[VIDEO from Askonim & Gedolim] The following is a letter received from the Administrator of the (unfortunately) popular site Guard Your Eyes, which was endorsed and praised by Gedolim. — Shalom U’vracha. I’m the admin of Guard Your Eyes Dot Org, and I’m writing in response to the letter in “Reader’s Scoop” called “I Was a Serious Internet Addict”. There are those who commented on this article denying that this is a serious problem in our communities. There were even those who went as far as to question the authenticity of the letter! I’d like to tell your readers that I get multiple letters like this every single day! One only need take a peek at our forum to see hundreds of Yidden who are posting about their struggles all the time. And we have over 1,800 members on our daily chizuk e-mails called “Breaking Free” – and that’s without almost any advertising on our part, just by word of mouth and through articles in Jewish news outlets such as the Mishpacha piece that came out two weeks ago by Yonasan Rosenblum.
Let’s face it. This is a subject that no one likes to talk about. And those who suffer from this problem don’t let anyone know about it either. For years this issue has been swept under the rug by our communities, and for the first time Klal Yisrael is finally waking up and beginning to deal with it. It has reached epidemic proportions. The statistics that we are aware of on guardyoureyes show that it is basically a given that anyone who has open internet access in their home (or on their phone) will stumble at some point. There is no doubt that at least 1 in 4 frum people you know who have access to open internet are already being nichshol and are in danger of developing an addiction which can easily spiral out of control.
It’s important to emphasize that this is not an issue of Yiras Shamayim. As Reb Yochanan Ben Zakai blessed his students (who were all great tzadikim in their own right) “Halevai your Yiras Shamyim should be like Yiras basar v’Dam”. We may all have a decent level of yiras shamayim, but having open internet is like Yichud, and even the greatest Tana’im who were tested in this area were unable to overcome it without special divine assistance (see the 3 stories in Kiddushin daf 81a). Also, these behaviors quickly develop into an “addiction”, which is a type of disease. That is why the standard “Teshuvah” model often doesn’t work for those who struggle with this, and they need special tools like group support and accountability to break free.
In the area of prevention, Guard Your Eyes can help you install good filters in your computers and handheld devices. Our “Filter Gabai” can hold the password for you so you won’t be tempted to turn off the filter. And if you need changes done to the filter, he can do it remotely using remote accessing software without ever having to share the password with you. Yes, it is possible to be free! Contact our filter gabai today at [email protected].
We also offer a special service to help people delete the browser on their Blackberry. That’s right, it is possible to have all the conveniences of the Blackberry and still not have any internet access. Send an e-mail to: [email protected] and you will get back a free program that eliminates the internet browser from your Blackberry. E-mails and all other applications will continue to function normally. (The browser can be put back one day if necessary, upon request).
Sign up to our daily chizuk e-mails on Shmiras Ainayim, and if you know anyone who may have stumbled and needs help, GYE provides an entire anonymous network of help including “Breaking Free” Chizuk e-mails, Forums where hundreds of Yidden exchange chizuk, Support Phone Conferences throughout the day (see Guard Your Eyes Dot Org > Tools > Phone Conferences), the 90-Day Challenge, and much more! Download the “GYE Program in a Nutshell” to help gauge the level of your struggle/addiction and find the right recommendations and tools to help you overcome this challenge.
The following video contains excerpts from: Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, Rav Aharon Feldman, Rabbi/Dr. Avraham J. Twerski and Shalom’s personal story.
If you need more help, or if you want to help financially or in any other way, please write to GYE’s e-mail helpline at [email protected] or call the GYE Hotline at: 646-600-8100.
Can anything be done for an Ipod touch?
For the Ipod touch and other mobile devices, see this page for some great ideas: http://www.webchaver.org/mobile.php
I’m getting that program to delete my browser and I’m going to say by by to you now scoopy! See you all in gan eden
k9 is free shomer
Another question – Does anyone know of a way of having just email and no other internet on an ipod touch? Thanks
Yes, it’s possible to purchase a safe browser from the app store, and disable safari from the settings/restrict. You will need someone els to set the passwords.
Or you can just restrict safari in your iPod and have no browser.
i don’t know much about ipods but if you go to the guardyoureyes.org forum and post a question you will get some input from people who struggle and succeed with these issues
This article is such a Kiddush Hashem. I’m so impressed with this website for holding themselves to a high standard, and making use of their website as a means for increasing Yiras Shomayim, (not the usual gripping and criticizing others that goes on.)
