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Issue #341: February 2, 2014

Q:  I don’t know what happened, but I need to remove an advertisement for “Great Arcade Hits” from the left bottom screen of my PC.  I have a Dell running Windows 7 Premium, connected w/Cox and their security.  Sorry my knowhow of computers is ZERO!  This irritating item appeared about 2days ago.

– I. A.
Crestview, Florida

A:  I think I can shed some light on this irritating item – your PC has a malware infection.  Most likely this malware came along when someone used your computer to download software from download.com, or one of several other sites that make their money redistributing free software.  The removal is straightforward, and not particularly difficult if you can follow step-by-step instructions.  I found you a page at tinyurl.com/kykurph that contains a description of what this is, along with several options for ways to remove it.  Even someone who’s knowhow of computers is zero should be able to do it.

Q:  I’m a pastor, and a friend introduced me to your writings. Good stuff! In his intro, he described you as a fellow believer, so I thought you would be sympathetic to my question. As a pastor who formerly worked in the tech world, I am asked on a monthly basis [if not more] by mostly men about internet filters and accountability programs they can install on their computers and portable devices in order to aid in the battle against pornography. Unfortunately, I only have a very limited understanding of and experience with them. I am generally aware of products like Covenant Eyes, but understand that there are several on the market that seem to work in different ways. Do you know of a resource that explains these and their differences and then evaluates them? Might you be able to do that? I would love to be able to speak intelligently about this and at some point be able to demo these for my congregation.  As I’m sure you can appreciate, the main concern most have is that if they are able to find an app/program that works well, it may end up bogging down or slowing their pc/device. Might you have any help or insight?

– Ben R.
Valparaiso, Florida

A: Uh-oh, someone is spreading truths about me again!  That’s okay, because I don’t make any secret about my faith (I mean, have you seen my Christmas show?).  I can certainly give you a step in the right direction as far as what’s available and what they do, but I think it’s just as important to let the rest of my readers know exactly what we’re talking about.

The easy and inexpensive availability of high-speed Internet access to the masses has created an amazing revolution in the exchange of information.  It has changed the way people get virtually every type of media, from news and weather to music and video.  That includes adult-oriented content.  The ease-of-access to pornography has taken a dangerous shift in the last 10 years or so.  We’ve gone from an age when one had to physically go to a store and publically make a purchase, to being able to have virtually any kink or fetish delivered directly to one’s desktop in the privacy of your own home, often times for free.  Now, I’m not going to take a side in the pornography debate in this forum, but suffice it to say that some believe this easy access to endless porn is eroding personal relationships, and giving today’s young adults a distorted impression of intimacy.  At a minimum, it is causing people to show addictive behavior towards online porn; and just like a physical addiction, it requires newer and stronger “fixes” over time to satisfy the cravings.  In typical fashion, where there is a problem there are going to be people trying to solve it.  There are various potential solutions, such as so-called accountability software, and content control software.

Accountability software, such as Covenant Eyes, which you mentioned, sends a report of your website activity to some designated person you trust, presumably someone who will hold you accountable.  Other accountability software titles include Net Responsibility, Safe Eyes, and X3watch. My column is way too small for me to be able to even begin to cover features, costs, and usability in this forum.  There is adequate description of each online.  Important to know about this technique is that it requires a certain level of exposure between the person being held accountable, and their accountability partner.  That may be too much for some people to deal with, but one has to weigh the desire for help against the potential embarrassment and sacrifice of privacy.

Content control software works by restricting certain types of Internet access.  Parents often use this type of software in an attempt to keep their kids safe online.  Self-imposed content filtering is certainly more private than accountability software, but without a partner keeping one accountable, there is a large-looming potential for slipping back into old habits.

You can get a surprising amount of information and lists of available programs and services on Wikipedia, and Google. Start your search with the term “Accountability Software” and go from there.


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