Anyone using "Freedom"?

Originally Posted by Katsunami

That's baloney. If I have work to do, be it in or around the house, at work, or on the computer, I'm not on the internet apart from an occasional break.

And no, that break doesn't take an hour. It doesn't even take 33% of the time, like yours do.

Thank-you for giving me the benefit of the doubt. I am actually taking breaks 33.33333...% of the time.

More seriously though: I didn't say everyone is like that and I have observed that a lot of those people who claim to have discipline actually have less discipline than the people who they criticize. Maybe it's a matter of a law of averages. (They work longer in a stretch, but they do roughly the same amount of work.) Maybe it's because they don't see a particular activity as a problem. (For their desired lifestyle, it may not be a problem. For a person who desires a different lifestyle, it may be a problem.) Maybe it's because different people demonstrate discipline in different areas. (One person may spend a lot of time fooling around on computers, while another will spend it watching TV, and yet another will spend it gossiping.)

[DiapDealer]

I don't know.... For the gym correlation to work for me in this instance, it would need to be something like: I'm paying for a gym membership, but I've decided I've been spending a little too much time at the gym lately so I'm going to pay someone to stand ouside the gym and not let me in.

My beef is not not with needing tools to help you get your "stuff together". Go for it. Just don't PAY someone to help you NOT use a service you're voluntarily paying for. Don't stack dumb on top of whatever else you've got going on.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

I don't know.... For the gym correlation to work for me in this instance, it would need to be something like: I'm paying for a gym membership, but I've decided I've been spending a little too much time at the gym lately so I'm going to pay someone to stand outside the gym and not let me in.

If his Internet service was free, you'd would have less of a problem with it?

I understand the humor in the situation, but I think we can assume that he wants his Internet service and would be paying for it in any case, so it's cost is really not a factor. Though now that you mention it, it would be nice if the ISP would agree to turn off the service for x hours a day or whatever, and prorate you for the time. ...
No, I can't keep a straight face while suggesting that a phone or cable company would ever give up money. They above all others would charge extra for the service of not providing you the service.

[Katsunami]

If you want a disconnect at a particular time, or for a particular time, then get a router that can do this through parenting controls. It's best if your cable or adsl modem has it built in. Many modem-router combos have this.

Set it, and let someone else decide the password. Done. 100% secure.

Except of course if you're so addicted that you'd go and reset the router. Then it'd need to be in a locked cabinet or something.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

If you want a disconnect at a particular time, or for a particular time, then get a router that can do this through parenting controls. It's best if your cable or adsl modem has it built in. Many modem-router combos have this.

Set it, and let someone else decide the password. Done. 100% secure.

Except of course if you're so addicted that you'd go and reset the router. Then it'd need to be in a locked cabinet or something.

In Ernest Cline's highly enjoyable novel "Ready Player One," when our hero realizes that he's become so fat and slovenly spending all his time in the book's online virtual world that he will soon be needing "big and hefty" sized immersion gear, he activates the built-in health lockout feature, which requires him to spend a certain amount of time working out in a virtual gym before allowing him to access anything else. Once activated, the feature cannot be cancelled for several months.

[TallMomof2]

Originally Posted by Katsunami

If you want a disconnect at a particular time, or for a particular time, then get a router that can do this through parenting controls. It's best if your cable or adsl modem has it built in. Many modem-router combos have this.

Set it, and let someone else decide the password. Done. 100% secure.

Except of course if you're so addicted that you'd go and reset the router. Then it'd need to be in a locked cabinet or something.

I've done this for years to keep my teens offline when they should be sleeping. I also set up specific times for one to access his favorite websites. It really helps my serious procrastinator run out of reasons to procrastinate.

On my router resetting it doesn't affect the settings. One actually has to get in via a password to change the settings.

[Katsunami]

Originally Posted by TallMomof2

I've done this for years to keep my teens offline when they should be sleeping. I also set up specific times for one to access his favorite websites. It really helps my serious procrastinator run out of reasons to procrastinate.

On my router resetting it doesn't affect the settings. One actually has to get in via a password to change the settings.

