Just the facts and no excuses.

Married man in 40s. Exposed at 7 years old to indecent images in publication left around by house-painters (long before there was any Internet) and have been addicted to indecent images in whatever channels and opportunities available ever since. Was diagnosed recently with ADD and am being treated. Have had intermittent periods of sobriety for as long as I have been addicted and today I am unfortunately back once again at ground zero.

So, earlier today it was ground zero. Now, it is this post as a Newbie, and BE"H in several days time, next stop at Wall of Honor. Taking it one step at a time.

Arsenal:

1) Jnet Business level filtered DSL at home, installed last week.

2) Spector Pro Monitoring Software by Spectorsoft installed both on the laptop I use both at home and at work and on the workstation I use at work. Full monitoring includes screenshots every 30 seconds, keylogging, website logging, applications used, files transferred and more, as of last week, frequently monitored by a "friend in need" who has same systems installed on his PCs.

Pros: a) Continual Screenshots shows what is really going on to catch use of proxies etc., b) Stealth mode very good for avoiding detection by most users. c) Includes ability to block specific sites.

Cons: a) No remote viewing other than when both remote PC for viewing and monitored PC are both provisioned on a fixed network and so there is always the zero option of preventing each other from accessing. This foiled previous attempts using just Spector Pro. b) As with any and all systems experienced and determined users can compromise system in a number of ways (not disclosing here for obvious reasons, users who have found holes and are looking for ways to plug the holes, or looking for installation advice, feel free to PM me, my friend and I may have useful advice, we've beaten the system many times and have B"H come up with a number of fixes).

3) Spector eBlaster installed both on the laptop I use both at home and at work ,and on the workstation I use at work which sends out reports to Spectorsoft servers which then emails with keylogging, website logging, applications used, files transferred and more except for screenshots (which can be configured to be sent out if keyword alerts are set with screenshots).

Pros: a) Does not depend on good-will of monitoree to provide access to PC b) Stealth mode very good for avoiding detection by most users. c) Includes ability to block specific sites. d) Can be combined with Spector Pro on same PC and together the two provide an excellent and almost impossible combination to overcome (of course all systems are at best a tool to empower those who genuinely want to change and in an extreme worst-case scenario, if there is 0% willpower to change and 100% willpower to overcome system then there's no point fooling oneself with any system just for the thrill of breaking it. Even open Internet is better than deliberately fighting systems that are only being deployed as an excuse and fig-leaf for not wanting to change at all.)

Cons: a) No continual screenshots with eBlaster alone and so there is less of a complete picture to catch for example use of proxies. b) As with Spector Pro experienced and determined users can compromise eBlaster alone in a number of ways (not disclosing here for obvious reasons, users who have found holes and are looking for ways to plug the holes or looking for installation advice feel free to PM me, my friend and I may have useful advice, we've beaten the system many times and have B"H come up with a number of fixes).

4) Counsellor for ADD therapy who also does addiction therapy, have been seeing him for ADD for several months, told him for first time about my addiction last week.

5) Very smart and determined friend who is in process of breaking free himself and not only monitors me almost daily, but is also very supportive.

I wish everyone on the board hatzlocho rabbo (vehamispallel ba'ad chaveiro, vehu tzorich le'oso dovor, hu ne'eneh techillo)

There's nothing as beautiful in Hashem's eyes then when a Jew tries all he can to beat the Yetzer Hara.

You have used your past falls to learn from and have grown a lot. Never become discouraged. You are joining our community now and our motto is that there's NO SUCH THING AS GIVING UP. We learn from each fall and see how we can be stronger next time. That's what it's all about.

