Tips

In Pluckeye v0.99 and above, if something doesn't work correctly after installing, open a console and invoke:

pluck repair

That fixes some common problems, especially on macOS.

Having both Firefox and Chrome gives you additional protection in case something goes wrong with Pluckeye. If you are comfortable at the command line, you can safely ignore this recommendation.

If you install Firefox after installing Pluckeye, then you may need to enable the Pluckeye extension manually. In Firefox, type "about:addons" in the location bar, click "Extensions", and search for Pluckeye.

Pluckeye installs at installation level 1 so that new users can try it out with minimal system integration. Installation level 2 is the intended level for the majority of Pluckeye users because level 2 prevents users from trivially bypassing Pluckeye. See installation levels for more details.

The delay can be adjusted inside Firefox or Chrome or at a command line:

pluck set "Delay 10 seconds"

Having a small non-zero delay will help you understand how Pluckeye will work when you increase the delay.

The delay can be adjusted inside Firefox or Chrome or at a command line:

pluck set "Delay 2 hours"
pluck set "Delay 1 day"
echo etc.

It is surprisingly common for users to set the delay to 7 days immediately in an effort to achieve "maximum protection". While the mindset is laudible, we recommend you start with something more conservative, such as 1, 2, or 3 days. Few people plan to eat chocolate cake 24 or 48 hours in advance.

But if 1 or 2 days isn't enough, then by all means increase it (and let us know).

If you think you can handle a periodic whiteout, it might alleviate some of the pain in using Pluckeye. Depending on your settings, this may also help with automatic updates for various software.

E.g., to allow access to any program and site on Monday mornings 10am to 12pm:

pluck add "Sometimes M10-12 Whiteout"

If you sense that a whitelist rule you added earlier is no longer a good idea, remove it as soon as possible.

If the rule is still in the pending state, you can simply throw it away by clicking the "abort" button in the browser, or by using the 'pluck abort' at the command line.

pluck abort

If the rule is already active, you'll need to remove it specifically.

pluck rm "Allow a.com"

Or, if you can't think straight enough to remove the rule(s) one by one, you have the nuclear option (the blackout button):

pluck add blackout

Go for a walk. Drink some tea. Call a friend. Sometime later, when a better mind-set is restored:

pluck rm blackout
sleep $delay
firefox

1. Several features, such as cross-device synchronization and expediting changes, only work if you create a user account on https://u.pluckeye.net/ .
2. The expedite button is really useful in maintaining a long delay, but to use it you need to find some real-life human beings to power it (a.k.a. Pluckeye helpers). If you don't know who to ask, maybe you could start a circle of Pluckeye helpers in the Pluckeye forum or in r/pluckeye.
3. Register Pluckeye for accountability or sharing settings between devices. See how-to-register-for-accountability.html.
4. The history button shows you what Pluckeye is blocking. It can often help in situations where you do not understand why a particular web page or document will or won't load.

If you expect Pluckeye to "do it for you", you're doing it wrong.

The most important principle in using Pluckeye is that you must determine what boundaries you need to set. These boundaries are likely to be different for different people.

Pluckeye is rather configurable, and you should find the configuration that works best for you. Is your delay too short? Then make it longer! Are certain sites problematic for you? Block them! Do you need to see images on some site and consider its content safe? Allow it! Pluckeye is designed to help you choose ahead of time what you really think is okay for you to have access to.

This principle can not be over-emphasized. Let it soak in.

While Pluckeye can help you modify the playing field, it can't address the underlying sources of behavior, and if those issues are left unaddressed, you may not experience the long-term change you seek. The author highly recommends you consider this, and that you search for a program and/or other people who can help you to grow. Here is a list of sites and organizations to get you started.

There are some who instead of installing Pluckeye should be:

1. Calling their ISP to cancel their home Internet.
2. Selling their cell phones.

(in addition, of course, to eating true food and drinking true drink).

Long-term usually change takes time. Don't give up.