SelfControl

Hours can fly by in the blink of an eye when I am surfing the web. In an effort to regain some footing in this battle against distraction I have recently been using a program called SelfControl. This free Mac-only open-source program (there are PC and Linux based alternatives) clamps down on internet usage by selectively turning it off.

SelfControl uses brute force to stop bad online habits. When the timer-based program is activated browsers will act like they aren't connected to the internet. You can restart your computer, you can quit the program, you can switch browsers, and you can even uninstall the program (be careful, because if you are too invasive you can permanently damage some systems). It doesn't matter. You are locked out for the allotted amount of time. As such you have to be careful with how you use it. You don't want to accidentally lock yourself out of the web for 12 hours if you know you have to research an important subject that evening.

Unlike other programs like Freedom which only serve to ban all internet access for a designated amount of time, SelfControl gives you more control over what you want to keep on and off. You can use a "white list" of approved sites or a "black list" of banned ones. Or, you can selectively set it up to block things like twitter and email. This selectivity is crucial in that it allows you to tame but not break the internet.

I personally prefer to use a "black list". By eradicating access to well known time sinks during working hours I reduce the temptation to stray while keeping open the rest of the web for research (especially important as I work from home and primarily online).

I wish I didn't need a program like SelfControl. But given my inability to resist certain sites (ahem...Boing Boing) I am happy to know I can, at times, selectively curb my internet usage.

[Note: It has recently been ported to Linux, but is reportedly buggy. You can download it here.--OH]

-- Oliver Hulland

SelfControl Mac OSX Free

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ron

why would someone use this picture for that article???!!!
anutron

Am I the only one who finds these posts a little ironic? Software to keep me from wasting too much time on the internet… posted on BoingBoing where I waste most of my time on the internet? Just sayin’ is all.
- CC
  
  I prefer the savour the bittersweet irony of calling the application SelfControl when it’s clearly designed for those who have none.
  - sigdrifa
    
    Darn, I need to get up earlier :)) That was the very first thing that came to mind!
Rob

“You can restart your computer, you can quit the program, you can switch browsers, and you can even uninstall the program (be careful, because if you are too invasive you can permanently damage some systems). It doesn’t matter. ”

Yeah, and then I’d be wasting my time reverse engineering it to fix it. Kinda counterproductive.
Anonymous

This is potentially the most useful program the internet has ever given to me. I am plagued by constant facebook checks and bloging to the point that it’s actually lowered my GPA in college. Boingboing I’m sorry but you guys are first on my list to block. Take this as a compliment.
redstarr

I love Leechblock for Firefox. I originally added it on my work computers because my staff couldn’t seem to manage their internet use on their own. I didn’t want to filter the internet or lock it down entirely because I wanted them to be able to still use the internet to answer customer questions, learn real work related stuff, etc. So Leechblock was a great compromise. I even turn it on for myself on occasion. It’s too easy to circumvent to be a fool-proof solution to keeping the folks that are bound and determined to be lazy productive, but it is just enough reminder for the ones that are just a little lazy or easily distracted to be motivated to get back to work.
jtiii

I was having trouble getting off the computer and going to bed. Not just internet, but offline games as well. I bought a plastic toolbox from Ace that was padlockable, drilled a few holes for cords, and plugged my monitor’s power cable into a timer inside the box. I got a digital one with 7 day adjustments, so I can play later on weekends than weeknights. Locked it, and gave my wife the key (I have to crack into it twice a year for daylight savings). It’s low-tech but works great!
CheshireKitty

Installed Freedom free trial, works GREAT, gets me back on NaNoWriMo instead of ‘ooh what’s that?’ on Internet.

Back to writing, cheers!
- penguinchris
  
  LOL @ this comment, when you’re clearly wasting time on the internet and not writing ;)
  
  I have no self-control regarding the internet either, but I haven’t had to resort to anything like this. I’m using OS X so I bookmarked it in case I need it in the future.
  
  I did start using a firefox extension called TimeTracker a few years ago that puts a timer on the status bar. It only counts up when you are actively browsing, and you can white list sites you use for work or whatever, or disable it temporarily by clicking on it. It resets each day (you might be able to choose when it auto-resets, not sure).
  
  I’ve browsed for five and a half hours today. It tells me that since 2009-09-08 (which is when I got this computer) I’ve browsed for 1962 hours. That’s about 82 solid days! Good thing (?) I’m unemployed.
  
