Blocking annoying websites (news) with AdGuard

During this time of political stupidity, Covid running rampant, and more doom and gloom articles than you can shake a stick at, I have made the choice to start blocking sites, especially news outlets, using AdGuard. Sites can easily be blocked using a browser plugin, but since I use multiple browsers, and have several apps that are Internet aware, I want them blocked at the OS level. AdGuard makes this easy using one of two command styles. These are entered under Preferences – Filters – User Rules. ||foxnews.com^$empty ||foxnews.com^$document In the first example, the page won't be loaded and you will get a blank screen. No text, no links, no images. In the second example, you will be prompted that the site matches a filter for blocked sites and given the choice to continue. I prefer the first. It's a sledgehammer approach to throwing rotten news in the garbage. And it works. Within a day I was already turning a […]