There is a way to only have email and no Internet on an iPod touch. If you click on settings-general-restrictions you can restrict safari (s/o else would have to put on the password). Email will still work. The problem is that you will have to lock the app store because otherwise you can just be able to download a different web app. What I do with my iPhone is I have someone to lock safari and app store but I downloaded an app called mobicip ($4.99). It’s a great filtered web and I never had a problem with shmutz with this app. You would have to put the setting on the strongest level for it to work well. The problem is that it locks too much but for another 9.99 you can buy membership on mobicipssite to be able to blacklist and white list sites on your will. HATZLOCHA RABBA!
K 9 is great and free, just have to create a password that you cant override on your own. One solution is to create it together with your spouse by each one of you putting in one word (and obviously not letting each other know your word) to create a two word password.Or have someone else do it for you.
with k9 you have to use a new email address and use a random 15 letter password write that down and store that in a place where you cant get to easily . Then you must use a random 15 or so letter password for your k9..because with k9 you can always click on the “i forgot my passord” and they will resend you the passord to your email. If you use a special email and hide that password, that will then make k9 effective for yourself.
your not living in the real world. Look around to whats happening.
it’s the children who are making things happen
SafeEyes is a good monitoring software
Thank You Yaacov for giving me my life back.
why is there a picture of rabbi zweibel?
can anything be done for an android phone
I was needing email for a while and didn’t want a blackbery but if I can delete the browser then that’s great!
GYE is a fantastic program but it is not the only program. This addiction is not just for frum people, Jews and non Jews suffer from this alike. Its a deadly addiction that has nothing to do with willpower/ middos/ yiras shomayim.
GYE deserves a lot of credit for getting the word out there and for having a hotline to call in the time of need.
May those who need recovery from this addiction find their true source of recovery soon.
While you are correct that some addicts recover by going for therapy and joining live-12-step groups, GYE helps people diagnose their level of addiction, and directs them as to what steps need to be taken to bring it under control, whether that means getting anonymous daily Chizuk, posting on the forum, joining an anonymous 12-Step phone conference (over 30 a week on GYE), or whether it means stronger measures such as therapy (with an addictions specialist from our therapist referral system), or a live 12-Step group. In other words, regardless of people’s level of addiction, GYE has tools and advice to assist them in getting the help they need.
Also, there is a great reluctance in the religious communities to reach out for live help. People are very cautious of breaking their anonymity. To this end, GYE serves as a vital “bridge”. Our network is the anonymous in-between, so if it is really necessary for them to seek therapy and live groups, they are far more ready to take the plunge.
A great place to start is by reading the free pamphlet “GYE in a Nutshell,” which can be requested on our e-mail helpline: [email protected]
Yishmoreini is the way to go!!! There are no filters to slow down my connection. If I go to a “faprutzdika” site, my Rov gets an Email. In my humble opinion this is NOT an addiction its called being a man, and no 12-step program will help. Anyone that doesn’t have a proper block or Yishmoreini will fall.
Please address the DVD rental issue.
Any filters available for Palm Pre? Where to get one?
About Us
“Protecting your privacy, while protecting your Soul!”
I know the perils and pitfalls of the internet. I understand that I need something to protect me from those weak moments. I have been dissappointed by filters, whitelists, blacklists etc… I pushed it off for another year, and another year…
Created by award winning developers at Covenant Eyes and adapted by business leaders in our community – YishmorEini was born. It is not a filter, it is not a new internet connection, does not block any web activity, and is 100% anonymous.
Accountability & YishmorEini
Accountability software monitors Internet use and emails reports to people you select. YishmorEini works as a community based program and appoints the Rav of each community to be the accountability partner for his members. Only inappropriate activity is flagged and sent to the accountability partner/Rav.
YishmorEini makes privacy our top concern. Our program is designed with many shields to secure that only the accountability Rav has access to ones reports and only the accountability Rav knows the identity of each member. http://yishmoreini.com/
thank u!!!
eli perhaps other people are addicted even if you are not. al tadun es cahveircha……
This really is one of the biggest issues of our time. I am persinally aware of marriages that could have been wonderful winding up in the pits because of improper internet use. Bezras Hashem teh frum world, will come up with tachlisdike solutions to this beast.
I dont understand why they dont enforce a yishmoreini like program in shuls. The Rav (and a computer literate person) needs to go to each home and speak with the couple face to face..otherwise each person will come up with an excuse why he doesnt do it. Many people would do it if they made a takuna like the blueclaws..it can be done. (i’m not saying that one cant get around it, but it would be a big step in the right direction).
