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

blockr.me

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

#81

Post by robbles »

throwaway1516 wrote: post #68
edw519 wrote: post #25

If what you're working on is important enough and you love it enough, you would never need this. If not, then maybe you're working on the wrong thing. Let's stop treating the effect of poor work habits and deal with the cause: find something better to work on. [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 w…

From the safety of my throwaway account, I have to ask a question of HN that's been bugging me for some time: Am I the only person who, if not for the need to support my family, might blissfully while away his days playing games, playing with new tech, reading, watching TV or movies, and just generally goofing off? Maybe I'd regret my wasted life one day, but in the here and now there's a lot of fun to be had in the…

I'd say you're confusing interest in your work and work ethic with ambition. They aren't the same thing.

Without ambition driving you, it's pretty difficult to motivate yourself past the point where the project you're working on stops being interesting, and just seems like a lot of work. That said, some people do seem to be able to make this initial phase last long enough to crank out impressive projects. Outside of that though, if you're happy with your life right now, you might just be running a little short on the motivation necessary to "build businesses all day long".

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

#84

Post by steveplace »

henryboston wrote: post #73
ww520 wrote: post #18

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

I did this for a while but I just ended up editing my hosts file every time I wanted to stop working. Maybe I just need to practice more self discipline.

I have taken it to an extreme and got a dd-wrt router that easily blocks websites through both time of day and mac address. My wife is the one that knows the password.

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

#85

Post by ww520 »

henryboston wrote: post #73
ww520 wrote: post #18

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

I did this for a while but I just ended up editing my hosts file every time I wanted to stop working. Maybe I just need to practice more self discipline.

I found that often it's just muscle memory for going to a particular time sink site, like when the project is being rebuilt for that 10 seconds, I would check out HN but got sucked in for much longer. The hosts file blocking just breaks that habit and forces me to focus back on the project.

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

#86

Post by programminggeek »

RegEx wrote: post #52
programminggeek wrote: post #46

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. How do you get stuff done? Code every day. Fix a small problem, big problem, whatever. Just take steps forward every day. It's how I got http://reme.me off the ground. I do something every day. In a couple short months I built…

I find this very condescending. Not all of us get to work on fun problems, but the work has to get done nonetheless.

To clarify, ReMeme is a side project. None of it is my day job. My day job is a cool project, but it's by no means a startup. There is plenty of not fun work to do on it at times. Also, plenty of the things on ReMeme aren't that much fun either. The outcome is pretty cool, but building it is still work.

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

#87

Post by dustyreagan »

I find the whole "if you love it then you don't need this" sentiment at best naive, and at worst arrogant.

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.

If your project is so awesome you never get distracted, good for you. Kindly, take your hubris elsewhere.

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

#88

Post by brc »

danso wrote: post #21

StayFocusd is currently my favorite plugin for this purpose https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/laankejkbhbdhmipfm... 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 deter…

I've looked at many, many of these types of apps. Most are laughably easy to get around. Having one that only works on one type of browser when you have 4 different types is so easy to circumvent, it's not worth doing.

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

#89

Post by decklin »

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?

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.

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

#90

Post by calinet6 »

wpietri wrote: post #78
throwaway1516 wrote: post #68

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the safety of my throwaway account, I have to ask a question of HN that's been bugging me for some time: Am I the only person who, if not for the need to support my family, might blissfully while away his days playing games, playing with new tech, reading, watching TV or movies, and just generally goofing off? Maybe I'd regret my wasted life one day, but in the here and now there's a lot of fun to be had in the…

Since you have a family, it probably has been a while since you goofed off for an extended period. But for me it always gets old. There is only so much time I can spend doing nothing before I get hungry for something of substance. Note that raising kids is a very substantial activity. I've taken the summer off to hang out with my brother and his family. Even a lot of the nominally fun time with kids means I'm helping…

Everything gets old. You need that time goofing off so that goofing off gets old, and working becomes amazing and fun again.

people forget this.

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