you) are always there for you with advice or a bit of help. Provided, of course, that you're in the right kind of guild. If your child is in a good guild then they won't encounter any indecent chat, seeing as how people will frown upon such things and will say something about it should it happen. However, sometimes there are guilds where such talk is tolerated, but from what I've experienced so far those aren't the guilds to be in anyway.

Party: this is a group of 5 people, who are grouping together to do a difficult quest or a dungeon. Since there's a specific goal that all party members strive to achieve, there's usually no talk other than that concerning the task ahead and the cooperation necessary. Depending on how the group was formed (for instance, whether a random person that's a stranger to the rest was invited simply because they needed someone to heal the others), you might risk a 'rotten egg' in the party who likes to cuss and swear. However, this is pretty uncommon and not really something to worry about.

Say: this chat appears as a little chat bubble above the person saying it, and is comparable to someone saying something out loud: only the people in a certain radius around the speaker will be able to hear it. Mostly used by people who chat a bit with others and can't be bothered to use a whisper or go into a party for a multi-person chat, but also used by people who either don't know or don't want to switch to another channel (such as whisper or party). Oh, and people who think they're funny and want all those around them to get his 'joke', in hopes of anyone reacting to it.

Whisper: this is a direct, one-on-one kind of chat. Nobody else but the 2 people involved will be able to read it, and has a pletory of subjects. The 2 people might be friends who chat.. they might be strangers but one wants to ask the other, say, where he got a certain piece of gear.. it might be that someone asked a question in a Chat channel, and when someone replies then the first person moves to whisper so as not to have a whole conversation in the channel.. but I also have to add that it can get pretty extreme - I personally have had cybersex with someone through whisper (but we're both adults and we had known eachother for a while already). I highly doubt that your child will be engaged in such talk, but just so you know what kind of direction whispers can take - there's so much privacy that some people feel the need to abuse it. Oh, that reminds me of a friend who once had to take abuse from someone through a whisper, and was told the most awful things - luckily a GM is able to read back all whispers received, so a complaint was sufficient to have that person's account banned.

I hope that you've heard enough about the types of chat, so that you have an idea of how you could monitor it. Playing the game yourself might be an idea, but I feel that it might have to turn into a bit of stalking seeing as how you'd not only have to join the same guild, but also stay aruond him for the chat channels and maybe even go as far as joining his parties to do a dungeon - I can imagine he wouldn't like his mum going everywhere he does.

If I were in your position, I'd see if a chat logging addon gives me sufficient information. They store chats from various channels (not only whispers, but also guild/party for instance), and will be stored on the computer so that you can read them back later. Telling your child that you can and will do so can be enough of a warning for them to not get involved with it, but of course I can't be sure about that.

[wyren]

99%+ of chat is harmless. but if someone starts saying innapropriate things just have him hit the report as spam buuton automatically puts them on ignore and puts them on gm list if enough people do it they get warning and maybe suspension if truly offensive

[wyren]

also have him go to his account and invite you as a friend. if you actually do play you both get cool mount. if you do not you still get free 10 day trial and if you run together during those ten days the xp a regeneration boost is insane. The regen boost is faster than a drink or eating and is continous. it would let you have a free ten day trial and really give him a head start in game. way overpowere but so worth it.

[drewid]

I have an eight year old who plays, initialy i was a little concerned about the chat and who he could end up talking too.
However it turned out to be fine. I have the language filter on which is pretty good. We have the PC he uses in the lounge room so we can see what is happening simply by walking past the pc - i know this doesnt allow you to see everything but you can get the general drift of the type of conversations happening.

Generally chat is pretty tame, people get reported and banned if they abuse the chat system which seems to stop people from being stupid.
I would assume conversations at school would have the potential to be worse than what is tolerated in this game.

Lots of parents play the game too which is another factor limiting the degradation of chats.

[zicki]

Wow thanks for the replies. They help alot and make me feel a little better... (except for maybe the cyber sex one.. haha) Thanks everyone for taking the time. Hope to see you in there!

[tralkar]

99% Harmless.. LOL where you from? All i see in towns is talk about Sex, Drug, and Cursing. So don't say Harmless.

