LOL. I know I know...

well, I want to share some things which will guarantee that you're not outed before you're ready.

if you use your computer to surf gay-themed sites (and porn! come on, admit it! ), BE CAREFUL. you are leaving behind a trail of evidence that wouldnt be hard to follow.

for firefox users only:
*go to tools>options
make sure you uncheck everything pertaining to history. ESCPECIALLY the 'remember last visited pages' option.

*after surfing, ALWAYS go to tools>clear private data

for google search toolbar users:
ALWAYS use the clear search history option.

For windows only:
*download and install CCleaner

homepage: http://www.ccleaner.com/
direct download link: http://www.filehippo.com/download_ccleaner/

as with all software, read the manual/readme first before using. after installing you can right click on the recycle bin and click
"Run CCleaner". This will quickly and automatically delete ALL traces of your activity in most applications (includes Internet Explorer, Firefox, Windows Media Player, QuickTime, Kazaa, Office, Recent Files History and lots lots more).

from their own site:


NOTE: I am not in any way affiliated to CCleaner, LOL. I'm a fan of Open Source Software and Free software in general tho.

Hope this helps teenagers out there.

If anybody else knows about this topic, please share it. Especially for Mac users. For Linux, UNIX, and other exotic operating system users, I'm sure it'll be no problem. Since they always are already computer experts themselves, LOL.

I had parents find things. Not because I didnt know how to clean up, but because I didnt think I had to on my own password protected computer. They never found it on the family computer.

I'm a dedicated Opera user. For "all desktop versions" (windows, mac, linux, freebsd, solaris...) of opera you cannot delete all cookies at once! So I suggest setting opera to delete cookies upon exiting, then manually check (it misses an occasional one). I also sugest clearing history, cache, and remembered addresses. It looks like a lot, but most everything is in the same main menu.

For Opera users:

To delete cookies:
1. Tools > Preferences > Advanced > Cookies > Manage Cookies...
2. Pick and delete.

To set to auto delete cookies:
1. Tools > Preferences > Advanced > Cookies > Delete new cookies when exiting Opera

To clear history:
1. Tools > History
2. Right-click on history items and delete. You can delete folders too.

To clear cache:
1. Tools > Pereferences > Advanced > History
2. Empty Now

To clear remembered addresses:
1. Tools > Preferences > Advanced > History
2. Clear

Hmm, so I'm guessing leaving your computer running with these pages displayed is a bad idea?

Just a perk to living alone, being out, and pretty much only have GLBT and/or gay friendly people over I suppose

I don't go to much effort to cover my tracks anymore , but I would be a bit mortified if a guest came over and there was porn just open on my computer.

Menzo

A bit mortified?

Well I don't usually leave porn laying around open on my computer if I think I might have a guest over, but there are many other "gay themed" pages, as Hylas mentioned.

Have a fantastic day all
Kevin

I envy thy freedom. LOL

Which implies that Kevin does leave porn laying around open on his computer if he doesn't think he'll have a guest over...

Sorry, Kevin, but I couldn't resist

Getting back to the original post, there is a complication that you may want to think about. As a parent, if I was low enough to be checking on my sons' surfing habits, a cleared history and cache is a clear indication that they are trying to hide something. If you want to do this, then after you've cleared everything, visit a few innocuous sites like Google, Wikipedia, local news sites, etc. This is paranoia at its best, but if your parents' trust is so low that they go looking, finding nothing is very suspicious.

It's different to respect children's privacy than to trust that they're not looking at porn. I was a teenage boy not so long ago, and I think I'm safe in saying that many, if not most, teenagers look at porn from time to time (or more often ) and parents know this. Parents may (rightfully) suspect that their kid is looking at inappropriate material, but the good ones know that it's not their business to go looking. I think it's more a matter of respect and privacy than of trust.

Menzo

Well, I never does all this. I'm in closet but only me uses the PC. No one touches the PC apart me. It's kinds unsaid that it's my PC. If someone gets in, well, he'll have to face my wrath!!!

I do leave some sites on my history. Am I taking risks? Perhaps! But strangely, I'm not scared!

Ieshwar

Bear in mind that porn isn't the only thing that can expose your sexual orientation.

Messages and text can do the same damage.

Merely reading stories at a site named GAYAUTHORS.ORG is enough.

Even if you don't have gigs and gigs of gay "Pr0n" on your system, a few hot, steamy stories from Nifty or elsewhere would be enough to invite uncomfortable qustions.

You make a good point there, thats how my brother found out I was gay. I would say how dare he look through my history on my computer, but then as I do the same to him it wouldnt really be very fair now would it

I cleaned out all my cookies, and stuff today. But now it's a pain, beause I have to type in all my passwords and stuff. But I guess that's just something i'll have to get over.

