Show HN: Block yourself from the Internet until you write or code each day

If what you're working on is important enough and you love it enough, you would never need this.<p>If not, then maybe you're working on the wrong thing.<p>Let's stop treating the effect of poor work habits and deal with the cause: find something better to work on.<p>[EDIT: I'd stay and reply to your great responses guys, but I'm not here anymore. As compelling as this discussion is, the real-time CRUD/robot interface I'm writing is way cooler.]

You know what works well? Just write some code. I use the metaphor "paint every day" which I took from a HN comment years ago, but how does an artist get good at painting? You paint every day.<p>How do you get stuff done? Code every day. Fix a small problem, big problem, whatever. Just take steps forward every day.<p>It's how I got <a href="http://reme.me" rel="nofollow">http://reme.me</a> off the ground. I do something every day. In a couple short months I built the API, site, iPhone, and Android apps all by myself. I only get an hour or two a day maybe to get stuff done, so I just try and do something.<p>Lately I've been giving myself a list of tasks and either a week or two deadline to hit a "release", but really, that doesn't get stuff done. Just coding something each day does.<p>Paint every day.

StayFocusd is currently my favorite plugin for this purpose <a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/laankejkbhbdhmipfmgcngdelahlfoji" rel="nofollow">https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/laankejkbhbdhmipfm...</a><p>However, adding a rewards/gamification system is not a bad idea at all. I like StayFocusd but I end up filling my time otherwise if I don't have a hard deadline. Having goals to reach is a great incentive, enough to keep me focused without a plugin. But the plugin provides a basic physical deterrent effect which sometimes alone can be enough

I find the whole "if you love it then you don't need this" sentiment at best naive, and at worst arrogant.<p>Sometimes we all have to do things we don't want to do. This includes, at times, working on your own project. There's nothing wrong with you, or what you're working on, if you actively try to limit your distractions.<p>If your project is so awesome you never get distracted, good for you. Kindly, take your hubris elsewhere.

Does this block all internet? How can you code well without resort to some googling?<p>Edit: By this I mean it would be preferable if I can leave some sites up, like SO for instance.

I personally use the Chrome Nanny extension to block certain websites during specified hours. This goal-oriented approach is interesting though, as it seems to get at the core issue: "to create more than you consume".

Prepare a hosts file as<p><pre><code> 127.0.0.1 news.ycombinator.com 127.0.0.1 reddit.com 127.0.0.1 twitter.com etc </code></pre> A shell script to rename the regular hosts file and this one at will. Add it in cron if you want it scheduled.

Lots of people commenting if your code is fun you shouldn't have to restrict yourself, blah blah blah. That's not the problem. The problem is how easy it is to instantly distract yourself. <i>Taktaktaktaktak</i> "Oh hey, I wonder if so-and-so replied on my Facebook, let's just to a quick look.." <i>5 hours later</i> "Oh snap, the time just flew by!"<p>If you're serious about blocking yourself from parts of the Internet, do it comprehensively. Here's what I do.<p>Most of the advice on this page is blocking from the browser-level or OS-level. This is easy to bypass, and you have to configure every device. You need to work at the router-level.<p>Let's talk blocking. A complete blacklist is wrong, you still need some Internet to Google or ask for help. e.g. stackoverflow.com, etc. Similarly, whitelists don't work because you can't possibly list every site you may need access to -- you may not know they exist yet. You need a keyword-matching blacklist.<p>You need two things:<p>1. WRT54GL router ($20-$50) 2. Tomato firmware: <a href="http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato/" rel="nofollow">http://www.polarcloud.com/tomato/</a><p>Vendor firmware usually has access restrictions, but they usually limit it to like 10 websites, and it usually doesn't have pattern-matching. You need a 3rd party firmware like Tomato.<p>Install the firmware per instructions from its website. It's really easy. The firmware has a page called "Access Restrictions". It does keyword blacklists/whitelists. You can block yourself for only certain hours of certain days. Here is an easy video tutorial from their website to guide you: <a href="http://www.polarcloud.com/v/screst.htm" rel="nofollow">http://www.polarcloud.com/v/screst.htm</a><p>For example, one keyword I use is "news". BAM! All URLs with the word "news" instantly blocked. Good. I don't need to be reading news when I should be coding. Resources like stackoverflow.com don't usually put "news" in their URLs, so they're safe.<p>There is the problem of unplugging the uplink from the router and directly into your computer (bypassing the router), or simply reconfiguring the router without restrictions. If you lack that much self-control, which I can understand (as I do too!!!), I recommend locking your router in a electrical enclosure and throwing away the key. Ok, not really. I made a cron job for the router that changes its login password to gibberish at some hour of the day, and X minutes prior it sets it to my normal password. Thus, I have X minutes of access to the router per day, should I need it.