There is a provider in israel called RIMON which has teams of live people monitoring your web activity, if you type in a known good address it goes right through..if it is a flagged address it gets blocked if it an unknown address, there is a live person who first scans the site (with a 15-30 second delay) and then allows you to view it (it then becomes “known”, so next time you dont have the delay). I’ve heard that certain Rabbonim are only mattur internet use in israel with that provider.
Guardyoureyes saved my life and my marriage!
Guard, Mevakesh and the rest of the Tzadikim there really bent over backwards to ensure I rid my neshama of the shmutz it amassed over somany years.
Why do you all keep saying that it has nothing to do with yiras shomayim?
to #26 I said that if did not have Yishmaoreni I would be the first one to go to inappropriate places I’m just saying that doesn’t make me an addict, it makes me a human. Stop with the 12-step programs and get the proper blocks or in my cases Yishmoreini.
thank you reb Guard! I cannot honestly say that u saved my life, b/c i was not exactly addicted… but i am so much happier and feel so much holier now. who can judge between big and small. what u r doing has helped so many ppl. may hashem bless u with everything good. I am thrilled that these problems are being made public, and being dealt with as well. we can no longer afford to sweep all of our problems under the carpet.
no words,
a
P.S. All of u out there who r struggling, there IS hope! Just go to the GYE website, u will fly from there!
I sent an e-mail to delete browser, it was returned to me. Anyone have success sending that e-mail?
To #21/31 (Eli Manning), you say “IMHO it’s not an addiction”.
B’mchilas Kvoidcha, this is no matter of opinion, rather a matter of fact.
Either you’re addicted or you’re not -and if you are, saying that you’re not won’t make your problem any smaller. Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.
Would your humble opinion make cigarette smoking or drug abuse any less addictive?
I just saw your later comment saying that if not for Yishmireini you’d be “the first” to visit inappropriate websites. Why is Yiras Shamayim not enough? Just a strong Yetzer Hara? Reb Yid, there’s something much more insiduous going on here, and your statement shows that on some level you know it.
And Guard (you know I prefer that over Yaakov) -thanks from all of us…
EBD
I heard that there is a new school opening were if you have internet you have to get a filter thru the school. I think that’s a brilliant idea
idk why no-one suggests the iboss router – it filters the internet from the router – & will filter all devices that access internet through it.
I want to be me’orer the olam that the very helpful Guard Your Eyes website is ONLY for people who have stumbled in this inyan. It is NOT a good place for those who have no connection or problem with this inyan to browse through, because they may then be nich’shal in this inyan. There are powerful stories recounted about what some people who stumbled went through, and the contents of these stories are potent and highly inappropriate for those who never stumbled in this inyan (though helpful for people who did to identify with).
One cannot help people by being mach’shil others. Please, DO NOT look at their website unless you are looking to recuperate from this problem!
its now 3 Full days! I feel so great about myself. im a happy upbeat person! I feel clean. I wasnt addicted, just a person who follows his evil inclination when bored. I dont even have a tayva for this garbage anymore. I just got the browser deleted on the blackberry so If the urge comes back I am able to fight it better. The one problem I have is that I have so much harmful information that I picked up over the years Im just a short drive from anything I want. Shutting the web cant help that. Im wondering if there is any program like guard your heart.?
I need a program called guard your feet (from going to bad places). guard yourself (from doing wrong things) guard your car (from driving to bad places.) anyone able to help me? I dont have internet and i still have tayva. i though if i never get internet i would be holy. what happened? what am i doing wrong I listened i shut the web i never went to a bad site. PLEASE HELP ME. I still have tayva! how could it be???
Get a filter and a job. anyone without an internet filter will wind up with the rest of mankind.
yishmareini works through covenant eyes and that works on iphone, ipod touch and ipad. see here http://www.covenanteyes.com/services/mobile-solutions/ as with blackberry Jnet has a filter. you need to get BES (its worth it) if you already have BES through work you can have the it policy set to filter
#39, tayva is something that never goes away. It is always there, we just have to work on controlling it. There’s no program that will guard you from every single possibility of having tayva, even if you get a 24/7 guard, he will not be able to guard your heart and you will still have tayvos.
That is why, when I say “shelo asani aved” in the morning brachos hashachar, I have in mind that H-shem did not create me as a slave to my tayvos, and that He will give me the strength to overcome them.
