Software to restrict access to time-wasting applications?

Question

I am looking for free solution to block some programs on my pc for sheduled time? Seems to be hard to find one.

Answer 1

RescueTime has the ability to block sites for certain periods to avoid distractions; however it cannot block arbitrary PC applications.

Answer 2

This may not be the software that your looking for but this has the functionality that you need. SiteKiosk is used to lock down machines used for public kiosks. This might be too restrictive for your personal use but it is something to consider.

Answer 3

This doesn't answer your question, but I'll say it anyway.

I have set Workrave to make myself take a one-minute break every hour. Sometimes, when the break happens, I realize I'm wasting time and decide to stop.

See also this advice on how to avoid clicking the postpone-break forever in Workrave.

Answer 4

If you are fairly techie - I modify my laptop's hosts file to block sites - if you want the blocks to change times you can use crontab to have different blocks at different times.

Answer 5

Assistant Professor Matt Might recommends using separate devices for those activities that do not directly contribute to work. For him, this means having a separate gaming computer and an iOS device (iPod/iPad) for reddit/digg/imgur browsing.

I took his advice now do most of my procrastinatory activities on an iPod Touch. I think it's helped me maintain clearer boundaries between when something is appropriate and when it's not. Even if it's "just" 5 minutes, work is not a place to be checking Facebook, Hacker News. Slashdot, or any of the other myriad distractions. I leave my dedicated procrastination device at home, edit /etc/hosts to block those sites on my work laptop, and now enjoy greater productivity as a result.

TLDR: Some people should not rely on their own self control. For them (like myself), physically separate devices are necessary to ensure appropriate behavior.

Answer 6

If you have Google Chrome, there's a free add on called StayFocused. I have it set to let work related websites through, but I have a strict time limit for entertainment sites. When you have reached your limit for the day, it shuts the browser down.

Answer 7

For making your daily online browsing routines more productive, checkout Skim.Me (http://skim.me). We'll be adding restriction features soon.

We do all setup, organization and management work for your favorite site and app sources so you can browse no-reply emails, weather, news, social media, ecommerce, finance and more without leaving our web app in timed batches throughout the day.

As you browse we manage a “done” list for you that can be toggled to a “to-do” list for browsing that’s algorithmically controlled. It’s a great user experience that shows you what you’ve accomplished and never how many unread you have.

Answer 8

What sort of applications are wasting your time? Remember that installing such software will REALLY annoy you, I mean REALLY!

So a couple of things you can do instead.

1. Install RescueTime or StayFocused using Google Chrome
2. Separate your work and other applications by using different user accounts
3. If you really wanted you could dual-boot and have two versions of windows installed on your hard drive, or just use a different computer
4. Use the Pomodoro Technique to boost productivity!