A bit of a tangent but: I like Earnest Hemmingway's advice to only stop your work when you know exactly where to pick up again. I don't do great but when I follow the advice I find that it helps me get into flow more quickly.<p>"You write until you come to a place where you still have your juice and know what will happen next and you stop and try to live through until the next day when you hit it again."

Ok, now that I used this app I'm totally impressed. It even continues blocking after rebooting. Ha! Awesome.<p>I banged off almost 1000 words yesterday and had to shut down because of an oncoming storm. This morning I boot up and my connection is still locked up. My browser is saying I need to type another 1000 words if I want to get Internet. Nice.<p>I think your app will do well!

This seems like it would be more of a hindrance than a help. Implementing anything to force yourself to code is a good indicator that you really don't want to code in the first place, and is just going to encourage you to write perfunctory code. It will probably also just make you more upset and contemptuous towards work in general. After all, who want's to be forced to something they don't want to do through negative reinforcement?<p>If you need this, there's most likely a bigger problem and you probably should be doing something else. Additionally, even if this gets the job done, it's going to piss you off to a large extent.<p>Lastly, this method is antithetical to coding in general. You most likely NEED the internet to code. Without things like Stack Overflow, you won't be able to solve problems as quickly and your productivity is going to go down.

Everyone seems to be talking about the force-yourself-to-code part of this, but I recently read something about "write every morning" and as a tool for that this sounds appealing -- but only because my job is coding, not writing. Sort of like stretching before athletic activity, maybe?<p>The only thing that worries me is I have to inspect and trust the code to not do anything with potentially sensitive text. something local would be nice.

Do commitment devices like this actually work for anybody? I've never known anyone who struggled with procrastination or any other vices that prevent them from getting work done and had their problems solved by a tool like this.<p>The pomodoro technique seems like it would be more effective for motivating you to work since it immediately rewards your efforts with a short break from your tasks.

I saw it on HN a while ago, but I've been liking morphine: regulate distractions<p>You configure the websites to block, and when you try to access a blocked site it lets you create a 1, 3, 5 minute window to access the site.<p>really good for a 5 minute break.<p><a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fbnpehpbojenlldmfcopeajkichnnjpo" rel="nofollow">https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/fbnpehpbojenlldmfc...</a>

This is cool, nice job. I'm currently working on something similar: a Chrome extension to gamify internet self-control with a configurable mana bar. Tools that allow people to give themselves "bright lines" to guide their own behavior are a good thing.

But you can always uninstall the extension. Can we discipline ourselves, is the question.

If you really like coding or writing, you shouldn't need to force yourself to do it.

SelfControl[0] is an OS X application that lets you set up a black list. It's free, and works great for me.<p>[0]: <a href="http://visitsteve.com/made/selfcontrol/" rel="nofollow">http://visitsteve.com/made/selfcontrol/</a>

Per usual on HN, I think people take simple, fun utilities like this way too serious and try inject some philosophical ideal about loving your work blah blah blah. They dont get it. I like it. Good job.

My email address is longer then 30 characters so I had to use javascript to input it. Still doesn't look like it worked though not sure if your no longer accepting new users or if my hack didnt work.

I want this but at the OS level (windows in my case) with white lists.

I prefer to just use a tool that simply removes distraction instead, like Quiet (<a href="http://wireload.net/products/quiet/" rel="nofollow">http://wireload.net/products/quiet/</a>).

Concentrate (OS X): Pricy, but absolutely invaluable for me <a href="http://getconcentrating.com/" rel="nofollow">http://getconcentrating.com/</a>

I use this: <a href="http://bumblebeesystems.dyndns.org/wastenotime/" rel="nofollow">http://bumblebeesystems.dyndns.org/wastenotime/</a>

Awesome app. I'll check it out. But I wish it wasn't a browser plugin. Too many browser plugins are bogging up my browsing experience.

Can you allow specific site exceptions? I'd like to check specific coding education sites and my local server.<p>Other than that issue, great app!

If I download the Extension without an account I see a giant error page with lots of debug information at /write/.

what if i need to search for a solution to something or find out if it's a bug in IDE or it's me doing something wrong? doesn't seems like a very good idea to me personally. just learning to focus on your target would probably help more

I occasionally do this with my hosts file. But not right now...

The Internet != the web.

can u also provide bitbucket integration?