I am glad to see there are some parents out there that care about there kids.

One thing you can do is stop by his computer when hes playing and have him scroll back nd read some chat your self..

[Daedelus84]

I recommend you play WoW, get addicted and whenever your child is bad you can punish him by making him farm mats for your toon. Trust me, once you get into the game you'll know what farming materials and grinding is all about. It's very boring and repetitive after a while.

On a serious note, WoW is very tame and I would second the statement that your son has probably heard worse chat at school in the play ground. I've played WoW since release and very rarely do I come across inappropriate chat in the game except when I'm in The Barrens. Lol. :P Barrens chat is notorious for being full of immature conversation ranging from Chuck Norris to boobies to people being noobs. Funnily enough an aura comes from the computer that makes anyone who enters Barrens automaticallly more likely to cuss like a tard on general chat. Once you leave Barrens though you become more normal and civil again. Just a heads up. ;)

To sum up what has been said you need to get that addon that monitors chat, turn up the profanity filter (that will solve most of your Barrens problems) and pop the computer in the lounge area if possible.

Then when you see how awesome this game is you will need to purchase a second computer and join the game then refer to paragraph one.

It's good to see you are concerned and taking steps to protect your son. Don't worry as much as society tells you to worry though. Those horror stories of pedophiles on the net and the evils of online gaming addiction have obviously occurred but they are over hyped by media coverage. I think by taking the steps we have recommended you'll be fine. :)

Good luck and have fun! :)


Oh, make sure you have limits on the time he plays... this game is way too addictive. It's more than a game, it's a sub hobby complete with it's own sub-culture and social networks. It can be a fantastic addition to life, but if taken to excess (like anything) is quite counter productive.

[Mazhulsage]

Daed... Come on. Don't become "Dr." Phil.

Like everything, only if you have an addictive personality (Truely not that many people have one) can you be addicted to something so that's out of the question, just make sure that you FORCE him (Yes, I mean that) to take a 5 minute break (Or more) from the game every 2 hours or so. Make him just grab a drink of water and stretch or whatever. It's really important simply because you'll destroy your eyes, and your legs can become fairly crappy from sitting in a chair for prolonged periods of time =P.

[Erinion]

I don't know about the rest of the world but here in the UK the game is rated a 12+.

[Marlous]

you'll destroy your eyes, and your legs can become fairly crappy from sitting in a chair for prolonged periods of time =P.

Legs.. I vaguely remember having them at some point in my life..

[Dakiter]

In the past I have played in guilds that were "kid friendly" all members were asked to be mindful of what they say in chat. Also I know a few of the guild officers would meet with the parents of children on vent (voice communication over internet) to help put the parents at ease.

These guilds are usually started by a family that play together and the parents wish to create a safe place for their kids and others. That may be the best thing for you to do so as not to have a second account to monitor your childs activities because it will get to a point that you will not be able to follow him around unless you are leveling your character as well. If that happens you will suddenly find yourself more worried about quests drops and exp then what your kid may see in chat.

Once you have created his account I would go to the official forums for the server he plays on and make a post looking for a "child friendly" guild. It should lead to you meeting some people that will help.

==============

Edit: Also adding the addon that will log his chats may also be enough. Following him around wont show you his whispered conversations and just letting him know that you are capturing everything that is typed may be enough for him to stay away from anything that would get him in trouble.

Good luck!

[Eliandor]

Just my 2c for you and any others that come by to read this thread:

I've also been in guilds that are "family oriented" or child safe, and they have all had kids playing with parents (and sometimes grandparents as well). From conversations with them, or hearing them converse in guild chat, I would say that families bond and have more fun when playing together than when just one plays solo. Parents asking their kids how the grand kid's day went after a certain event, etc, was touching.

If you have the second computer and are not adverse to paying for a second account (the upfront purchase plus the double monthly charge) you could look at it as the new digital version of taking your kid outside to the lawn to toss a football or baseball. Its a game you're playing with your kid, for fun, together. If you are not a gaming type WoW is easy to pick up, but you really should not do something you won't enjoy as well. (Here I go Dr. Phil'ing.) It is more fun if you can have both computers in the same room and talk with each other while playing. It is easier and allows for better communication. (although, having to type a lot in earlier text based games did wonders for my typing speed and accuracy, and you could help your child will spelling and grammar [what, grammar in WoW, Barrens chat would explode :) ] ).

