views:

380

answers:

8

I am trying to block Google Reader:

reader.google.com

www.google.com/reader

The hard part is blocking the reader directory

I blocked reader.google.com by changing my /etc/hosts file (this is for a Mac)

Is there any way to block www.google.com/reader without buying software? Note this is for Safari so Greasemonkey won't work, and Leopard's Parental Controls throttle the CPU when they are turned on.

Also I've tried OpenDNS, which is awesome, but doesn't work for this...

Any thoughts?

Update: This is for a laptop that travels a lot. So a router or a home proxy server won't work. Firefox would work, but I don't think I can uninstall Safari from a mac.

A: 

What about at the router level? My router as an URL blocker built in.

Unkwntech
No, this is for a laptop that moves around a lot. It never uses the same router.
andy
A: 

Maybe you can find some sort of http proxy you could install to filter this content and use that when browsing. On Firefox you could easily define a rule for Adblock Plus.

Andrei Savu
+1  A: 

Set up a proxy server and block it via that.

Adam Davis
+1  A: 

You could do this with a proxy (for example Proxomitron).

Dan Dyer
+1  A: 

You can use Privoxy to filter about anything.

Huppie
Thanks! I had been using OpenDNS, but I couldn't control at the directory level.
andy
A: 

try this

Place the Mac hosts file in the Preference folder. Name it "Hosts". Restart.

OR

Copy the Mac hosts file to your computer. In the TCP/IP Control Panel, choose 'Select Hosts file' Select this file. Close and restart.

then add this line to it

127.0.0.1 reader.google.com

note: answer from http://www.ecst.csuchico.edu/~atman/spam/adblock.shtml

Keng
I used this to block reader.google.com, but it doesn't help for blocking www.google.com/reader. I need a way to block both.
andy
The HOSTS file only deals with domains, not directories. It won't work for www.google.com/reader unless you block all of Google.
ceejayoz
+1  A: 

Another option is to use a free service like www.opendns.com as your dns servers, they allow you to block specific domains or turn on filtering etc.

Omegatron
A: 

I did exactly what you're looking for using Safari AdBlock. Just define a few rules in Safari->Preferences->AdBlock and you should be good to go!