  It doesn’t stop me from wasting time, but I do look at it frequently as something of a reality check.
Anonymous

The fact that this software exists at all serves as a reminder that more than a few among us need it. I know I do.
Anonymous

I use Pomodoro for Mac. It’s a free timer that has all the settings in the world. I like the settings of having it tick like a countdown clock and with bell at end of it. It can do a lot more than that, I just don’t use ‘em.
Lady Katey

I use Leechblock at work to limit the amount of time I waste on Facebook, Cuteoverload, BoingBoing and DListed every day to 15 minutes. I’ve tried to use it at home but always end up ‘cheating’ by changing the time on my computer or deactivating it. I think I might just set up a banner-scrolling screensaver that says “WHATEVER HAS BEEN POSTED ON FACEBOOK OR BOINGBOING IN THE PAST 20 MINUTES WILL STILL BE THERE TOMORROW MORNING. GO BACK TO STUDYING.”
Emily

I love RescueTime instead – it tracks everything, plus you can “get focused” and it’ll block sites (though you can click through) – I think you might need to take a serious look at your internet browsing if you need something like SelfControl, that makes it IMPOSSIBLE to browse. Shouldn’t you use you know, self control?
BungaDunga

Is there something like this for Windows that works, outside of browser extensions? I’ve been searching for something like this for a while. Something with whitelists, not just HOSTS file type blocking.

If I could force all outgoing connections to go via a local privoxy proxy, then define whitelist rules, that would work… but I have no idea how to do that.
Ant

Bah!
futnuh

During a recent spate of excessive usage, I gained a few hours a day back with this simple addition to my /etc/hosts file …

# Internet Addiction
0.0.0.0 http://www.boingboing.net boingboing.net
0.0.0.0 news.google.com news.google.ca
- Rob
  
  I’ve actually been behind proxies where that wouldn’t work. They’d accept the connection and forward it on.
Anonymous

Hi, I’m the designer of SelfControl. I just wanted make mention that the software is free and open source with a GPL license.

So, while this version works for me, if you want it to be different then you are free to modify the code (or hire someone to do so) and I’d be happy to include some of your improvements. Or you can release your own version.

This is how the Linux version got started and some other people I have never met, but emailed a bit with, are working on a windows version.

This is a project created by volunteers (not a product developed and sold by company). If anyone wants to code features, the whole project can be forked on GitHub and I’d be happy to look at your code and roll in improvements.
febryle

I second the comment about RescueTime, which does exactly what I want–I can set it to completely block all distracting sites, or just to keep track of my overall productivity. You can even customize it with specific alerts, such as “You’ve spent 30 minutes on Social Networking Sites today”. Love it.
Anonymous

Sorry to ruin it, this just edits the hosts file. Productivity re-lost.
Pippy

I think I am just going to install parental control software and give the password to my daughter. Kinda turns the idea upside down…
membeth

Really, what the world needs is not something designed to shut down the internet, but to limit the user to work-related internet use. Something like this is totally useless for say, attorneys, who need internet access to work, but want social networking and blogs shut down.
- febryle
  
  That’s exactly what RescueTime does.
Anonymous

Oooohhh!! I think my ISP already uses it! :)
Anonymous

ok, so I am going to try LeechBlock, since my self-control is lacking these days. Problem is, I also have to use i.e. for some work applications that don’t run well using Firefox…suggestions for i.e. alternatives? Thanks, BB!
Anonymous

This looks FANTASTIC! I would use this for sure, sadly I’m a PC. Are there any Windows style versions like this? Help Computa.
johnphantom

Why don’t you all just look at a clock?
Michael Leddy
I used SelfControl for a while, and then the program simply stopped blocking. Tried uninstalling, reinstalling, no soap.

Now I use the Firefox extension
semiotix

I used SelfControl for a while, and then the program simply stopped blocking. Tried uninstalling, reinstalling, no soap.

I’ve never heard of a program just giving up, and it’s kind of hilarious that this is the one that did. It’s like the program just threw up its electronic hands and said, “Goddammit, I am so sick and tired of this crap. That’s the fifth time in an hour he’s tried to get back online. You know what? Here. Have all the internet you want, you pathetic loser. See if I care, I’m outta here.”

(Not that I actually think you’re a loser for using this software, although that may be a minority opinion before this comment thread is over. Yikes.)
- Michael Leddy
  
  I think the problem came about after updating. It’s the only such problem I’ve ever had on a Mac.
  
  Thank you for not thinking of me as a loser. There are worse things than using SelfControl. From NPR:
  
  Guy Raz: I’ve read that you actually neutered a laptop to make sure that you have no ability to connect to the Internet.
  
  Jonathan Franzen: Yes, yes. No, that’s – you can just – you take any Ethernet plug and you stick it in the little socket and then you Super Glue it in and take a coping saw and cut off the wire part and you’re just permanently disabled for that form of transmission. And then the wireless card’s easy to take out.