Your determination to stay clean is very inspiring to us all. You are doing very important steps, which are:
1) Nothing beats having a friend in the same boat and giving each other chizuk. That alone is a very powerful tool.
2) Addiction Therapy
3) Strong filters
4) Determination

More suggestions.
1) Did you ask Jnet about their "Mehadrin" mode that checks each page on the fly, even images?
2) Join the weekly phone conferences (ask me for the number and PIN by e-mail: eyes.guard@gmail.com)
3) Sign up for the daily Chizuk list
4) Post a log of your progress under the "Wall of Honor" section of the forum. You will get a lot of Chizuk.

Remember, if you fall, you'll let down your friend. And if you are on the forum, we'll all be rooting for you! That alone is a powerful incentive to stay clean.

May Hashem be with you!

guardureyes wrote on 20 Jan 2009 12:36:


Client based filtering works well for most. Unfortunately my friend and I have beaten and can beat ALL client-based filters in seconds (obviously not sharing details with group) that's why I have server-side filtering from Jnet (which we have also beaten in seconds when it is on its own) re-enforced by two types of monitoring.

guardureyes wrote on 20 Jan 2009 12:36:


Sounds interesting. Will BE"H take you up.

guardureyes wrote on 20 Jan 2009 12:36:


As in my original post that's my next step and as you well know by the rules I have to have 3 clean days first. So will BE"H be there very soon.

guardureyes wrote on 20 Jan 2009 12:36:


Good thought and good way to look at it.

guardureyes wrote on 20 Jan 2009 12:36:


The Rashbo famously said "mefarsemim osei mitzvo" -- like the "mevie'ei bikkurim", just like those who bring bikurim who were very publicly honored, we publicise those who do a mitzvo... for me the single greatest hardship in staying clean is that unlike dieting and other accomplishments that you can announce to the world to get a boost to help you through the tough times (Rabbeinu Yonah says in his peirush to Mishnayos Avos that using shelo lishmo as a strategy against the yetzer horo is not considered shelo lishmo, it's considered lishmo!!!) you get no public kudos for becoming clean because you obviously can't share it with the World to get the credit. For me this is the single biggest advantage of guardureyes.

So yes I am a newbie here and it's not my place on my first day here to be giving advice but in my opinion anivus on becoming clean is 100% atzas hayetzer and this forum is the place to take full and unreserved pride in our accomplishments both big and small to encourage us to go further and to keep it going.

In that spirit, with Hashem's help, habo letaher nesayin oso min hashomayim, I am here to go for the Gold on this forum. Yes, some, if not all of you may notice that it's extremely early at less than day 1 and it is presumptuous in the extreme (and more than a little brash) to use big words that are at least, as yet, totally unmatched and unsubstantiated by any accomplishment but I am here to do what I can to motivate myself and since B"H I don't get down easily (if at all --- and unfortunately I have years of failures, so I know that I don't get down) so there is nothing to lose and this is at the very least the way I am trying right now. If it doesn't work I will just switch tactic.
[/quote]

guardureyes wrote on 20 Jan 2009 12:36:


Guardureyes I am full of respect and admiration for everyone here who wants to change and of course I am particularly awed by the "Iron Men of clean" like yourself who have years behind them.

May Hashem be with us all!!!

To question number 1. Jnet's Mehadrin system works in tandem with their SERVER SIDE filter. It is not a client based filter. It is very reliable because it checks each page in real time using AI and delivers the filtered content to you on the fly. Speaking of client based filters, Jnet also has something called www.thefilternet.com that LOCKS YOU IN TO Jnet's server. So if you use BOTH together, that is the best.

I agree with you fully that you should take great pride in every step you take in the right direction. That is what this forum is for. And yes, you should AIM FOR THE GOLD, even though you are just starting out. That is the right attitude, my friend.

boruch wrote on 20 Jan 2009 07:54:


wow this is the most important asset
i wish i would have one at least online

guardureyes wrote on 20 Jan 2009 21:55:
[/quote]

To answer you directly, the methods you describe only work at all if you don't know how to get around them. If you know how to get around their system (which is very easy once you know how and which again I will not disclose) then you can not only view the pages of every single site that theJnet block even while you are still within their network, in addition you can make the contents of all your webpages totally invisible to any and all filtering from any provider whether the filtering sits locally on your client or whether it sits on the server, or both, regardless of which filtering system it is and the whole system becomes totally ineffective and worthless. Unfortunately my friend and I had done this repeatedly with great ease.