Checking their children's browser history and favourites is the 2000's version of parents snooping in their kids rooms (like looking under mattresses, searching drawers, closets, etc.

It's an age old problem. Kids hide, parents snoop. Heck, if I were a parent, I'd snoop , I knew what I was trying to hide when I was a kid .

Yeah, it's just one of those things that's bound to happen. It's how I was outed to my parents, actually. So yay for that.

Except lately, I have a funny feeling that they didn't believe me. I mean, never mind a jounral filled with entries and entries of gayness.... AH well.

That's one thing about clearing caches and cookies... nothing is automatic anymore. You'd have to re-login and stuff. But that's a small price to pay if you seriously are not yet ready to be outed, methinks ^^

Otherwise... if you think you are then start leaving hints or something, LOL. For me, i still think that's inviting disaster, but I'm just paranoid LOL

Well, i had a bad time with clearing cookies and all that when during the pre-XP era as the history of other users also got deleted with that.

But now, I just have my own user account where nobody disturbs me or gets disturbed if I clear the cache or the history.

Three Cheers for XP!!

The Beastkid

This is all well and good, but consider also that if your parents are savvy enough to have you set up on a router at home (or possibly any kind of home network), they're probably also savvy enough to figure out how to have the router maintain a list of all the sites you've been to. This is how my dad figured out I was looking at gay porn...

anybody that has a key logger on your computer, or checks what sites youve been to needs to have a stern talking to, no matter who you are no one should be looking at that stuff. What you do on the computer is yours alone to know, not over protective parents and spying grandmothers...people like that deserve to be kicked in the elbow



my advice to everyone who looks at porn, tell your mom and dad to trust you and stop nosing around (or do some nosy-ing around for yourself of their stuff in return hehe), get an awesome kickass password (random numbers and letter in combination with capitalization) and a secure firewall and lock on all your files hehe; never keep records of the sites you've been to (if you go to them often such as a news site or something you should know the URL by heart id think), clear your cookies and things, and always...never get into or download any illegal and gross tapes from the internet lol

There's a line there somewhere between being a concerned parent and being a voyeur with an unhealthy interest in a kid's sexuality

I'm of this opinion too.

How does one even approach their kid with this? "Um, so I was spying on you and..."

I know this is the teen forum, but....

I'm not as black-and-white. I agree that teenage boys can be expected to be interested in pornography, but equally I have to make sure that it doesn't become an unhealthy interest.

There was an article in the New York Times earlier this year about a youth who spent a lot of time in his room on the computer. He ended up being groomed to provide pornography for online viewers via webcams. It is the exception, not the rule, but as a parent I have to try to make sure my boys don't also end up as such an exception.

In a related subject, a recent survey in Australia showed that most teenage boys got the majority of their sex education from watching pornography. This is unhealthy, but trying to provide sex/relationship education is going to involve finding out something about what they know... such as what pornography they have seen.

Another comment that I heard recently is that parents should educate their teenagers on the difference between trusting their integrity and trusting their judgment. While I disagreed on a number of other things that person said, I can see the wisdom in that comment. Until I learn otherwise, I will trust my boys integrity (I trust that NOW and they are only six and eight), but learning to trust their judgment will take longer. It is checking their judgment that will drive any investigation I do on their activities (yes, you can call it spying if you like, though I hope I never have to get to that stage -- I'm hoping they will always be able to come to me and my wife to talk about things).

Life is full of grey. The older I get, the more grey I see . Things were a lot more black-and-white when I was younger.

Well, I would find it difficult to go to my parents and say "Mom, Dad, what's the precautions that I must take when I'll be sleeping with my bf!"

Ok, that was quite exaggerated. But in a conservative society, sex is taboo! (Don't let me start of gay sex!) Ok, we do talk among friends (straight sex only) but they are same as us so no big advices!

No way to talk to an adult. It's beyond thoughts. So the internet remains. And frankly, it was a huge help when I was trying to identify myself. Being teenage means having lost of answers which are not always easily answered.

Yes, porn is a different story. Most, no all of us go through that. But some of us do lose their priority and go a bit overboard.