[elsegundo]

im better off teaching my kid what is inappropriate and appropriate chat and trust him or her that they will avoid such conversations. its a different type of parenting style, so i will not be surprised if you disagree.

[zicki]

Wow thanks again for all the responses and encouragement. Based on how helpful you all have been, I think the WoW community can be a really great group of folks.

Good point about having to level up with him if I follow around so maybe the chat log feature would be helpful.. but love the idea of playing together which would be totally feasible. As far as paying double, I think it's worth it, like you said, a good opportunity for bonding time. I don't mind the "Dr. Phil"ing at all, it's encouraging. Today's society, we gotta be careful, and I think it just takes a little extra effort to make things safe for the kids, or ixnay the stuff that isn't. (My Dr. Philling)

He's a good kid, and even a parent's presence (or possibility of presence) is a good deterrent. It's mostly the other people I would be concerned with though. But definitely, the kid/family friendly guild is the way to go. DEfinitely the comp in social area in home and occasional check ins are a good idea for any computer activity. Also, I will keep in mind about the mandatory breaks and time limits on playing, making sure there is balance.

Thanks for the heads up on what areas to stay away from. I wanted to get a good feel for what I /he was in for, which you all helped me with. Also, I was wanting to see if there was a way I could pop in and just observe the "goings on" without playing etc. and see what it's all about..game/chat/etc.. Which, it seems I can't really do unless I'm missing something.

Thanks again for being so helpful to a parent groping in the dark.. haha

[elsegundo]

not sure if its mentioned, WIM, a chat addon, does log your old chats, but i think it only logs private messages (tells or whispers). i know because i log on and get tells. i can scroll up and see what was talked about the previous day. this might be a handy feature but you do have to be on his account to see it. there might be a way of finding where the conversation is logged and then reading that. just a tip. goodluck with your WoW experience.

[semiiramiis]

I've been in a couple of family friendly guilds, they're not bad...they're not usually cutting edge raiding guilds, but hey. As a parent, here goes.... by the time my sons were at this age, they were perfectly capable of circumventing pretty much every leash I could put on them. Yes, I still let them play, but they were always aware that I considered it my perogative to wander in from the kitchen and watch whatever they were doing over their shoulder. (And yes...I'm wise to the screen clearing manuever....Michael! <the sudden rampant tickety tak of typing very small words with lots of entering to get what was just posted off of the screen> I also am smart enough to log /played on all of their toons if they're grounded from WoW when I can't be home. I can also find all their toons...it sucks having a mom who plays...)
I'm also an overtly female player, and can say, even as that, I can count how many times I've been hit on with one hand...missing a few fingers. Most people don't even BELIEVE I'm female, so meh.
Profanity is an issue, and yes...there's a filter, but it doesn't take a lot of thinking to realize what it's @#$%$ over. (MILF? Wow. It's on its toes.)
I've heard of parents requiring their children to leave all channels, which kind of just leaves them wandering around in an mmo with no...well...mmo.

[Aerath]

Wow thanks again for all the responses and encouragement. Based on how helpful you all have been, I think the WoW community can be a really great group of folks.

Careful ! Looks can deceive :grin:

Playing together definitely is a good idea, especially if you enjoy the game as well. One of the advantages of WoW is that it's (up till max level really) pretty easy to take in small doses. An hour or so really can give the feeling of achievement already. So can half an hour with some planning ahead, but as newcomers to the game that might be a much to ask for. Traveling time can add up in a hurry if you're not careful (in game, that is, out of game it's largely to the fridge for a new coke) so shorter stints can feel a bit wasted.

One thing you might want to look into is 'Instancing'. There's dungeons scattered around the place (first Horde one being roughly for level 12, Alliance for level 17-18) that can be a lot of fun to do. They do require 3 additional people for a proper 5man group and can easily suck up a chunk of time (half an hour for some of the shorter ones, but that can easily turn into an hour or even 90 minutes for some of the bigger ones if things don't go as smooth as one'd like), so you may wish to put aside some time in advance for those.

