Website blocking is important for parents who want to keep their kids from accessing inappropriate materials, and for employers who want to keep employees off the Internet and on target.

But for those also interested in website filtering WebWatcher allows users to do more than simply block websites, it allows access to a certain subset of web pages predetermined by the user. This is called creating a "white list" or "whitelisting".

The "white list" is a list of websites that employers or parents can create that are acceptable for viewing; this means that only the approved websites can be accessed.

WebWatcher also allows traditional website blocking by letting employers and parents actively block certain sites based on specific keywords or URLs.

For those in a hurry WebWatcher offers an extensive database of sites and categories that can be quickly and easily blocked .

For a more discreet (some would say less stringent approach) users can also opt for website monitoring, recording which sites are accessed, when, and for how long.

This allows parents and employers to see what someone is doing online without interfering with what they're doing, which may help let you see what they're really doing and what websites they're really visiting.

If discretion is important in monitoring the individual you'd like to, it's good to be able to opt for website monitoring without blocking, as WebWatcher can.

This also makes it possible for you to later decide if a page is appropriate for viewing. That site can then be white listed, if desired, or blocked if need be.

The process is very easy, and busy individuals will be pleased with the intuitive nature of the program.

Someone looking to catch a cheating spouse might like it for its ability to show them what sites their significant other has been accessing, including dating sites and personals.

Social Media Website Monitoring

Millions of people log into social media sites like Myspace and Facebook every day. Chances are you do, your kids do, your employees do.

The question though are:

1. Do you want them to?
2. Do you want to know what they're doing on those sites when they get there?

For parents this can mean that their kids are vulnerable to cyber bullies or online predators.

For employers this can mean that their employees are wasting time or posting inappropriate materials that could reflect poorly on the business as a whole.

For concerned spouses or partners this can mean their significant other is communicating with others they shouldn't be on these sites.

WebWatcher enables the monitoring of social media sites with screenshots of photos and pages, a list of instant messaging "friends" complete with conversations, and even copies of webmail services.

The keylogger even captures the usernames and passwords used to access these sites, a feature useful for those who might have multiple accounts, and for parents who fear that children might be posting overly personal or inappropriate materials.

Monitoring Search History

Thanks in part to their keylogger, WebWatcher monitors the entire search history of the computer in question.

You'll see search history stored in a separate part of your WebWatcher account, making it extremely easy to see what the person you're monitoring is searching for on their PC.

This is useful when employers want to catch employees looking for a new job, or searching inappropriate materials.

Likewise, parents and suspicious spouses will love it for its ability to show them what the user is looking for online.

Instant messages are often the means by which PC users communicate with others online, thinking that their messages will be confidential.

Employers might be concerned that employees are wasting time chatting, while parents and spouses might worry about what's being said in instant messages--and to whom.

WebWatcher records all instant messages, including both sides of the conversation, and does so while completely invisible.

The reports of instant message conversations are well organized and easy to read, and include the participants, the date and time of the conversation, and the content of the chat.

All chats can be easily searched, sorted, and saved for later reference.

WebWatcher allows you to read any email that's either sent or received from the PC in question.

Email or attachments that are hidden or erased are still captured, and WebWatcher even captures webmail in case the person you're monitoring isn't using (or isn't only using) a standard mail client.

WebWatcher's real-time screenshots allow you to see for yourself exactly what is happening on the PC in question, page by page.

There are different way to setup the screenshots, depending on your needs; however, the method you're most likely to use is keyword-based.

After entering a list of words you want WebWatcher to be on the lookout for, it will automatically take screenshots at intervals you set of whatever is on-screen when WebWatcher detects the keyword.

You'll see if an employee is gambling online on the job, posting resumes to job sites, playing solitaire on company time, or otherwise spending time at their computer in a way that's inappropriate.

For parents, you'll easily see if your child is trying to download pornography or viewing other sites inconsistent with your family's values.

For husbands and wives, boyfriends and girlfriends, you'll see if or if your spouse/significant other is browsing personal ads or communicating with someone about infidelity and indiscretions.

And all of WebWatcher's screenshots can be played back like a mini-movie; this makes it fast and easy to get a clear visual of exactly what's happening on the computer you're monitoring.

WebWatcher allows employers and parents to create computer time rules, with Internet usage limits designed to minimize unsupervised computer use.

For parents, setting computer usage limits can ensure that avid gamers aren't online too long, and can make it much easier for parents to watch over their kids when they are using the Internet. For employers this means that inappropriate computer or Internet use can be minimized in the workplace.

A remote monitoring feature is the hallmark of the best computer monitoring software.

With remote monitoring parents, employers, and even suspicious spouses can monitor PC use from anywhere - whether that's from the next room, from work, or from another country.

This means that inappropriate computer use can be controlled when employers are traveling, when parents are asleep, and when spouses are at work.

Programs that lack this feature force you to return to the PC in question for results; an option that might not be there for many users

Here is where quality is key when it comes to computer monitoring software. A poorly designed stealth feature will be a dead giveaway that PC use is being recorded, forcing users to switch to another PC, or disable the program.

WebWatcher is invisible. Once it was installed we couldn't find it on our test PCs no matter how hard we tried.

There may be some way to detect it, but it doesn't show up in any visible files (they're not marked as 'hidden' either), it doesn't show up in the Registry, or in the Windows Task Manager.

From every indication, it's not there, but when we look at the data it has recorded, it successfully captured what we did on the PC.

Tech support is a critical part of software as important as computer monitoring software.

No matter if it's an employee, child, significant other, or anyone else, if you're trying to keep an eye on someone when they're surfing the web or using the computer, you need the software to work. If something isn't working, you need it fixed.

In our experience, we were helped quickly and professionally each time we contacted them by phone or chat. Likewise, the trouble ticket we put in (which we knew the answer to in advance thanks to their Knowledge Base) was answered in approximately 3 hours.

WebWatcher is our number one choice this year based on its high-quality computer monitoring software features, including great key logging functionality, true ease of use, and top notch tech support.

It records, filters, and blocks everything that happens on the PC in question, and does so while being totally invisible.

WebWatcher's reports are detailed and easy to understand, and can be personalized based on the information that you want.

What's perhaps one of the most interesting things about it is that no matter if you're interested in blocking, monitoring, or both, you really can do it all with one program.

Best of all, your results can be accessed from anywhere, at anytime, and from any computer.

We're sad to see that there isn't a Mac version available yet; this is something we hope they're working on although we doubt one will be released anytime soon.

And while WebWatcher costs a bit more than the average computer monitoring software program, its high-end features and great versatility should make it worth the extra cost for most people.