Ieshwar (who doesn't know why he's saying this! )

pornography on the net is not first a problem for teenagers ! But for my children, my problem was to find the best solution : to let them wander trough porn magazines (the net didn't exist then), or to let them try themselves with others girls (and boys !). I didn't find it... the only right way was to bring them to discuss their problems with me or their mother and to find an open answer, without trying to impose our opinion. And it worked, when I see how they behave as adults.
BTW about "grey" life... You will see Graeme, when you get really older, black becomes grey and grey becomes pinkish
Take care and be happy

well lol, you could do as my parents did and said "so we know what you look at on that computer of yours there. So is there anything you want to tell us?" I said "You were looking at my computer? maybe i should have a look through your computer mom, or your purse, or your room. Is that what your teaching me here? That its ok to go through peoples things if its for a noble or curious cause? Well, im gonna go look through your things right now." Then i proceeded to go to their room when they stopped me and said "We're sorry. You are right and we are wrong, it wont happen again but be safe."

Now, my parents are nice and respect my privacy now but i know other parents are more stern on their children and odnt take any "talking back" like mine do. But yeah, trust your kids or your kids wont trust you. Thats my experience. Make sure your kid is smart and well educated, then trust them. yes they get inot things they arent supposed to, but thats apart of everyones life and things need to be dealt with a calm and easy environment, not "WHAT THE F*CK IS THAT GAY PORN ON YOUR COMPUTER? Are you a nasty little pervert who gets off on that sort of thing? Am I gonna have to send you away to the ministry to get you clean off your nasty little filth train of websites?"

(dramatizations of course lol). But yeah, i dont approve of others searching through kids things. Sex is very important and ALL schools need to teach sex ed, but if your kid is getting all the information form porn (which can be very accurate sometimes haha), then talk to them about sex...dont look through their things and tell them you know what porn sites they go to. Id be happy if i knew my parents searched my stuff, and didnt say anything to me about it and just talked to me about sex. That would have been fine with me

That is almost exactly what my parents said to me the first time they found porn (it was straight porn so my parents were ok with it).
But they never talked to me about it, they just let it drop.

That is what not to do. They started out right; a parent should be able to snoop, to monitor, but not to accuse. When I was 13 I looked at straight porn, look at me now!
If my parents would have sat me down, I would have been able to tell them that I was gay and that I was afraid. That could have helped over the next 5 years as I struggled with my sexuality and my fear.

So I guess I am for parents monitoring, but only to make sure nothing bad happens (ie addiction, obsession...) or to start a conversation about sex.

Just like a sex-ed class in school there should be a class for parents "How to talk to your kid about sex." If parents could talk to their kids about sex, then I think that there could be an intelligent discussion, and the kid could then understand the decision of sex, and that might make porn less taboo?

I dont even know what I'm talking about now.
It is a very messy business, parenting. I know I am not ready for it.

I certainly hope I didn't give the impression that I believe in black-and-white issues (on anything!). I don't. I'm a relativist on nearly all matters.

Being a teenager is a messy business, too

Communication is one of the keys to a healthy parent/teen relationship, with Trust being another. I've got four and a half years before I get my first teenager....

Well don't worry, perhaps by then they'll have a cure.

There is a known cure, but it's not an easy one. It involves locking up the teenager when they turn 13. Seven years later, they're cured -- no longer a teenager

Lol...Mine weren't so 'accomodating'....

My sister and mother, rounded me up and asked point blank, pointing to the computer's empty history---->

What the hell is THAT??!!

And then when once I was looking... I had to close the windows immediately as my sister entered. Unforutnately, she ain't that dumb. So, what does she do?

Goes on to yell for my mom--> "MOM! HE IS WATCHING PORN AGAIN!!!!"

ROFL!!! A toast for annoying sisters!

I got 4. LOL

4!!!! And to think I can't handle one!!

On the origional topic of how to help keep things hidden on your computer, I found it helpful to use 2 browsers.

Firefox for my everyday browsing and Internet Explorer for Gay Browsing (eg, this site). That way, I only need to clear the history of one browser and that empty history doesn't look suspicious because "I never use that browser, its rubbish. This one is much better..."

Clever! A very good way to do it

I actually do the opposite! Somehow Firefox's default setting on my laptop is set to automatically delete cookies and all that stuff. So yup!

IE is for Facebook, and that sort of stuff.

Firefox is for GA!

Well that's pretty clever/sneaky!

As I said, I have my own user account courtesy Windows XP and that lets me keep my privacy intact!!

The Beastkid

Beastkid, make sure you disable sharing your personal folders (my documents).

Also you might want to encrypt files that are in the the main directories (aside from my documents). encrypting makes it impossible for other users to read/delete/change them while still being available as a normal file to you (i do not recommend it tho, it can still be defeated by going on safe mode, and its hell if you lost your user account).

All my 'personal' files, like my story drafts, files from GA and ofcourse, porn goes into a special encrypted and hidden folder to which only I have the access to....

The Beastkid

God I love not living at home...It's so nice to be able to just have desktop folders with stuff like that in them (well, maybe not porn...)

