From bobrankin@MHV.NET Thu Jan 8 23:43:19 1998
Date: Wed, 31 Dec 1997 02:28:12 -0500
From: Bob Rankin
Reply-To: TOURBUS-Request@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
To: TOURBUS@LISTSERV.AOL.COM
Subject: TOURBUS - 30 Dec 1997 - Bonus.com
_________ ____________ ________ __________ _____________ ___ _
/ | / | | / | \
| "Why | Surf When / You Can | Ride The | Bus?" / | \
|__________|__________/__________|__________|___________/ | \
/ /______|----\
| Visit the TOURBUS website to see the Archives, |//////| |
| FAQ, and Subscription Information! |//////| |
| http://www.TOURBUS.com |//////| |
\________________________________________________________|______|____|
/ \ / \ / \
\___/ \___/ T h e I n t e r n e t T o u r B u s \___/
TODAY'S TOURBUS TOPIC: Bonus.com - The Supersite for Kids
TODAY'S TOURBUS STOP: http://www.bonus.com
Bonus.com is a FREE site on the World Wide Web, an online playground
where kids can enjoy over 1000 activities including games, coloring,
learning and more. If you're worried about the safety of your kids
on the Net, this is one site you won't want to miss.
+----------------// GET PAID to SURF THE NET!! \\-------------------+
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Color: $23.95/pint. Call 1-888-728-2465 or visit our website
+--------------[ http://www.oddparts.com/ink/tour.htm ]-------------+
Similar to a children's section at the library, every activity has
been specially selected for Bonus.com because they are fun, interactive
and interesting for kids. Kids can fly an airplane, color a dinosaur,
dive into a volcano, travel to ancient Egypt, try their hand at a
geography puzzle, find out how their heart beats and more.
KID-FRIENDLY
------------
What's cool about this site is that kids can click from one activity
to another all within Bonus.com's kid-friendly environment. What does
that mean? First, the ads that display on top of the screen are
screened so that your child won't click off to some inappropriate site.
They follow the strict guidelines for privacy and appropriateness set
forth by the Children's Advertising Review Unit (CARU).
Second, there's NetScooter, Bonus.com's user interface and protective
technology, which focuses the attention on content, while limiting
access to the Web at large. Basically this means that they've tried
real hard to provide a fun environment and to make it difficult for
kids to "escape" to sites outside of the Bonus.com framework. A new
browser window pops up when you access Bonus.com, with a special set
of navigational controls that makes it easy to navigate the site.
The main section of Bonus.com features five color-coded CyberWays
(Play, Color, Explore, Inspect, Imagine), which are in turn are divided
into dozens of fun areas for kids (and adults) to explore. If games are
what you seek, look no further. Bonus.com offers over 350 Java-based
games, multi-player games, original quizzes and puzzles. I found "Frog
Solitaire" quite amusing. :-)
CHECK YOUR BROWSER
------------------
You will need a Java-capable browser to enjoy many of the activities at
Bonus.com. If you have Windows 95 you will need Netscape Navigator 2.0
or later, Microsoft Explorer 3.0 or AOL 3.0. (Make sure that the browser
you have is a Win95 version.) If you have a Mac, use Microsoft Explorer
3.0 or Netscape 3.0. If you run Windows 3.1, use Microsoft Internet
Explorer 3.0. If you use Netscape 3.x or AOL for Windows 3.1, you will
not be able to play the Java games.
If you register with Bonus.com, you become eligible to:
- bookmark your favorite activities
- participate in Bonus.com special events
- save your score for future play in the multi-player games
Registering involves creating a fictitious screen name and providing
date of birth, e-mail address, gender, zip code, and country. They
don't ask visitors for a real name or postal address, and according
to their FAQ:
> Bonus.com is committed to protecting the privacy of each visitor
> who registers with us. Under no circumstances do we rent or sell
> information about our visitors to any outside third party.
KIDDY CARTE BLANCE?
-------------------
Turning your kids loose on the Web with no supervision is asking for
trouble. But you can at least turn your back for a few minutes when
they're exploring within the confines of Bonus.com. The editors there
do their best provide only quality kide-safe resources, and continually
screen any off-site links for unsuitable material. If you're a kid,
parent or teacher, you'll find this site worth a visit.
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*------------------- --------------------*
=====================[ Tourbus Rider Information ]===================
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