Wall Street Journal

There is a video and great article on the Wall Street Journal website. Here it is also....

One recovering addict is using a free program called X3watch that runs in the background of his Web surfing and keeps a running log of questionable sites he visits. The program then emails the log to to a self-appointed “accountability partner,” in his case a long-time friend, who then proceeds to give him a talking-to. A $19 pro version allows for more reports and accountability partners.

The software doesn’t just look at the domain name of the questionable site but digs deeper into the content of the page, looking for words like “naked,” “nude” and “voyeur.” Jensen says sometimes that can mean a visit to a news site can trigger a red flag for his accountability partner, but it typically only logs sites that would be objectionable, and not, say, Google.

He uses a more robust accountability program for his kids which also incorporates heavy filtering options. The Safe Eyes software allows administrators to select which types of sites to block, including gambling, sexual and even videogaming sites. It can also limit time spent online and restrict access to certain times of the day.

He says this works well for kids, since he is the administrator, but not well for fighting his own porn addiction, since he can always figure out ways around the program. A one-year subscription to Safe Eyes costs $50.

There’s also a $20 Safe Eyes Mobile filtering app for the iPhone in the event you’re, say, heading to the store for some milk for your wife’s casserole and are feeling tempted for some “distraction.”

All of the software is marketed through an online anti-porn ministry known as xxxchurch.com, which includes an unorthodox reality TV-style video podcast to engage people involved in the adult film industry, and help people addicted to porn to overcome their inclinations.

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