Posts Tagged ‘web filtering software’



Taming Our Shameful Digital Distractions

February 17th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Software Development, Technology | No Comments »

Think about it.

How much time do you waste surfing the Web?

I’m not going to lie. I fritter a lot of time away on Facebook and Twitter. A lot of time.

I can’t help it.

I sit down at my computer each morning with every intention to get some work done – but my wandering mouse takes over and soon I’m redirected to see what my friends are up to.

I absolutely hate it!

BUT, I have found some help to get me back on the straight and narrow.

Enter RescueTime and LeechBlock.

These applications, also called Internet blocking software, are designed to block various parts of the Internet so that when your mind strays, you’re stopped from giving into your unproductive ways.

First, RescueTime.

RescueTime works by keeping track of everything that happens on your computer, and then reports your habits in a series of charts and graphs.

Tech writer Farhad Manjoo recently gave RescueTime a whirl and says he found the app to be incredibly “illuminating.”

“I learned, for instance, that during a typical month I spend more than 70 hours surfing the web, much of it on news and social networking sites,” writes Manjoo.

By comparison, Manjoo found that he spent half as much time in Microsoft Word.

Now, if you are already aware of your bad online habits and just need some good old-fashion help taming them, then LeechBlock web filtering software may be the best medicine.

LeechBlock is a free add-on for Firefox and functions like a stern nanny. Users tell the program which Web sites to keep away from them at certain times of the day, and at the appointed hour you have chosen, LeechBlock will stop you cold.

LeechBlock is also quite flexible as it lets users block different sites at different times of the day. Or, users can set a maximum daily or hourly limit for certain sites.

Certainly, there is no way to tell whether these “digital nannies” will help you kick your bad online habits once and for all.

The mind is a restless place – even for the most seasoned professional.

But these Internet blocking software applications can be helpful in getting you to at least consider how you waste time on the Internet.

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