Chris Berry On The Net

For a three year old, my son is something of a computer expert. He has been playing educational games on his favorite websites for well over a year, and he has developed a pretty sound understanding of basic web navigation. His biggest problem is the fact that he can’t read, so he has to depend on someone else to get him to the sites he wants to visit. I wanted to get him something for Christmas that would allow him to be more self sufficient.

Fisher-Price makes a device called the Easy Link Launch Pad that looked like the perfect solution. It is a USB device that allows kids to get to their favorite web sites by plugging a small cartoon figure into a pedestal. Each character is encoded with a specific URL, so when the child wants to visit the Sesame Street site, all they have to do is drop the Elmo figure into the pedestal and the site launches automatically.

I visited every toy store in town until I finally located one at Toys R Us. The only one left on the shelf had been opened and one of the characters had been stolen from the box. It turns out that the device only comes with 4 characters, and the others have to be purchased separately. Naturally, none of the extra characters were available. I had initially assumed that the characters would be programmable, but that is not the case. If the URL the character represents ever changes, or if you want to visit another site, you’re out of luck. This wasn’t the solution I wanted after all, but it gave me an idea that was even simpler.

Robert recognizes different icons on the desktop, so he can launch the browser without help. I created a web page that will serve as a gateway to all of his favorite sites. Since he can’t read normal text links, I used pictures of the various characters instead. Now all I have to do is install a second copy of Firefox and create a user profile for Robert. I will set his site as the home page and install ad-blocker and parental control add-ons to keep him out of trouble. I will also replace the standard Firefox icon with a Sesame Street character and he will be set. All he has to do is click on Elmo and he will be taken directly to his personal home page. From there he will have direct access to all of his favorite sites, and the browser controls will prevent him from wandering astray.

In addition to helping Robert navigate the web before he can read, this gift will have long-term benefits as well. As the web becomes more crowded, personalized domains will be much harder to acquire. He may not appreciate it now, but having his name as a web address will be quite valuable in the future.

Check Out Robert’s Website