Most important though, have fun and let the youngster have fun too.

//edit: @ semiiramiis; Say, you're female ? *winkwinknudgenudge*
(Sorry, couldn't resist :tongue:)

[semiiramiis]

//edit: @ semiiramiis; Say, you're female ? *winkwinknudgenudge*
(Sorry, couldn't resist :tongue:)


Snicker. Yes, I'm one of those rare XX chromosome gamers. I'm also pushing 40, so if I drop that piece of information, right along with the two sons, 19 and 16, and the husband I've been with for 22 years (married 20 years this may) most people run for the hills.

[alanthecelt]

the random chat is probably only on a par with the kind of chat that goes on in your kid's school anyway, however by using the filter a good selection of words will become obscured, probably words which get thrown around at school anyway...
My guild operates a +14 rule, however we have let younger members join with their family members, also we attempt to enforce aa watershed where chat is kept clean before 9pm.
YOu shouldnt be worrying about the paedophile aspect, most players in the game dont really know much about the others, i myself probably know personal information of about 10 people who i have played with for 3+ years.... if i join a group i pretty much dont know anything about the other players, it may come up in random discussion where we live etc but even that is kept to "south of england" etc... it doesnt get personal really. A sensible child should know what the limit on personal information is anyway, ie no phone numbers, addresses or maybe even names at all. Hell it took my good guildmates 3 years before they knew my name :) and i dont know many of theirs.
Dont think of hte game as a chat site, a chat site is primarily for chatting, WOW is Gaming first, chat comes about to achieve a goal, or short humour/moans etc...

[Dakiter]

I wish you luck! Look up what servers are in your time zones and then see how the guilds work out for you!

(I mention time zones just so its easier for you both to find people that play on your schedule. Dont know what kind of a curfew or bed time he has but it would stink to be ona server that is a few hours a head or behind you and most of the people are doing things as you are getting ready to log off.)

[surodat]

Semiiramiis!! [waits 7 months] Congrats on you anniversary!

Anyway, I agree with pretty much everything that's been said. I'd also like to add the RP servers seem to have a little less of the obscenity and annoyances than the regular servers. (Or at least the RP server that I played on briefly did.) Anyone else play an RP server that can confirm (or refute) that?

[Dakiter]

Semiiramiis!! [waits 7 months] Congrats on you anniversary!

Anyway, I agree with pretty much everything that's been said. I'd also like to add the RP servers seem to have a little less of the obscenity and annoyances than the regular servers. (Or at least the RP server that I played on briefly did.) Anyone else play an RP server that can confirm (or refute) that?

Completely agree. To the point where I refuse to play on anything but RP servers. Please dont fear the RP, what it really means is keep real life stuff out. This may work well for you. Plus if you get into your character a little role play can make the game a lot of fun.

[dwarfenhelm]

i play rp server along with my wife 3 kids and the eldest's boy friend. its can be very good fun doing full family dungeon runs. the language is pretty tame 99% of the time in trade with mild sexual references or swearing, this will not come close to what a 12 year old can pick up at school nowadays.
ocasionaly you get the silly fool who has to have an outburst in trade chat and the F and C words fly around. when this happens i will report that player to a blizzard game master and it would seem that several others from trade chat have done the same thing. i know my kids hear and possibly even use that language when they are away from the house and opur earshot. but like many other parents dont like others swearing around them.
guilds are a great place to be social and ive been in soem good family guilds with lots of young teens playing with us,the guild raids might not go as smooth as an adult only raid guild but the social side more than makes up for this. we always used to enforce a 9pm game time watershed. mild swearing and joking before that any thing out of order and players where warned and then maybe klicked from the guild depending on the sitiuation.
after playing the game for a bit and hanging around cities talking to the guilds that spamm recruitment adds you can get a good feel for the family social guilds about.

[Tokamak]

So I take it from all of this that there is no /log function in wow?

[Beruen]

You can turn on a chatlog, but it's something you have to do every time you log in, unless you get an addon to do it for you.

[Erinion]

TBH I think a nearly 12 year old would hear worse in the school playground (you should hear what the kids who sit outside my local Tesco say to eachother!!)