My suggestion to you is as follows (because this is what I do): 1) Daven to H-shem to help you overcome this tayva, or to take it away completely. 2) In Birkas Hamazon, in the tefillah of rachem, if you don’t already say it, add the words “v”lo nichashel” at the end (as in, “shelo neivosh, v’lo nikalem, v’lo nichashel l’olam vaed”) and really concentrate on those words, asking H-shem for extra siyata d’shmaya not to be nichshol. 3) In krias shema al hamittah, the part where we say 4 different psukim 3 times each, the posuk where we say “L’shuascha kivisi H-shem, kivisi H-shem l’shuascha, H-shem l’shuascha kivisi”, while saying that, ask H-shem to please “save me from myself” and not to be nichshol in whatever particular tayva it is, and that H-shem should “give me the strength to please overcome this difficult nisayon”.
These are the things I do because I am at the point in my life where I am facing a lot of nisyonos and tayvos that I haven’t had before. It is not the same tayvos as you have, but the yetzer harah presents himself to every person in their stumbling block. Incidentally, I completely understand what you mean when you say that you thought getting rid of the internet would take away all the nisayon and I’ll be clean again. I learnt the hard way that it doesn’t work like that (even though I really wish it were like an on and off switch!) It’ll be hard, but use all your willpower and self control not to drive to these places, or do any physical acts that will drag you down. Stopping your thoughts is a lot harder, and will take a lot more time, so don’t jump the gun. Hopefully when your physical urges calm down, so will your thoughts. That’s what I found worked with me. But again, I am not a rav, not an askan, not any sort of authority, so I can’t tell you this is what will work without a doubt. I can only tell you of my experiences and what has helped me overcome my particular nisyonos that I am still struggling with, to some extent, today.
Oh, and the last thing I would recommend you do is take upon yourself to do something as a z’chus for yourself. Nothing life changing/earth shattering, just something small that will be a z’chus. Whether it’s being more makpid in a particular mitzvah, learning a sefer together with someone, even just thanking H-shem whenever you get to your destination without having to sit in too many traffics, or that you got mostly green lights instead of having to stop at a ton of red lights, whatever it is, just something small that you feel you can manage without messing up on.
And the most important thing of all is to daven, daven, daven, that H-shem should help you overcome this great tayva that is machshil so so many people.
Hatzlacha Rabbah!
Im off weed for some 3 days now! thanks for the chizik
The idea that we must have cellphones, ipads, ipods and iphones with internet access when we’re sitting and learning Torah is an anomoly. After all, would you walk around with a dirty magazine in your pocket all day long? In the Bais Medrash? I doubt it. I doubt the Mashgiach would allow it, much less condone it. Yet, hundreds if not thousands of people convince themselves that they need to keep up with the “news,” “sports,” “entertainment,” and more shtus that is the antithesis to Torah. Many, not all, Rabbanim turn a blind eye (pardon the pun) and simply say, “well, that’s how this generation communicates and there is nothing we can do about it.”
There are so many resources on Guard Your Eyes. There are 25 weekly phone meetings at all hours of the day. There are live meetings in your community. There is even a hotline number you can call and talk to a live person in the evening from 10-11:30 p.m. This person will give you information on how to get better, resources, chizuk and sometimes “tough talk” if that’s what you need.
This is a disease of connection. We yearn for connection to Hashem and to other people when we are lonely, tired, resentful, angry and sad. Yet we isolate ourselves because of the guilt and shame and the spiral begins again, spiraling down deeper and deeper until the computer is not enough and we engage in more dangerous behaviors, both to our souls and our bodies.
Get help today. HOTLINE: 901-685-3256.
i live in lakewood and have learned for many years. i have suffered greatly from this addiction. it is cunning, baffling,and powerful!! the rabbonim and roshei yishivos are aware that this problem exsists, but still do not fully comrehend the idea of an addiction in this area. if u are REALLY suffering with this issue, there are plenty of people in our town that CAN help u. if your own self enlightened interest tells u that u need to stop but cannot, search out help and u Will find it.
i am proud to say gue saved my life
and i know many people in our town that bennefitted from this website
my story is on the forum
pleaase read the stories on the forum
it can save your life
thank you yaaakov
how can a mere thank you suffice to the man who saved your life
yaakov only Hashem knows what you did for me
and for ALL of klllal yisroel
KEEP ON TRUCKING!
one more point #37 is 100% RIGHT
please dont use the website if you dont need it
The goyesha velt actually go to lengths to give themselves tayva. Dealing with the tayvah one already has is one thing. The gemarah, in fact, discusses eino yochol lichvosh. Given the choice, one should decide to not have the tayva. The help programs are based around this idea. You have to want to be free.
