REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 11, 1998 — Microsoft Corp. today joins nine companies, schools, education associations and libraries in co-sponsoring a free Internet safety fair organized by America Links Up: A Kids Online Teach-In. The Internet Fair and Safety Training Session tonight at Bellevue Community College in Bellevue, Wash., features hands-on demonstrations of fun, educational Web sites about parenting, sports, news, investments, games, travel and entertainment.
Parents, kids, teachers and other participants at the fair will learn how to have a safe, rewarding experience online, including how to find and use high-quality Internet content, and tips on safe Web navigating.
“Microsoft is committed to educating families about the safest, most effective ways to enjoy all that the World Wide Web has to offer,”
said Laura Jennings, vice president of MSN
™
at Microsoft.
“Events such as the Internet Fair and Safety Training Session are a great way to show parents, kids and teachers how to have a safe, rewarding experience online.”
Employees from Microsoft will lead hands-on demonstrations of how to book airline tickets and find movie listings on the MSN Expedia
™travel service and the MSN Sidewalk® online guide.
The fair will feature speakers such as renowned international cyberspace attorney Parry Aftab, who also serves as executive director of CyberAngels Internet Safety Organization. Aftab will sign free copies of her book,
“A Parent’s Guide to the Internet … and How to Protect Your Children in Cyberspace.”
Also speaking is Leanne Shirey, a writer and Seattle police detective with the city’s vice squad. Shirey designs Internet safety classes for parents and law-enforcement personnel. The event, which includes food, prizes and an appearance by the Seattle Mariners Moose, will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. today at Bellevue Community College’s Northwest Center for Emerging Technologies. For more information call Nika Herford at Net Nanny Software International Inc., (425) 688-3008.
Co-sponsors of the Internet Fair and Safety Training Session include AT & T Corp., Edmark Corp., Family PC, Headbone Interactive Inc., Imagination Unleashed, King County Library System, Microsoft, Net Nanny, The Cyber Station and the Washington Education Association.
Microsoft joined nearly 50 online companies and organizations in support of the America Links Up (ALU) campaign, which launched in September during National Kids Online Week. ALU is a nationwide public-awareness and education campaign aimed at providing adults and children with the necessary information and tools to help ensure a safe and rewarding online experience. In October, Microsoft launched the SafeOnline Web site ( http://www.microsoft.com/info/safeonline/ ) to offer parents, teachers and children valuable information and links to some of the best sites online for staying safe while enjoying the Internet.
In addition to co-sponsoring tonight’s fair, Microsoft has offered the following support to the ALU campaign:
-
Sponsorship of the America Links Up Web site ( ), which is designed to be a resource for kids, parents, teachers and librarians for learning about the safest ways to surf the World Wide Web, and includes tips and hints for staying safe online
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Donation of $500,000 in free online advertising space to encourage Web surfers to visit the ALU Web site from both Microsoft-related Web sites and the Web sites of other online companies
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Creation and sponsorship of Online Safety Month in October 1998, which was promoted throughout Microsoft Web sites
As part of its ongoing dedication to protecting children online, Microsoft has initiated its own programs and concepts, and pursues support of other notable safety measures and campaigns. For example, the Content Advisor feature in Microsoft® Internet Explorer technologies was one of the first to offer parents the ability to choose Web sites for their children’s viewing and to prevent them from inadvertently visiting adult-oriented sites. Microsoft also supports the work of the Children’s Advertising Review Unit (CARU) in drafting guidelines governing Web sites directed at children. In May 1998, Microsoft and Net Nanny co-sponsored a free seminar for parents and teachers called
“The Internet and Our Children.”
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
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