I recently had a conversation with a co-worker who bought a Wii for her kids this Christmas. At first, she didn't seem the least bit interested in putting their Wii on the Internet. After all, her line of work was Information Technology, like mine, and knew what kind of cesspool the Internet can be. But my advice to her was, yes, you should get your Wii on the Internet. The Wii is made for the Internet. Her concern was, is it safe? By "safe", she clearly meant "for my kids to not get exposed to bad stuff".

Bad stuff is no longer limited to web content, or unsolicited e-mail.  Microsoft has, for a good while now, been dealing with issues on XBox Live concerning the coarse nature of some users' behaviors.  Internet blogger Josh Smith performed an informal survey of profanity while playing Microsoft's Halo 2 on-line, and the results should worry any parent.

The short answer is, yes, the Wii is safe on the Internet. The benefits greatly outweigh the risks. There are some risks, though, so here is my take on Wii on the Internet.

What are the benefits?

• First and foremost, operating system updates.  While it is true that certain Nintendo titles contain Wii system updates, it's always safest for any networked computer system, the Wii included, to get system updates as soon as they are available.  While most of them concern improved functionality or new features, some are security-related.  You always want the newest updates.
  
  
• A lot of the Channels depend on Internet access.  The Shop Channel, Weather Channel, and News Channel are all part of the base operating system, and they won't work unless they can communicate with the World Wide Web.
  
  
• Any downloadable content requires Internet access.  This includes free add-on channels like the updated Photo Channel, the Nintendo Channel, and the Check Mii Out Channel.  You need it to buy and download Virtual Console and WiiWare games.
  
  
• On-line gameplay is fun!  Access to human competitors really extends the lifespan of a game like Mario Kart Wii, for example.  And there's no way for other people to communicate with you against your will, so you don't need to worry about your children getting a profane earful from less well-behaved people (such as on XBox Live).

So what are the risks? 

Because, of course, it's foolish to think that there aren't any.  But truthfully, there are very few:

• If you choose to purchase and download the Internet Channel, which features the Opera 9 for Wii web browser, you should exercise the same level of caution that you would with a regular PC web browser.  While Opera's functionality is somewhat limited (e.g. it doesn't support the most recent versions of Flash), it's certainly capable of contacting any web site on the Internet.
  
  
• Although adding Wii Friends is a cumbersome process, a savvy kid could certainly do it.  If you add a person as a Wii Friend, the assumption is that you can handle what they give you.  This means e-mails through the Wii's Message Center as well as any games that permit you to communicate, although at the moment only Animal Crossing: City Folk permits this.

What protections are in place on the Wii?

• The biggie is that there is no way to communicate with people in an unsolicited fashion.  While many hardcore gamers consider this a silly limitation, parents and other gamers who are concerned about the kind of language they're exposed to will welcome this.  In order to communicate with anyone on Wii, you must exchange Friend Codes.  You must give your code to the person you wish to add, and they must give you yours.  There is no way to do this on the Wii.  It must be done either in person, or by some other medium such as e-mail.  Your Friend Code is a unique 16 digit number assigned to you by Nintendo.  Once each Wii owner has successfully added the other person's Friend Code, then and only then may you communicate.
  
  
• Many individual games that permit on-line play have their own Friend Codes.  Mario Kart Wii, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Animal Crossing: City Folk, and several other games all require their own Friend Code exchanges in order to permit communication.  Several Nintendo DS games have supported this for years, such as the voice chat feature in Pokemon Diamond/Pearl.
  
  
• Several parts of the Wii operating system support a personal identification number (PIN) to impose parental controls.  At the moment, that includes blocking:
  
  • Wii game disks based on ESRB rating
  • Access to the Internet and News Channels
  • Access to the Message Center and any in-game communications between players
  • Use of Wii Points in the Shop Channel
  • Wii operating system updates

While many people have criticized Nintendo for their conservatism in regards to on-line communications, it's for a good reason.  They don't want parents and kids, who still make up a core constituency of Nintendo's market support, to be surprised by anything unbidden.  While I sympathize with those who think that Nintendo has been too restrictive, it hope that any future expansion of on-line interactivity is not at the expense of safety.