You know why HaShem hates Zimah?
It is because he wants us to be free!
I never had this problem and out of curiosity checked out the site. It just made me want to stay away further. The stories are all about the bad effects and guilty feelings never a positive thing.
Josh,
Ashrecha that you are disgusted by the disgusting.
GYE is still only for the addicted.
The way things are discussed there is no place for those not in the parsha.
The site can easily be a form of the issur they are trying to protect from.
May HaShem free all those enslaved in Tumas Mitzrayim.
May all addicted find the strength of Yoseph.
May HaShem find favor in all who overcome this nisayon.
Ya’aleh lfnei hamakom kreiach nichoach, kol haomdim al yitzram ksies hashemesh begvuraso.
You are very fortunate that you came out of looking at the GYE website with a disgust for the inyan. You went into dangerous territory, as stated in the above comments #37, 48, and #49. And who knows of what effects can come later on in your mach’shavos from what you read on the GYE website. A person can never trust himself, as it says in Pirkei Avos – “Al ta’amin be’atz’mecha ad yom mos’cha.” Do not fall for the tricks of the yetzer hara which tells you to read through the GYE website so that it will turn you off from the inyan. You don’t realize how it can affect you. You should stay far away from reading such concepts and ideas, as it says, “Ve’lo sa’suru acharei le’vavchem ve’acharei einechem.”
Correction. In the comment addressed to Josh, I mean to reference comments # 37, 47 and 50
To #37, #47, #50 and #51 your concerns are valid (although I think it’s going a little far to write “The site can easily be a form of the issur they are trying to protect from”). I just want to point out that we recently gave Torah Umesorah full admin access to our website and they are in the process of editing many of the articles, stories and testimonials to remove anything that could bring people to “hirur” or give anyone new ideas. They are also changing the explicit words to cleaner terms. They are doing this because they endorse our program and recommend it to their schools and mechanchim, and they want to make sure that our website will be free of any mich’shol and be a credit to its good name. We are happy that they are doing this for us!
We are also in the process of redoing our website much more professionally now to build the framework to accommodate tens of thousands of Yidden. On the new site, there will be a strong division between “Prevention” (for everyone) and “Treatment” (for those who already stumbled). Users will not be able to access the “Treatment” website without first getting a disclaimer that lets them know that the content is more explicit. (They would have to press that they are over a certain age and that they agree to x,y and z)…
Also, we have already designed the registration system for the new website to include a drop-down where people identify if they are married or not, male or female, ‘addict’ or ‘spouse of addict’. Depending on the choices the members make when signing up, there are special “permission” rules in the articles. Those in the other categories of membership will not be able to view the articles that are not appropriate for them to view. Men will not see articles about women, Bochurim won’t see articles that talk about marriage issues, etc…
Once these safeguards are in place, I believe that GYE will be more suited to becoming a fully mainstream organization for all that relates to the areas of Prevention & Treatment of these issues in today’s difficult world.
B’vracha “V’hiskadashtem v’heyisem kedoshim”
Yaakov
yaakov you are the most innovative person around
there has not been one issue that i or anyone else ever troubled you with that you didnt take care of in a professional manner
the world at large does not know that you did this alone not for reward or honor
only lleshaim shamayim
young people do not appreciate the sacrifices of our parents and grandparents
from either end of the jewish goegraphical map
today yiddishkite has too look soo squeky clean that it can be a picture in a magazine (jewish miritt duch)
we had great rebbes that would go to the kretchmer (inn)
why did they go there? too meet tha poritz? no they went to save yidden?
yes the rebbes of old went “into gehhennom” to save yidden
that is our modern day Yaakov
yaakov is a man who prepared for many of us who struggle an exit hatch
a lifeline
many people “because” of shame are afraid to tell their rov or chavrusah that they are struggling with internet addiction
here is were yaakov came in
the same way the Yetzer hara snuck in
he gave us an anonymous group to fight back
all the stories are true
they will break your heart
but many are full of hope
and many many were victorious
in todays climate when the access is so free
it is almost as if we have no bechira (please dont jump up and down .I said ALMOST as if we have no bechira)
for those who are not addicted
ashreichem ashreichem ashreichem
keep it it cherish it
thank hashem from the bottom of your heart
but for those that are
or those who struggle
even with mild levels of difficulty with dealing with lust
there is much hope
there is help
there are tools and resources
GUE counseled
Rabbanim.marbitzai Torah.askonim. and many true bnai torah
GUE told them
yes you can be helped
and yes many of the people GUE counseled to not visit the forum any more because they dont need it any more
to sum it up
there is help
and yaakov is koloi leshem shamayim
and he is a man of great virtue
KOT
(this post was sent from a web-chavered computer where I have 2 shomrim)
You wrote “although I think it’s going a little far to write “The site can easily be a form of the issur they are trying to protect from.” Its not going too far, if anything it’s too little, because in these inyanim ou cannot take any chances. Even from a safeik sakanah you have to stay far away from, especially a sakanas ha’nefesh.
