Stop Pornographic Material!

Pornography is everywhere. Its almost too easy to find links even on the most innocent appearing websites that will lead you link by link to pornographic material. Sometimes the links (banner ads etc.) are pornographic themselves! You see it in your e-mail, chat rooms, business applications and even shows up in your kids' video games. Is there anything we do to make it stop? There are a number of solutions offered to fix the problem ranging from stopping the illicit content from reaching you, to helping individuals already addicted free themselves.

Filtration:

Porn filtering software is an inexpensive solution but it's also problematic. It will let the occasional banner or page slip through but this is nothing compared to all the legitimate web sites that are filtered out due to even a single obscene word, even if used in the correct context.

Observation:

"Big Brother" tactics are most commonly used by large businesses. They claim that all the computers on the work floor are monitored randomly in effort to catch people using them to view pornographic material. This costs time and money due to the software you need to monitor the other computers and the employees you have to hire just to sit and watch a screen.

Education:

Many believe that the problem with addiction to pornographic material stems from a lack of education regarding what sex is, what it is like, what the result is, and what risks are involved. These people, like the National Campaign to Stop Pornography, form organizations aimed at providing this education to children all across the country. They are (usually) non-profit organizations funded by donations. The educational opportunities that these groups provide can range from pamphlets to large assemblies.

Consultation:

While in the same vein as education, consultation is more of a one on one experience. Many who are caught in pornography's web and desire to escape, will seek out a professional or other counselor who can empathize and help them. Since pornographic material addictions are formed in secret, keeping the resolution quiet is very appealing. There are even support groups and counselors who meet anonymously on the Internet meaning that you can use the same computer to start your addiction and stop it.

Legislation:

There are other groups that believe that pornography can be limited through acts of law. Some argue that pornographic material should be made illegal to provide, others argue it should be illegal to purchase. One group that I have come across has the very well thought out and ambitious idea of changing the way we receive the Internet. Clean Port 80 aims to pass a bill through congress that would force pornographers to move to a different computer "channel"(port). We would then have the choice when we purchased Internet service to turn this port off thus eliminating pornographic material before it even gets to our computers. They are also a non-profit donation funded group, so they need your help if they are to succeed.

Litigation:

If pornography is made illegal in anyway, legal action could be taken against groups that provide it or individuals to patronize it. If cp80 succeeds in passing their legislation then monitoring and enforcement is needed. One such company poised to help monitor the Internet for content violations is ScrapeGoat. ScrapeGoat is already developing automation technology that will monitor pornographic material for infringements without having to have a human look through the harmful content. This technology is similar to filtering but due to the differences in what is being looked for, it will be very precise and reliable. When infractions are found, the necessary data is sent to the proper authorities.

Sanctification:

Still others believe that only by replacing your desire to view pornographic material with a desire to serve God and your fellow man, can you truly be free from it's poison. Some churches such as the "XXX Church" were founded on this one principle of helping men escape their addiction to porn through religious teachings. Most mainstream churches are in agreement that these individuals need help and many of them provide Internet support groups or at the very least a page about how they can begin their particular faith's repentance process. Seeking out help from members of the clergy is one of the most common ways to begin your turn from pornography's grip.

Any one of these methods, or perhaps a combination of them, can help break the addictive habit of viewing pornographic material. Whichever methods are taken, however, the common factor in all of them is time. Don't put it off! The sooner steps are taken to escape this habit, the easier and quicker it is to finally be clean for good.

I strongly encourage you to begin your turn from pornography now if you are viewing it regularly, or if you are not, to take some of the steps outlined here to protect and safeguard yourself and your family from pornography's slippery slope.

Your friend,
Joe Broderick