With the Internet allowing access to almost anything and everything, there are more than a few individuals that would like to block sites that are inappropriate for some viewers. In this Techspirited article, we tell you how to block sites if you are using Firefox as your Internet browser.
Social networking sites may be a great way to connect to a lot of friends, relatives, and other contacts in these busy times, when calling or visiting do not come across as very viable options. However, what if these same websites get you addicted so much, that you neglect other aspects of you life just to stay logged on? This concern assumes more serious proportions when you have kids in the house.
These days, you’ll find many parents complaining that their kids skip homework and play time, just to be on the Internet, chatting, tweeting, scrapping, and what not! Social networking sites are not completely to be blamed. There are many other entertainment websites that feature games, videos, music, etc., which often pose a distraction. Hell, who am I trying to fool? It is us who get hooked to all this stuff without even realizing, hence, it is ourselves that are to be blamed! One way to counter Internet addiction is to block certain sites.
Tips to Block Websites on Firefox
Unlike Internet Explorer, which has inbuilt website blocking capability in the form of Content Advisor (Tools → Internet Options → Content → Enable → Content Advisor), Firefox does not come with an inbuilt tool to disable or block specific websites. Therefore, if you wish to block specific websites, you will have to choose from a wide variety of filtering engines, add-ons, and extensions that are available for Firefox that can be downloaded and installed.
Some such effective filtering engines, add-ons, and extensions are:-
- BlockSite
- ProCon Latte
- NetDog (extremely effective in filtering pornographic websites)
- LeechBlock
- Adblock Plus (blocks and filters advertisements and fixes memory leak issues, giving your browser better speed)
- Fox Filter
Wondering how you can get these add-ons or filter engines? Well, here’s how you go about it.
- Launch Mozilla Firefox.
- Go to the Tools menu on the menu bar which is above the address bar.
- Click on Add-ons in the drop down menu.
- Click on Get Add-ons in the window that opens when you select Add-ons in the Tools menu.
- A list of recommended add-ons appears when you click on Get Add-ons.
- On the top right-hand corner of this list, there is a link that says Browse all add-ons. Click on it.
- A separate tab opens up displaying various available add-ons and a search field.
- Type in the name of the add-on you want in the search field and hit Enter, or click on the search arrow beside the search field.
- Once the add-on is displayed below the search field, click on the Add to Firefox button. Some add-ons may have a Continue to Download button instead of the Add to Firefox button.
There, you have the tools you need to block whichever website you want on Firefox.
Blocking Sites Temporarily on Firefox
If it’s a revocable option you are looking for, you can use the LeechBlock add-on. This extension gives you the option to block a particular site for a desired number of days or for a specific interval of time. BlockSite is another add-on that can be easily disabled and removed, and hence, is a good option for blocking sites temporarily.
Blocking Websites with a Password
Password protection features are available with the LeechBlock, ProCon Latte, and BlockSite add-ons. Also, you can use the NetDog and Fox Filter filtering engines to block any website on Mozilla Firefox using a password. However, using a password-protected website blocking option is ideal if you wish to prevent someone else from accessing those websites. Your own addiction to a particular site can always get the better of you and lead you to enter the password and override the security of these add-ons. Therefore, if you are blocking certain sites in your own interest, it’s best to get it done by someone else so that you are not aware of the password.
If you’re blocking the sites so that someone else, say the kids, stay off them, then it’s better to resort to add-ons. Even though you may think you are not addicted to the Internet, try blocking the sites you most visit for plain entertainment, and you’ll be surprised at the amount of time you’ll save for more fruitful pursuits.