Anyway it’s Poppy the Labradoodle’s birthday today – she is two years old. Not sure what it adds to be honest, its life seems to be centred around walks, fetching sticks, barking at the postman and food.

Anyway, here is a picture of her.

She’s great with the kids. Just smells a bit – that’s family dogs for you.

“Zip it” tells them not to give out personal details online, while “block it” tells children not to open e-mails or attachments from people they have not heard of, and to block off anyone who sends hurtful messages. “Flag it” advises them to tell an adult if something unnerves or frightens them online.

Targeted directly at children, it reminds the older amongst us of the famous Green Cross Code.

So is it really necessary? Well research has found that one in five of the 99 per cent of 8 to 17-year-olds who use the internet had come across inappropriate content, and a third said their parents did not monitor their activity online. So the answer is yes.

Businesses such as Microsoft, Google and Bebo have agreed a range of new requirements, such as offering parents more rigorous privacy settings.

We at Beanbag also embrace the new code, and when its detail becomes clear we will implement it across our website.

Action has also been necessary to protect our tutor community particularly from the risk of identity theft. Our secure messaging facility allows clients to contact tutors direct, without the tutor having to disclose their private email address or phone number on their tutor profile.

This is an evolving field, and Tanya Byron has been working with the government in an advisory capacity on online safety.

Around 140 companies, charities and other groups have signed up to the new standards. Measures include features such as the heralded ‘Panic Button’ allowing children to report offensive and inappropriate content. Beanbag is primarily used by adults, but recognising this risk we have added a ‘Report This’ button throughout our website.

Details of the new standards are published next week, and we will be looking closely at what we can do to make Beanbag an even safer place for tutoring.

Suspension Balloons, originally uploaded by bristol_bound.

Bristol is such a special place.

The iconic image of the Clifton Suspension Bridge is well known, and I love this photo of taken from the Bristol Balloon Fiesta (by bristol_bound).

What makes Bristol special? It’s not just the architecture in places like Clifton and Redland, it’s not the Downs, or the sports teams.

Its a green, historic and vibrant maritime city. It’s the place that I am proud to call my birthplace and hometown.