I've helped many parents to set this up. Much more secure and much easier than parenting control software, if you have a good router. Often, it's cheaper too. The router invariably went into the storage closet (where the main connection for the cable modem normally comes into the house, in the Netherlands), which can normally be locked. Once, this was not possible, because the main cable was actually in the living room, so we bought a small lockable storage box, drilled a few holes in it for the cables and ventilation, and put the router in there.

*Any* router can be fully reset, causing it to forget all settings, or you would need to throw it away if you ever forgot the password. Mine has a button you need to press for 15 seconds, using a pencil. I think you are mixing up "reset" and "reboot".

[JSWolf]

The thread topic reads so very wrong. For those who do not know, Freedom used to be a brand of tampons.

[Loosheesh]

Thanks for the assumptions and otherwise. I have no idea where the "destructive" behavior is coming from I simply want to transfer more of my free time from one thing (internet surfing) to the next (reading and "other stuff", by which I meant my other hobbies of knitting and sewing). I never said I was using the internet to the detriment of my work or home life; if that was the case I would need more than an internet blocker.

And, just for laughs (a) I'm a "she"; (b) my husband uses the internet too,(imagine that ) so it still has to be paid for even if I don't use it; (c) and I'd much rather spend a one-time fee of $10 on a "magic button" than tinker around with my modem, but that's just me

Oh, and I like to use my limited "willpower" on more important things than how to allocate my leisure time. Maybe that's "dumb" but, again, that's just me

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The thread topic reads so very wrong. For those who do not know, Freedom used to be a brand of tampons.

As usual, JSWolf, your insightful comments are always the most helpful. How you do it I will never know

[Katsunami]

As a last resort, you could cut your WIFI cable...

[DiapDealer]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

Thanks for the assumptions and otherwise. I have no idea where the "destructive" behavior is coming from I simply want to transfer more of my free time from one thing (internet surfing) to the next (reading and "other stuff", by which I meant my other hobbies of knitting and sewing). I never said I was using the internet to the detriment of my work or home life; if that was the case I would need more than an internet blocker.

And, just for laughs (a) I'm a "she"; (b) my husband uses the internet too,(imagine that ) so it still has to be paid for even if I don't use it; (c) and I'd much rather spend a one-time fee of $10 on a "magic button" than tinker around with my modem, but that's just me

Oh, and I like to use my limited "willpower" on more important things than how to allocate my leisure time. Maybe that's "dumb" but, again, that's just me

You know what? I'm going to go ahead and apologize right off the bat.

I started out by trying to poke a little fun at my own "willpower" (such as it is) with regard to NOT using the internet, but somewhere along the way started arguing with--not really you, the OP, so much--but with all the "what if" scenarios being presented by others who I felt might have been a tad too quick to jump to the defense of people who weren't really being "attacked," per se. More like "ribbed" a bit--even if a bit callously.

But regardless, your follow-up post prompted me to re-read the thread with the perspective provided by a few days' removal from it, and quite frankly... I've come to the conclusion that my ass was showing in several of my responses. For that I'm sorry.

I hope you find the information/input you were looking for.

[ApK]

Originally Posted by Loosheesh

And, just for laughs (a) I'm a "she";

Ha! I never can guess. I figure if I just always use "he" I have a 50/50 shot at worst.

ApK

[forsooth]

Originally Posted by ApK

Condensation kills!

evacuate bag first

[BeccaPrice]

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

You know what? I'm going to go ahead and apologize right off the bat.

well done.

[Nancy Fulda]

Back to the original topic -- I use Freedom when I'm pushing to meet a deadline. I've found it highly effective and have never regretted the $10.

It's a handy little app which lets you effectively turn on and off your computer's internet without having to dig into cables and routers. Runs smooth and doesn't bug. If I legitimately need to look up something on the net, it's not too hard to deactivate. But if my brain tries to task-switch into pointless blog reading, the Freedom block acts as a handy reminder that, oh yeah... I'm supposed to be working.

There's a free trial of Freedom available. My recommendation would be to give it a shot and see how you like it.