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Whether you are using the Internet to check your email, find out the latest weather forecast, or read the news, web advertisements usually accompany the information you are actually interested in. Not only are these web ads very distracting, but they often contain pictures and language which are inappropriate, even if the content of the site seems totally fine. For example, a weather information site can try to lure a person to take a vacation in Aruba with some quite inappropriate “scenery.” Web browsing experience without ads is not only cleaner, but so much more efficient. Pages load faster and the information you are interested in is so much easier to see without all those annoying and distracting ads. But short of covering the monitor with your hand, is there a way to get rid of these web advertisements? Yes, there is! Below, we present some software tool options that [...]

In an effort to capitalize on the momentum, concern, and enthusiasm created by Mr. Rosenthal’s talk, Bais Yaakov of Baltimore has committed to reach out to its parent body in the upcoming months with a follow-up program to provide concrete solutions to confront this challenge. Bais Yaakov, like Technology and Family Safety Alliance (TFSA), does not endorse home internet access, and does promote the responsibility of each family that has a need for internet use to consult a competent Rav. Yet, the real risks to the tzibur (public) who do use the internet simply cannot be ignored. Using TFSA as its primary resource, the school’s goal is to foster a better awareness of what constitutes safe technology practice for internet users and, ultimately, to bring about a substantive change regarding unsafe internet use. Already, the notion of installing filtering software on home computers is no longer perceived as being intrusive. [...]

This past Sunday the Association of Jewish Day Schools of Greater Baltimore held a technology awareness event titled Protecting Our Families, Securing Our Future. The event was hosted by the Bais Yaakov School for Girls. The Vaad Harabbonim of Greater Baltimore encouraged all adult members of the community to attend this program. Over 900 people attended the event! Some of the attendees had to view the presentation remotely as the auditorium was completely full! The guest speaker of the event was Philip Rosenthal, a world renowned high-tech detective whose unique expertise has been sought by many of the world’s greatest law enforcement agencies like FBI, US Secret Service, Israeli Police, Scotland Yard, etc. His presentation concentrated on the protection of children. Technology and Family Safety Alliance (TFSA) offered preparation and follow-up help for the event. Working together with the rabbonim of the schools, IT professionals, Mr. Philip Rosenthal and other [...]

Note:  For the purposes of clarity and simplicity this article greatly simplifies descriptions of the various technologies involved. Privacy is important.  Medical information, if exposed, can affect a person’s social, business, or family standing. Adverse financial information can easily impact a person’s business.  Family issues can have a negative affect on a person’s children. To the best of our ability we try to keep this and other information private, and we certainly don’t publish it in a newspaper or other public location. When we do need to communicate information of this sort we typically try to do so in a way that preserves our privacy. Historically, this has been fairly simple. One would either convey the information in person, or write a letter. For most purposes, the privacy guaranteed by the Post Office or various courier services was sufficient. With the advent of the Internet, however, there are now many [...]