TheJnet know about this and have no solution at all. The ONLY way to address that weakness is the way we have addressed it by having monitoring software record screenshots on the PC so that unlike the filters that are totally beaten you can actually see the screen exactly as it appeared to the user.

As far as the Jnet filtering level that I have in combination with monitoring (filter levels described here http://www.thejnet.com/filterlevels.asp) I have Business filtering which is above Level Five Strict Filter and allows no leisure sites at all, no news, no bechadrei charedim, nothing other than work related stuff. That is the highest level of filtering below their email only solution.

guardureyes wrote on 20 Jan 2009 21:55:


Hey, we agree on something!!!

Baruch, you don't understand how reliable the Jnet's "Mehadrin" system is. It is something that CAN NOT be bypassed. It works through their server and it checks each page on-the-fly. For more info, see www.livigent.com

Kol Hakavod on your strict filtering level!

guardureyes wrote on 21 Jan 2009 11:36:


Firstly, I need DSL and so I have Jnet DSL through Covad and Mehadrin is not available. End of story.  [u]Moderator's note[/u]: as of March 2011 (and probably earlier than that) Jnet DSL through Covad is available with the Mehadrin filter]. Secondly, as I already explained, it makes absolutely no difference where the filtering is. I am not sure why you even think that you can speculate on what you think I don't understand when on the one hand I know what method I am referring to, have much experience with it and understand it thoroughly and on the other hand you don't know what I am referring to and so you certainly don't understand it. No matter, although I am not going to go into too many details, I will nevertheless say that when webpage content is delivered and rendered within a certain protocol, it is totally secured, invisible and inaccessible to any and all filtering and sniffing that attempt to view it and/or manipulate it, be the filtering/sniffing on the server, client or both. Livigent would not be able to do anything at all against the exploit that I have been referring to.

The only solution is screenshot capture.

Baruch, I am involved in the Livigent technology of jnet and am in touch with the CEO. Can you send me an e-mail to eyes.guard@gmail.com and explain me in detail how you think you could bypass it. I will pass it on to him and see if you are correct. I don't believe you would be able to. What you describe, is the exact reason that the Livigent system was developed! (So that it could NOT be bypassed in the ways you mention...)

guardureyes wrote on 22 Jan 2009 17:22:


Done.

guardureyes wrote on 22 Jan 2009 17:22:


CARDINAL ERROR #1: NEVER UNDERESTIMATE HOW SMART PEOPLE GET WITH THE HELP OF THE YETZER HORA

Mi K'Amcha Yisroel! 

If I can be of assistance to anyone as  supportive friend, or in any other way, please give me a holler.

Chazak V'Ematz!

guardureyes wrote on 22 Jan 2009 17:22:


Second exploit described in email.

Guard, bottom line, no system is foolproof. These methods have been used and are being used successfully right now as I type against the Government of China's attempts to filter Internet traffic coming into their country. Don't believe for a minute that theJnet can match the Government of China anytime soon.

But that's not the real problem. The real problem is that the Chinese know that there is a small percentage of Internet traffic that they cannot control and they can live with that. They don't need perfection.

Here, even if theJnet knows it, parents and users like yourself certainly don't know and to a certain extent have been sold a bill of goods and in the process you are unwittingly and unintentionally, out of the best of intents promoting a false sense of security by your absolutist claims. And the problem is that unlike the Government of China we cannot aim for anything less than perfection.

So what's the solution? You need to warn users that although these filters are strong there are no absolutes. You need to advise users to augment their solution with screenshot capture, tight supervision and control etc. etc.