I also noticed that you wrote “they are in the process of editing many of the articles, stories and testimonials…” Why only MANY and not ALL? How can they remove the mich’sholim if they are not ALL edited?
On the forum (where every member can write whatever he wants) EVERY post has a “Report to Moderator” link. Anyone who deems a post to be inappropriate can ‘flag’ it. It will be reviewed and edited/removed within minutes if necessary. (GYE has Moderators in multiple cities around the globe, so there are no ‘off-hours’)
GYE saved MY neshama!!!!! (& GREATLY changed my life/marriage!)
We all thank the Heiliger R’ Yaakov!!!!!!!!!!
thank you Yosef hatzadik for being a ruach hachaya ba’ofanim on the GYE forum 🙂
TO #56:
I think it’s wonderful that GYE has helped you so extensively. It is certainly a wonderful organization. However, your comment does not answer the problem of there being a mich’shol in the articles and testimonials currently on the website, which WERE approved and posted. Obviously there is a problem for those who have not stumbled in this area to read these posts, as GYE recognizes the need for the website to be restructured, and for the current website to be edited, as indicated in the numerous comments above about this matter.
for all the people that benefitted from the forum
please continue your conversations there (#56)
this is a local news forum
everyone has very valid points
the forum is a great thing for those who need it
it is news worthy for the simple reson that many more people can benefit from it
but if you do not need it please don’t go there
To Anonymous
Apparently you do use the internet.
Someone who’s on the net (even filtered, unless it’s a white list) can encounter as many -if not more- on (moderated), and other “frum” sites, not to mention the “heimishe” streets (offline!) as he can on GYE.
Your kind of talk is just one more way of keeping people’s heads buried in the sand.
E
The point of the Anonymous commentator whom you are addressing was that people are turning to the GYE website specifically because they have this problem and the entire website is focusd on helping them solve this problem and contains articles and materials and testimonials about this problem, so there is no comparison between what you may see on other websites in passing, and on the street, to looing at the GYE website. Looking at the GYE website will lead one to almost certainly read about inyanim that are a mich’shol to one not involved in these things – so again, there’s no comparison to what you MAY see on other websites or on the street.
I am one of the moderators on the GYE site and we are very careful not to allow comments that can trigger hirhur. What the Guard (Yaakov) meant was that Torah Umesorah was going to edit those articles which need editing. A good percentage of the posts are just simple comments of encouragment and chizuk.
Let’s be dan l’kav zechus and not make GYE into a site which is assur when it is saving hundreds if not thousands fo lives and marriages, yes…. even in the Hailega Lakewood.
Regarding your comment in response to, I believe, some of the other comments above, regarding not making GYE into a site that is assur, please refer to comment #37, written by a person who needed GYE and was helped by your website. He said:
#37 is 100% RIGHT
please dont use the website if you dont need it
I meant please refer to comment #47…
I just posted a comment referring to comment #47. What I wanted to write was that regarding your comment regarding not making GYE into a site that is assur, you should read what a GYE website user, who has been helped by GYE, wrote in comment #47, as follows:
“#37 is 100% RIGHT
please dont use the website if you dont need it”
It is not true, as you stated, that “A good percentage of the posts are just simple comments of encouragment and chizuk.” If you look carefully, there are many, many mich’sholim in the chizuk posts.
Therefore, it must be stressed again that only those who need help in this inyan should be looking at the GYE website, as stated in comment 47, and as stated in comment 37 who said, “One cannot help people by being mach’shil others.”
It is very nice that you are being defensive of the GYE website because you feel offended, but there is no need to “shtuch” Lakewood by stating “yes…. even in the Hailega Lakewood.”
I fell into Internet addiction as soon as I got a computer. Boruch Hashem I found GYE and joined up immediately. It has helped me tremendously and shown me that I am in fact an addict. I need live SA meetings and go only because of the encouragement that I got and get from Reb Guard and the other tzaddikim on the Forum. GYE is an asset for Klal Yisroel and is saving me and many others and there are many others that it needs to save.