How to Tame the Internet
Use AdBlock Plus and remove those annoying ads., Use OpenDNS and preemptively block whole categories of time-leeching sites., Selectively block your dearest time-leeching sites., Discipline yourself!
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use AdBlock Plus and remove those annoying ads.
Ads are a major source of distraction on the Internet, especially on some sites that clearly have given up on user experience in favour for ad revenue.
You can get rid of them though! AdBlock Plusis a plugin for the Firefox and Google Chrome browsers that intelligently blocks ads, most of the time retaining the original layout of the page, only without ads.
It still allows some “non-intrusive ads” to show by default.
If you truly want to go ad-free, you can tell the plugin to block these ads, too. -
Step 2: Use OpenDNS and preemptively block whole categories of time-leeching sites.
OpenDNSis a free DNS server for home users.
Non-technically, it allows you to preemptively block large categories of time-leeching sites (Social networking, Auctions, etc.), in a way similar to how companies block some sites on their network.
You choose what gets blocked, and you even get to watch statistics on what you visit and what is getting blocked! As an added bonus, OpenDNS will protect you from phishing sites – and you can also choose to block sites classified as sources of malware, spam, etc.
Since this solution operates at the network level, it is not browser specific – so even if you use some less common browser like Opera, this solution still works fully. , Complementary or in alternative to OpenDNS, you can use with Firefox the LeechBlockplugin.
Continuing the garden metaphor, while OpenDNS is the lawn-mower, blocking whole categories of sites with one blade, LeechBlock is akin to the garden scissors used for tuning your garden.
Using this small tool, you can hand-select specific sites that bother you the most, and block them out completely, at certain times of day or even after a predetermined amount of time.
That way, you can organize your Internet schedule and turn off distractions when they will do the most damage. , As with any tool, these three suggestions are only means towards an end which is disciplined Internet usage! After all, part of taming the Internet is also taming yourself.
Use them and enjoy your tidy garden – more secure, and with less chaff, but still ripe with opportunities for distraction – and learn to ignore that which matters and that which does not! -
Step 3: Selectively block your dearest time-leeching sites.
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Step 4: Discipline yourself!
Detailed Guide
Ads are a major source of distraction on the Internet, especially on some sites that clearly have given up on user experience in favour for ad revenue.
You can get rid of them though! AdBlock Plusis a plugin for the Firefox and Google Chrome browsers that intelligently blocks ads, most of the time retaining the original layout of the page, only without ads.
It still allows some “non-intrusive ads” to show by default.
If you truly want to go ad-free, you can tell the plugin to block these ads, too.
OpenDNSis a free DNS server for home users.
Non-technically, it allows you to preemptively block large categories of time-leeching sites (Social networking, Auctions, etc.), in a way similar to how companies block some sites on their network.
You choose what gets blocked, and you even get to watch statistics on what you visit and what is getting blocked! As an added bonus, OpenDNS will protect you from phishing sites – and you can also choose to block sites classified as sources of malware, spam, etc.
Since this solution operates at the network level, it is not browser specific – so even if you use some less common browser like Opera, this solution still works fully. , Complementary or in alternative to OpenDNS, you can use with Firefox the LeechBlockplugin.
Continuing the garden metaphor, while OpenDNS is the lawn-mower, blocking whole categories of sites with one blade, LeechBlock is akin to the garden scissors used for tuning your garden.
Using this small tool, you can hand-select specific sites that bother you the most, and block them out completely, at certain times of day or even after a predetermined amount of time.
That way, you can organize your Internet schedule and turn off distractions when they will do the most damage. , As with any tool, these three suggestions are only means towards an end which is disciplined Internet usage! After all, part of taming the Internet is also taming yourself.
Use them and enjoy your tidy garden – more secure, and with less chaff, but still ripe with opportunities for distraction – and learn to ignore that which matters and that which does not!
About the Author
Nicholas James
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow practical skills tutorials.
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