Menzo

If you have a strong login password and encrypt all of the folders on your PC that have documents (including My Documents in XP and the Documents and Pictures folders in Vista), you should be safe and going into your PC in Safe Mode without knowing your login password will only display the documents in encrypted format (which is useless to the person doing the spying). Use a strong password that consists of at least 14 characters and has a mix of upper and lower character letters, digits, and special characters (the ones that can be used in login passwords).

To encrypt a folder and all of the subfolders and files, start Windows Explorer, right-click on the folder, select Properties from the pop-up menu, click the Advanced button, click the Encrypt contents to secure data checkbox, click OK, click the Apply button, make sure Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files is selected, then click OK. This may take a long time to run! Do not use your computer for anything else while encryption is being applied. Make sure the computer is not turned off, or put into Sleep mode or Hibernate mode, until encryption is complete. It's best to do it one or two smaller folders at a time unless you have a very fast computer or a small number of data folders and files. While you can encrypt programs, it's better to not do so.

Colin

Encryption is, of course, the biggest gun avaiable in the security battle.

If you have a choice, look for 256 bit 3DES.

There are many ways to encrypt files. Windows is just one of them.

The file compression and management tools Win-RAR, powerArchiver do the job well a leave a minium of "tracks",

I can't believe I'm contributing to the collective dilinquency , but I have an additional alternative.

I have a jump drive that includes software from U3, including a Firefox browser for U3. The benefit of running software from the jump drive is that I can use FireFox (as well as all the other programs installed on my jump drive) on any PC I plug into (whether or not FireFox is installed on that PC).

The other side benefit is that my links and cache are stored on the jump drive, and not the PC I'm plugged into (I think).

So you can keep all your 'regular' links on the PC's browser (and thus not arousing suspicion), but your personal links on your jump drive.

The jump drive is password protected and since I keep it on my keychain, my secrets go with me .

Take Care®,

Vic

P.S. - I think I got my 4gb jump drive (from Sandisk) for about $39 several months ago.

I'd just like to note that as useful as this stuff is, it does nothing to diminish the previously mentioned possibility of a parent using a router or anything else your connection goes through to find out what sites you visit.

The only real way to do this is to use an encrypted proxy, but reliable ones generally cost money.

Also, if an effective keylogger is put on your system, it'll probably catch you. The only real way to know a computer is secure is to encypt the entire drive anytime it's not in your presence or have it physically secure. And these methods still don't solve the router problem.

Unfortunately, there's really no way most teens can truly protect their information. Luckily, most parents have no idea of how to do anything more than look at one's history, if that.

I would never trust my parent(s) again if they went onto my computer and plundered through what I considered to be my private property. That would be grounds for being shunned entirely.

It would be an unforgivable violation of trust and respect, and that's just not something you can get back after you screw it up that badly. Maybe I'm harsh, but I just wouldn't ever look at them the same way again.

Well said, Jamie

I need to learn how to do that!!!

A lot of this seems far too complicated for me to do... I'm so not computer savvy.

Couple other things. If you're viewing pr0n online, use it in a browser that no one else uses (example: Maxthon) and set that browser to clear its cache and history every time it closes. I do this with Maxthon and no one knows what's going on. My roommate uses Maxthon all the time, but he knows that I primarily use Firefox, so he wouldn't be surprised at an empty history. I haven't even changed its home page.

If you are viewing files saved to the computer itself, do yourself a favor and invest in either a large jump drive or a mobile hard drive. I use my jump drive for school, so it has no lewd files on it, but I recently bought a 250gb Western Digital Passport mobile hard drive. It's small, fits in your pocket, and requires only a USB cable to connect it to ANY PC in the world. I haven't yet moved my pr0n over to it, but I will eventually. Right now it all sits on a slave drive.

One final thing you can do is if you peruse GA a lot and don't want anyone to know (or sneak up on you), develope a nice peripheral vision and keyboard skills. I typed this entire message with my eyes kept on the monitor, and every now and then checking the door behind me with very little head movement. It doesn't take a lot to acquire these skills, just type a lot (or post a lot like some members who shall remain nameless *cough*Kevvers, CJ*cough*).


I totally agree. If my parents found me out by snooping my hard drive (sensitive files are hidden, screen saver is password protected, and Administrator is password protected), I would gather my shit, toss it in the car, and leave. Permanently. While they're yelling about the stuff they found, I'll be yelling about the blatant disregard for my privacy. I'm 20 f**king years old, going on 21, they have no reason or right to do such things.

Of course all of this stuff can be gotten around if your parents are computer savvy, so watch out for that. My personal favorite is recording dns requests through a router, not very hard to set up.