Your Computer's Yom Kippur Message

The best internet usage management solution for me is self discipline. So many things that I have been unaware of in the past, this day I ask for the Almighty Gods forgiveness of my sins. My walk has been difficult as denominations place obstructions, including poor and erroneous teaching. I give thanks to Almighty God for showing me the true path

I made an evaluation of what really happened with me on the computer and it was a complete waste of time. So this year I got rid of the internet on my computer. I traded for positive courses and yes reading books. That's right kids. I have read whole

I like this article for several reasons. It uses humor (thank you Rabbi) to convey a timely message, it is true as to how many hours many people waste on surfing and not studying, further, one must be safe. So, the greater majority of sites I visit and bookmarks I make are all Judaica related. I don't have the time to waste to do anything else. When I have read something in the local, national or international news I usually wish I had not. Ergo, I stick and stay with the best: Aish, My Jewish Learning, Orthodox Union, ChofetzChaim, and many more like these. I want the version of my life to be what Hashem would approve. There is no time to waste. The direction of my life is in my hands, moreover, in Hashem's hands because He calls the shots. Something wonderful in getting ready for Rosh HaShana... the best crown round Challah with some sweetness for the new year. The blessings said for the dough and separating the dough are not in my memory banks yet as in verbatim, but I did my best by thanking Hashem. Without Hashem it could have been a real big mess. Everyone, please enjoy and learn from this season to improve your lives, someone else's life and carry on with the knowledge that G-d does really does guide us if we let Him.

those were great tips for protecting our home computer at no cost. Thanks so much!

They whitelist only the sites you want and their service is superb!

You can install Adblock Plus as an add-on in Firefox (if that is your web browser). This is one of the reasons I choose Mozilla Firefox as my default browser. Go to Tools > Add-ons > Get addons > Click Browse All Add-ons. A link will load and from there search for Adblock. Then Add it to Firefox and install!

Thank you for providing us with something so true and clearly put. And so openly displayed for all of us really hibrinating to be able to share!! Good luck to all and lets only meet on Aish.com etc!!!

K9 is one of the best filters available, and it's free for home use. www1.k9webprotection.com/getk9/index.php It lets you control the level of protection and is 100% effective. If you don't trust yourself, let someone else choose the password and not tell it to you. Another helpful tip is to use Firefox browser with the AdBlock add-on. mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/ addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/1865 Most junky ads are then blocked automatically. You can block any image you want by right-clicking on it and selecting "Adblock Image..." Many sites are switching to "Flash" (banners, ads, images, etc). You can block those too with this Firefox add-on: addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/433 Thanks for the powerful and well-taken article.

I have seen the sad effects of Internet addiction first hand. Thanks for talking about it.

Can you please tell me how to install an ad blocker as mentioned in a previous letter from Moe.

Thank you for raising this issue. I'd like to offer some practical ideas to help minimize time on the computer and exposure to inappropriate material. 1. Purchase software that monitors your computer activity. One program is called eblaster (under $100, one time fee) and it sends a list of the websites you've visited to whomever you want, and it all very customizable - look into it. Make sure to someone else has the password. 2. Install a filter, like K9 (free) to block the types of sites you don't want to visit, and the ads you don't want to see. Again, make sure you don't have the password - give it to someone else. 3. Install an ad blocker. While making personal commitments is important in has been my experience that they can easily buckle under pressure. With suggestion 1 and 2 above you are forced to be serious about your personal commitment. Much success to everyone in this important matter. Gmar Tov.

I have been wrestling with myself and G-d for a while regarding my PC use and this seems to be a reply in writing as I already had a reply but have always come up with excuses to ignore it.

This article seems to be coming directly from my creator.
Thank you Rabbi Dovid Herskovits and Aish.com.

Sadly this subject has to be tackled. Putting it really simply...life is short...there is a lot to be done. If you are on this site then there has to be an inclination to do good. How can we be doing good when we get sucked into these sites? There is only one sin in all of it. We are wasting time when we could and should be doing good deeds in the world. I am weak like the rest. It applies to me too. I do not feel guilty about it and I certainly would not want to be forced into a deceptive response by it. The sad thing is that it is not bringing out the best in us..and time is extremely precious.If you only live ten years more then there is only 3,650 days left. How many days of our lives do we waste on porn? No not me , not just me, all of us. No wonder someone called it the Interporn as opposed to the Internet. I must say this is a really good time to turn the big ship round in the opposite direction.

Thank you for this introductory article. I hope to see more on this topic. I have seen articles about rabbis that have warned against the dangers of the internet but it''s a topic that needs to be taken more seriously. This is something that snuck up on me, so to speak. I could go on about the various pitfalls the yetzer hara -- the evil inclination can lead one into on social networking sites in particular, aside from the time wasted which is bad enough in and of itself. Personally I had to "hit bottom" and called a mentor who could not have said it better in telling me that I have to quit said site. Leading up to that moment I kept thinking I just need someone to tell me to stop directly. At that point I let my husband take over my account so I could only have controlled access and added another measure of "security" by giving him over access to my computer''s filtering software. These sites can take over your life and lead you to have inappropriate discussions with people you might not know as well as you might think, spy on other people, etc. This message needs to get out. I did NOT see this coming but thank G-d for taking me out of it before more damage was done.

I love using the computer to get Torah knowledge from Aish.com and to share it with friends. What I don't like is people forwarding me junky e-mails in lieu of picking up the phone and talking to me, or even better, making a date to see me. With instant messaging (IM) and e-mail we've surrendered the social graces and substituted them with time-consuming, insubstantial, inconsequential, unmemorable messages.

I am definitely addicted and this is a good reminder that I can spend my time in much better ways. I have also received so many hurtful emails. My husband and son are always reminding me that nothing important should be said in an email, face to face or on the phone are much better ways to do it so you can gauge the other person's reaction, tone etc. On the computer one always has the stinging words in black and white to reread and it can get forwarded to the whole world.

I usually print out necessary articles and read them off the computer. This will minimise my exposure to flashy adverts. Also, sometimes I just plain don't use the computer and head on to the library.