PC Tattletale Review
Ok for this post, I am going to do a PC Tattletale Review. This is going to be sort of like the Win Spy Software Review.
PC Tattletale is used for the same purpose basically. For parents to spy on their children. Although that is what the website is aimed for, there is still nothing stopping it from people using it on their spouses, or bosses using it on their employees.
Some of the features PC Tattletale has are MySpace monitoring, KeyStroke Recording, Chat Recorder, Screenshot Recording, Web History Monitoring, etc. All the features you would expect in Spy Software comes with PC Tattletale.
So how does it compare to Win Spy Software? I honestly don't see much difference between the two programs in terms of features.
Ok, I'm done keeping my opinions out of this. I was looking through the PC Tattletale website, one of the questions listed on it's frequently asked questions page was "Isn't it wrong to spy on my kids?". That is up for a parent to decide. But of course, the PC Tattletale website says no it's not wrong and makes it's argument. Here are some highlights of the PC Tattletale argument, and my own rebuttals.
" It's only a matter of time until your child is exposed to things, people or situations that they shouldn't. "
- Not necessarily. And if you actually spend time with your children while they are on the computer, then you can be right there to protect them. If you're using spy software on your child who's 6, then your 6 year old child shouldn't be on the internet alone in the first place. If you're using it on your child who's 15, then it's your job to teach them how to handle situations like that.
"When you are monitoring your child's online activities, you're not spying"
- Um... yes you are. Dictionary.com definition of spying: "One who secretly keeps watch on another or others." Isn't that what this is?
"To those people who might disagree with us and insist that using a software like PC Tattletale is "spying"; to them we say "If i keeps your child safe, so what? If "spying" on what your kids do online, helps keeps them and my family safe, then no harm no foul."
- No shit it's not a safe place for children to venture alone! So don't let them!
"It's a harsh question to ask, but how "guilty" are you going to fee if you don't monitor their activities and something bad happens?""
- How guilty are you going to feel if your children find out and ask why their own parents don't trust them?
"Should I tell my kids that I am monitoring them? It's a matter of personal choice and should be determined by the kind of relationship you have with your child."
- Just like the use of this software to begin with!
"Will I need to configure my Anti-Spy ware / Anti Virus to ignore PC Tattletale. Most likely. Today many anti virus and anti-spy ware manufactures are becoming increasingly overzealous in identifying perceived "threats," and many care more about their profits then your child's online safety."
- Anti-Spyware companies care more about their profits? This coming from the company that is charging $50 for their software. And the top Anti-Spyware removers have free versions, so there goes the profit argument. And god forbid software that can record my credit card numbers and be given to strangers is considered a threat to my security.
In ending this review, I need to take a deep breath lol. The thing that pisses me off is PC Tattletale trying to scare parents into buying their spy software. Right on the main page is a link that says click if you've decided not to order yet, which takes you to a CBS news video about children on the internet. Come on...
If you want to use software like this on your children, that is your decision. If you were reading this review just to know if PC Tattletale works or not, it does. It works and has a lot of features. But please consider Win Spy Software over PC Tattletale. The features are the same, it's cheaper, and Win Spy Software isn't trying to tell you how to do their job. Because really, do you want some software company telling you how to raise your child and then taking your money?
Links:
PC Tattletale
Win Spy Software
PC Tattletale is used for the same purpose basically. For parents to spy on their children. Although that is what the website is aimed for, there is still nothing stopping it from people using it on their spouses, or bosses using it on their employees.
Some of the features PC Tattletale has are MySpace monitoring, KeyStroke Recording, Chat Recorder, Screenshot Recording, Web History Monitoring, etc. All the features you would expect in Spy Software comes with PC Tattletale.
So how does it compare to Win Spy Software? I honestly don't see much difference between the two programs in terms of features.
Ok, I'm done keeping my opinions out of this. I was looking through the PC Tattletale website, one of the questions listed on it's frequently asked questions page was "Isn't it wrong to spy on my kids?". That is up for a parent to decide. But of course, the PC Tattletale website says no it's not wrong and makes it's argument. Here are some highlights of the PC Tattletale argument, and my own rebuttals.
" It's only a matter of time until your child is exposed to things, people or situations that they shouldn't. "
- Not necessarily. And if you actually spend time with your children while they are on the computer, then you can be right there to protect them. If you're using spy software on your child who's 6, then your 6 year old child shouldn't be on the internet alone in the first place. If you're using it on your child who's 15, then it's your job to teach them how to handle situations like that.
"When you are monitoring your child's online activities, you're not spying"
- Um... yes you are. Dictionary.com definition of spying: "One who secretly keeps watch on another or others." Isn't that what this is?
"To those people who might disagree with us and insist that using a software like PC Tattletale is "spying"; to them we say "If i keeps your child safe, so what? If "spying" on what your kids do online, helps keeps them and my family safe, then no harm no foul."
- By that logic, if locking yourself in your house for the rest of your life and never leaving your house again keeps you safe, then so what? Horrible horrible logic.
Let's look at more highlights...
"I want to protect my children, but I feel guilty spying on them. We understand, but to put it very bluntly - you need to get over it. The Internet is NOT a safe place for children to venture alone."
- No shit it's not a safe place for children to venture alone! So don't let them!
"It's a harsh question to ask, but how "guilty" are you going to fee if you don't monitor their activities and something bad happens?""
- How guilty are you going to feel if your children find out and ask why their own parents don't trust them?
"Should I tell my kids that I am monitoring them? It's a matter of personal choice and should be determined by the kind of relationship you have with your child."
- Just like the use of this software to begin with!
"Will I need to configure my Anti-Spy ware / Anti Virus to ignore PC Tattletale. Most likely. Today many anti virus and anti-spy ware manufactures are becoming increasingly overzealous in identifying perceived "threats," and many care more about their profits then your child's online safety."
- Anti-Spyware companies care more about their profits? This coming from the company that is charging $50 for their software. And the top Anti-Spyware removers have free versions, so there goes the profit argument. And god forbid software that can record my credit card numbers and be given to strangers is considered a threat to my security.
In ending this review, I need to take a deep breath lol. The thing that pisses me off is PC Tattletale trying to scare parents into buying their spy software. Right on the main page is a link that says click if you've decided not to order yet, which takes you to a CBS news video about children on the internet. Come on...
If you want to use software like this on your children, that is your decision. If you were reading this review just to know if PC Tattletale works or not, it does. It works and has a lot of features. But please consider Win Spy Software over PC Tattletale. The features are the same, it's cheaper, and Win Spy Software isn't trying to tell you how to do their job. Because really, do you want some software company telling you how to raise your child and then taking your money?
Links:
PC Tattletale
Win Spy Software
Edit: After looking over the PC Tattletale website more, they actually have some pretty good internet articles for parents. The ones that aren't just setups for their software anyway. If they actually stopped trying to tell scare people into buying their product, I'd have no problem with this company, and if they ever fix their website, I will remove my rant.