[Ipg-smz] Any ideas for helping a friend with a computer-related addiction?

[David Needle]

Thanks Joe. I did mention email as a primary use, but I should have stated
he still wants to surf news sites, watch YouTube videos etc.

On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 12:48 PM Joe Stanganelli <rodeojoe at hotmail.com>
wrote:

> FWIW, aggressive settings on a combination of tools like Privacy Badger,
> NoScript, and HTTPS Everywhere combined with a complete disabling of Flash,
> HTML5, and other ActiveX controls would at the very least block pretty much
> all video.
>
> It’s not a solution unto itself because it’s all **very** easily undone,
> but it’s at least an additional layer to whatever solution(s) you/your
> friend adopt – particularly if he really only needs it for email and other
> simple functions.
>
> Beyond that, I have to imagine that /r/nofap would have some ideas. (Not
> for him to peruse himself, of course… If you’re trying to stay away from
> pornographic imagery, stay the heck off reddit.)
>
>
>
> Joe
>
>
> ------------------------------
> *From:* Ipg-smz <ipg-smz-bounces at netpress.org> on behalf of Mac McCarthy <
> mac.mccarthy at gmail.com>
> *Sent:* Thursday, February 21, 2019 3:29:30 PM
> *To:* ipg-smz at netpress.org
> *Subject:* Re: [Ipg-smz] Any ideas for helping a friend with a
> computer-related addiction?
>
> Is there anyone who offers a whitelist? Or a blacklist?
>
> On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 12:25 PM David Needle <davidneedle at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Thanks for chiming in!
>>
>> That Chromebook idea might be worth pursuing. though establishing that
>> white list sounds like a hassle. For example with the filter he could go to
>> YouTube and see most everything, but some content was considered too
>> "adult." Not sure about the Lee's idea, again, it sounds like we would have
>> to either identify and limit him to a core group of sites (less than ideal)
>> or try to identify all the ones that are undesirable impossible :-)
>>
>>
>>
>> On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 12:11 PM Lee Schlesinger <sayhitolee at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> If your friend is not technical you could install a custom /etc/hosts
>>> file (https://www.hostsfile.org/hosts.html for instance) to block
>>> undesirable sites. It's not a total solution, but it could help.
>>>
>>> On Thu, Feb 21, 2019 at 3:02 PM David Needle <davidneedle at gmail.com>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Friend of mine has been dealing with a porn addiction issue for many
>>>> years. He lives on the East Cost (I’m in California) so it’s hard to help
>>>> directly. But I have over the years with mixed results. He’s had computers
>>>> that he’s ended up smashing in frustration and gone years without using one
>>>> at all because of the issue. He also uses a bare bones cellphone because of
>>>> the issue.
>>>>
>>>> His last computer was three years ago and we used a family protection
>>>> service by Symantec a filter that worked really well (I had the password),
>>>> until it didn’t. This doesn’t quite make sense to me, but as he explains
>>>> it, he was getting pop up ads from Comcast offering free wifi on an hourly
>>>> basis. He said these would pop up even when he was offline. I’m not sure
>>>> how that could be so, but I guess if it was embedded in the computer it’s
>>>> possible.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, what happened was he would buy hourly time and that connection
>>>> for some reason subverted or was immune to the filter so he could do
>>>> whatever he wanted and that was not a good thing. He ended up shutting down
>>>> the computer and stopped using it. I suspect he’s not giving an accurate
>>>> description of what happened. It may be he ended his Internet provider (and
>>>> Symantec) and then got the Comcast offers, etc.
>>>>
>>>> In any case, he wants to try getting a computer again which he needs
>>>> for email etc. and starting with the filter again, but is worried about
>>>> this Comcast issue happening again. It’s a weird situation to be using this
>>>> “family filter” because he’s in his 50s, but seems to be the only solution.
>>>>
>>>> Anyone have any ideas or thoughts? I’m thinking just go ahead with
>>>> Symantec again and see what happens. I don’t think he’ll get those ads with
>>>> a new laptop. I think they were some vestige of the last computer that a
>>>> friend gave to him.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks in advance,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> David
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>
>
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>
> Mac McCarthy
>
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