I like the idea! Looks similar to focus mode from Google's digital well-being, which I use often.
Thanks!
Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
91–100 of 131 posts
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#92Congrats Omid and team! I’ve been using it everyday. Probably saves me an hour
Thank you! Really glad to hear that.
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#93Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are correct - that would work to send reminders (notifications). However, we wouldn't be able to prevent people from using their apps. This is definitely something we are considering.
Love the idea. Absolutely needed. You should at least offer the VPN solution, even if it's not as feature rich as the desktop extension. The desktop problem is pretty solvable for programmers. I wrote a simple bash script to add/remove blocked sites to /etc/hosts. I mapped that script to aliases 'focus' and 'distract' that block and unblock sites, respectively (requiring the root password). Finally, I set up a root c…
Thanks. Yes - it's definitely an area we will tackle very soon. We just recently got our extension to a state where people are finding it useful; we plan on using our learnings on desktop and apply them to mobile.
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#94Earlier quoted context omitted.
You are correct - that would work to send reminders (notifications). However, we wouldn't be able to prevent people from using their apps. This is definitely something we are considering.
You could effectively block the network connectivity for them though by mapping domains to 127.0.0.1. Why wouldn't that be just as good? nextdns.io does a really good job of running such a service.
Thanks for the suggestion - yes that is definitely something we've thought about and will possibly implement. We'll be tackling the mobile problem soon, and we hope to use our learnings from desktop to find the most effective solution in mobile.
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#95This looks well packaged, and I can see the argument that it may be easier to use than the competition. But how do you plan to make money? I’m looking for a model that isn’t “we sell data on our customers”, which I see is prohibited based on the TOS. But what would be the road to profit and what safeguards are in place to prevent you from just selling to a less ethical company down the road?
Was my first thought, as well. However, making something previously un-monetizable with a much better UX can unlock new opportunities. Craigslist sublet board → Airbnb
We fully agree with this! Thanks!
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#96Hmm, are there any plans to solve this problem for mobile?
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#97I always find apps like this bizarre. How about practicing willpower? The shortest answer between A (wanting it) and B (having it), is to just do it. And when you fail, non-judgmentally self-analyze and try again.
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#98I always find apps like this bizarre. How about practicing willpower? The shortest answer between A (wanting it) and B (having it), is to just do it. And when you fail, non-judgmentally self-analyze and try again.
There are countless examples of products that help people who can't "just do it". Nicotine patches, non-alcoholic alcohol, direct deposit savings programs, exercise buddies, etc. Everyone needs help, everyone has weak points. No shame in using technology to assist you in one of the hundreds of points in your day that require willpower.
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#99I always find apps like this bizarre. How about practicing willpower? The shortest answer between A (wanting it) and B (having it), is to just do it. And when you fail, non-judgmentally self-analyze and try again.
That's actually similar to what my other co-founder told me when I tried to make this! It turned out, however, that our own willpower can be supplemented by tools. For example, sometimes I don't realize I've been on Twitter for 30 minutes - and as soon as I'm made aware of that, I leave. I think often times, it's about awareness rather than being forced by a piece of software.
Re: Launch HN: Motion (YC W20) – defense against online distractions and addictions
#100Earlier quoted context omitted.
You could effectively block the network connectivity for them though by mapping domains to 127.0.0.1. Why wouldn't that be just as good? nextdns.io does a really good job of running such a service.
> nextdns.io does a really good job of running such a service. It is not trivial to build, run, and operate a nextdns-esque service. The founders, Olivier and Romain, are some of the world's best at what they do, imo. That said, a client-side DNS re-write solution might be relatively cheaper to implement and might even be a tad-easier than deploying an global DNS resolver with per-user custom configurations and endpo…
Agreed; it's definitely not trivial. We will definitely tackle mobile very soon, and this is a potential solution. Thanks!