FAQ

What is Plucky?

Plucky is an Internet filter that you can install on your computer.

How does Plucky differ from other filters?

Big picture, Plucky is a strong, highly configurable, tamper-resistent filter designed for self-control. It is one of the most extreme filters the author knows of.

Is Plucky easy to bypass?

No, not if you have enabled the system feature.

But couldn’t I just uninstall Plucky whenever I want?

No. The delay must first be set to 0 before Plucky will uninstall.

But isn’t Plucky just a browser extension that can be disabled in the browser?

That is sorta true without the system feature, but real users are expected to use the system feature.

But couldn’t I just set the delay to 0 and then uninstall?

Yes, but to set the delay to 0 you would have to wait one delay cycle.

But isn’t Plucky easy to bypass?

Try it and see.

Is Plucky a porn filter?

While Plucky has many features that are helpful to those seeking to avoid porn, it can and is also used to block other sources of online temptation or distraction such as email, gambling, gaming, shopping, and social media sites.

Wait, did you say it blocks all images? Not just porn and clickbait?

Even photos of my Aunt Gertrude? What’s the point of the Internet without pictures?!

That is 4 questions.

Yes, by default, all images on the Internet are blocked. But most Plucky users configure a substantial list of allowed sites and/or use scheduling rules so they can see images on some or many sites. Plucky is designed to be configured by the user.

I can white-list sites? What good is a filter if I can simply access whatever I want?

Well, there’s what you want now, what you want 5 hours from now, and what you want to want 5 hours from now. To which of these wants are you referring?

Plucky is designed to help users choose “meta wants” rather than “carnal wants”.

The means for this is a delayed configuration system that allows the user to make any changes to the filter configuration, but the changes only take effect after a delay.

It is similar to the debt-ridden consumer putting his emergency credit card in the freezer so it can’t be used for impulse purchases, the alcoholic choosing ahead of time not to walk past the liquor store where the smell of alcohol will be certain to be too much for him, the food addict choosing not to store chocolate ice cream in her freezer, and so on.

Did you just use the term “white-list”? What are you, racist?

Sorry, Man, it’s a long-technical term. I don’t mean anything by it.

Did you just use the word, “man”?

Uh, let’s move on…

That delay sounds like it might be inconvenient at times.

You, betcha! That is the whole point. Hence, the Plucky motto is

Hooray for inconvenience!

Of course, there are ways to expedite changes with friends.

What do you mean, “Hooray for inconvenience”? Who would want to be inconvenienced?

Folks who dislike the kind of convenience the Internet offers.

Can Plucky rescue me from my porn addiction?

I’m afraid not; you still need to drive that vehicle. But Plucky can help you make better choices.

Can you recommend any less extreme filters?

Plucky is extreme by default, but it can be configured to block way less.

Other popular products can be found on https://alternativeto.net/software/plucky .

For a more extensive list, see https://filters.pluckeye.net/ .

Can you recommend any organizations that can help me with my porn struggle / pornography addiction?

TODO: https://resources.pluckeye.net/.

Can Plucky do X (email my friends, filter based on keywords, …)?

Maybe, maybe not. Plucky is primarily a configurable filter, and most of its features are oriented around that, rather than say, reporting activity to others. If you have a feature request, feel free to let us know.

I don’t have problems with porn, but I’m addicted to Facebook. Might I have any use for Plucky?

Yep! See https://docs.pluckeye.net/how-to-filter-by-time .

What’s with the name, Plucky?

Plucky was originally named Pluckeye (but the author always pronounced it pluck-ee), in homage to Matthew 5:29, KJV:

And if your right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast if from thee, for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

We respelled the name as Plucky because that both retained the original allusion and references the courage we think necessary to use it. Plus, it increased the chances people would pronounce it correctly.

How do you plan on monetizing Plucky?

We hope that users who find it valuable willingly pay for it.

How can I contribute to Plucky?

Ha, we would have believed that 5 years ago. But we’re onto you now; we know how this works. We help you; that’s it. Our relationship is strictly one way.

Of course, if you’re that one-in-a-million diamond-in-the-rough who actually does something for us, then please do contact us!

Why and when was Plucky created?

Work on Plucky began in 2007 after the author (Jon) investigated what software was available for folks looking for a filter to help them overcome compulsive porn use – a problem he believed to be increasingly common and long lasting. Firmly believing such a product should be freely (as in gratis) available, he eventually contacted a few vendors who had free offerings (X3Watch, BlueCoat, and Qustodio) to see if it was possible to work with them on improving the self-control features in them. Unsurprisingly, none were interested in integrating a volunteer coder into their process. So, he undertook to build his own – after all, how hard could it be?

Thus was Plucky conceived. But because the author was easily sidetracked its gestation was horribly long, and a working version was not publicly available until January 2014.

Is there any scientific basis for Plucky?

Ugh. How we hate how the words “scientific” and “proven” are used these days. We recommend reading Abolition of Man.

But is there any scientific basis?

:-( Well, here’s an interesting study on how some pigeons self-limited. It is kind of similar.

But perhaps a study involving pigeons pecking levers is a bit of a stretch. There is one involving humans. But, should humans really be treated as objects of study, like animals?

Here’s a direct quote from a similar study:

Maximization theory, which is borrowed from economics, provides techniques for predicting the behavior of animals - including humans.

Are humans true animals? You make the call.

Would Plucky be a good filter for protecting a child? If not, do you know of one?

This is hard to answer.

Plucky was not designed with the child in mind. It could be used that way – Plucky could, for example, enforce use of a child-oriented DNS filter, but the parent would need to do some work to set it up. The conservative parent (such as the author!) might appreciate Plucky’s filtering, but there are other tools available, some of which built into Windows, macOS, or Chrome OS. If you’re a parent and Plucky sounds too technical for your taste, you might find the following links useful.