October 12, 200619 yr A member in my family has a horible Ebay spending problem and buys over $1,000 in junk a month. I need to know how I can block Ebay from his computer. I need it to be password protected so he can't change the settings or uninstall it. Thank you.
October 12, 200619 yr Unless they're computer literate, you could just add it to their hosts file. Instead of redirecting to 127.0.0.1 (local) you could redirect it to a page made by yourself or someone else that actually tells them what their problem is. Notoriously Trollish.
October 12, 200619 yr Yea, using the HOST file is probably the best bet. Most people I come across don't even know it exists, and if something is blocked - a lot of people seek out a solution in their browser / firewall / etc. Most likely would've even cross their mind to check a file burried in the system folder ;)
October 12, 200619 yr HOSTS file ftw! :D Mercifull <3 Suzi "We don't want players to be able to buy their way to success in RuneScape. If we let players start doing this, it devalues RuneScape for others. We feel your status in real-life shouldn't affect your ability to be successful in RuneScape" Jagex 01/04/01 - 02/03/12
October 12, 200619 yr That means... - Open C:\WINDOWS\system32\drivers\etc\hosts in notepad (it doesn't have a file extension) - Scroll to the bottom and add: 127.0.0.1 www.ebay.com ...or whatever the ebay URL is for where you are. - Save, close, test. Some people are changed by being a moderator. I wouldn't be.
October 12, 200619 yr Thank you, how hard would it be for them to find this file BTW? If they know about it, it's just as easy as finding any other file. That's if they know about it. You could do this and just bank on the fact that they have no idea what you did or how to fix it.
October 13, 200619 yr You know...There's sort of the other idea...Talking about it...Solving the problem- working it out.. I know it's off topic, but that's another way to block ebay :wink: and may work with less pain/annoyance/anger to the recipient.
October 16, 200619 yr Thank you, how hard would it be for them to find this file BTW?About as hard as http://google.com So yeah, if they've got a bit of geek in them, they'll be quite able to look up methods of blocking sites and work out that you modified the HOSTS file. If you have a router or a firewall, you could use that to block ebay - often these come with password protection options. You're still not really solving the problem though, the person will probably find other ways to shop online, whether it be using other online auction sites, or going to an internet cafe or a public library. You could talk to your bank about the account they're using to purchase stuff. But in the end, the best thing to do is to get some professional help - find yourself a counsellor and work through it. Where the bloody hell are you?
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