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This parental filtering application blocks perilous material from being accessed on your computer. Though it snubs some useful features, it includes one useful feature that we really liked.
When trying to access forbidden territory, Naomi's visceral user notification is great: it kills the Web browser. No warning, no explanation, just boom: program closed. Naomi's engine uses heuristic and semantic data filtering and can hide its system tray icon for covert functioning. The program's plain interface is password-protected and has no filter-related configuring options; you just click to start and that's it. As a result, some search results aren't even revealed because the program immediately detects the explicit words and shuts down the browser.
The app also blocks P2P file sharing and chat sessions. During testing, however, the program didn't block instant messengers when inappropriate words were used, and user-defined options comparable to those in other parental-control filters are greatly missed. Naomi provides a moderate level of protection for free, but locating more powerful parental-control programs isn't hard.
Publisher's Description
From Radiant Morning Tech:
Naomi is an advanced Internet filtering program, easy to use, intended for families and kids in particular. Naomi is able to constantly monitor all Internet connections, protecting children from inappropriate online material - such as obscene or violent contents; pornography, pedophilia and erotism in the form of images or texts; sites that popularize drugs; gambling games; terrorism; hate propaganda; occultism; sects; blasphemy. Naomi does not rely on a simple list of banned sites; instead, it examines in real-time all the data being transmitted and received through any Internet application - such as Web browsers, chat programs, news readers.
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All versions:
3.7 starsout of 55 votes
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Current version:
3.6 starsout of 36 votes
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My rating:
Write review
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"very good and easy to use"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
nothing particular
Cons
nothing particular
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"A simple effective parental control system"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
Naomi is extremely simple to use. I have not done any installation maintenance or reconfiguration since I installed it five years ago on my children's computer.
Cons
Naomi's strict filtering can be annoying on machines that are used by parents as well as children. You have to manually turn off Naomi (using a simple popup) to see forbidden sites.
Summary
I installed Naomi five years ago while it was still supported. The legacy Naomi web site (http://www.radiance.m6.net/) now recommends installing a free supported parental control system like SafeFamilies. I still use Naomi because it works well for my purposes and I follow a policy of "if ain't broken, don't fix it".
If I were configuring a new system, I might try using SafeFamilies first but I would not hesitate to fall back on Naomi if any issues arose with SafeFamilies. I like the fact that Naomi only depends on heuristic rules rather than a database (which may be inaccurate and can easily become stale). I have not tried to breach Naomi's filtering policies but I suspect it is rather difficult--particularly for children--since Naomi shuts the browser down on any hint of adult material. -
"pure sh##t"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
it works but can be disabled
Cons
all you do is go to system restore and go back to a date its not in there and poof its gone. pure sh#t
Summary
my son inlaw has a problem with porn he watches it all day and night makes his wife upset, i downloaded it to help her and he spent all night trying to get rid of it now this guy is dumb at computers but some where during the night he found out that he could get rid of it by useing system restore on windows xp. the thing that gives the program away on your computer is the icon on bottom of the screen in the task bar and the promp for password. my advice is do not download because if a dumbbutt like my son inlaw can get rid of it the the greatest minds in computers can to. guess it took a dummy to figure out how to crack this program.
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"Warning: Do NOT use this"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
This is a horrible product.
Cons
Details added below
Summary
I downloaded this free filter in hopes that it would do it's job - filtering the internet. Naomi reminds me alot of that computer from space odyssey.
This program has forced popup windows every time I start or shut down my computer. I've tried to remove this program (even manually - 2+ hours) in every way I know how. I've uninstalled it (apparently "successfully") five times, yet it still appears on my taskbar. I am the adminstrator of my computer and it seems as if I have to accept that I won't be able to settle for removing this program at all, which is making me very angry. -
"Runs with out you knowing its even there. Superb!"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
No need to manually accept every different website you go onto as being safe. Naomi automatically does it for you. When it sees that your entering a website inappropriate for minors it automatically shuts the explore off.
Cons
None I can think of.
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"Infallible. (Let's face it, PORN DESTROYS TRUST in your marriage!)"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
It looks at the images before they come up, to assess sexual content - miraculous bit of software!
Cons
Closes browser but at least you never see the image to stir up infidelity!
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"Know what you're getting into!!"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
It blocks about 50%-70% of material I don't want to see (porn etc.)
Cons
It blocks a ton of stuff that isn't bad, like my entire iTunes, poker games that I have on my comp, a bunch of clean Youtube vids, etc. I typed in a random password to start out, thinking that it would block porn sites for me, cause I don't need to see that. BUT IT BLOCKS EVERYTHING and there is no way out. THERE IS NO SUPPORT, NO UNINSTALL (esp. without a pass), NO HELP. IT HAS RUINED MY COMPUTER!!! plz contact me if you can help :( I hate this program.
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"I installed it on Vista and it's unremovable. No support is offered."
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
It seems to work as advertised as far as blocking websites.
Cons
When it needs to be removed, it acts like a virus. It seems to be removed, but after a reboot the program is back again. I assume this is because I tried it on Vista and it wasn't intended for that operating system.
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"A virus in teddybear's clothing"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
I like that is free and is a cinch to set up, but....
Cons
You get what you pay for. Being free, I expected this software to be imperfect and inaccurate. While I was initially impressed with the test run with some searches on Google, I soon discovered that the filter was not blocking everything. It wouldn't block some foreign porn sites and would shut my browser down randomly at times. I got annoyed at how it would shut down all apps using the internet. It shut down Yahoo! Jukebox, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and even interrupted my downloads, corrupting the files. As time went on, it started to mess with my computer's settings and files. It deleted games that I had downloaded. I was finally fed up with the program and tried to uninstall it when I discovered that it isn't under any traditional program list. I could only access Naomi from my tray, from which it would occasionally hide. When I typed in the password, it didn't except it because it had manually changed the password and never told me what it was. I absolutely despise this product now. I still haven't been able to get it off and it goes on little "filter-fits" as I like to call them. It will start filtering everything out. I will be on a fully loaded page, reading about weather and about 15 seconds later, while I'm still in the same spot, my browser gets shut down. In summary, this program infects your computer and is the biggest pain to remove, while either not blocking some very inappropriate stuff or blocking everything. Don't even bother trying it.
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"It's awesome"
Version: Naomi 3.2.90
Pros
I love this thing, if Naomi were a girl I'd have to take her out for coffee once a week & per her babysitting fees. If you don't love it it's because someone else installed it & you can't get to the places you'd like to go! It's not just good for kids it's good for roving mates also... It gives me that peace of mind that I need with teens on the net!
Cons
If you are working on something & happen upon a site it doesn't like it does shut down the whole browser (Like it's supposed to) so yes you will lose your work but it's worth the trouble.
