Monday, October 29, 2012

"Self-Control" - There's an app for that

Hari Om Kids --

I bumped into this interesting article on 'Business Insider' written by Mandi Woodruff, it is about 'Self-control' and a Mac OS app that does that for you. Since we are just going through the chapter 'Self-control' in our class, I wanted to get your thoughts on this article. Are we so 'out of control' that we need an app to help control our actions? 

Please give it a quick read and post your comments on how you would put boundaries in such situations, other than downloading this app ;)





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As Hurricane Sandy barrels along the East Coast, recovering online shopaholics like myself have something more to worry about than just battening down the hatches.

In less than an hour of home confinement, I've already purchased a flat iron, a spa treatment, and a Groupon for a manicure/pedicure. Of course, none of these are things I need, and already that immediate rush I get from nailing a great deal has been smothered by the familiar crush of buyer's remorse.
And this is just day one of a four-day monster.
It's time for an intervention, and I'm taking no chances with my finances here. I've downloaded the Self Control app for macs, which is a site virtually guaranteed to keep distracting web browsing at bay.
Download the app, and you can "blacklist" certain sites, which will block access from your IP address for a certain period of time. That means until the timer runs out, you can't so much as look at a site without getting blocked. Restarting your computer won't even work, and you can block sites for up to 24 hours at a time.
The app was created by novelists who needed to find a way to get work down at their computers without getting sucked into the big wide world of the Web. Trust me. It is probably the most frustrating tool ever created, but it actually works.
Give it a try, or hope the power goes out before you go broke.
A few other apps like SelfControl: http://macfreedom.com/, and http://anti-social.cc/

2 comments:

  1. It is unbelievable that we need an app to set limits on our lives. We should have the willpower and self control to impose our own boundaries on what we can or cannot do instead of having an app do it for us.

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  2. Although it is extremely disappointing that humans have reached the point of needing an app to control themselves, I find this app fairly helpful for those trying to get back on track. This woman has realized that she needs to practice self-control more, which is the first step in the right direction. If I were her, I would try using my own willpower to control myself first, and then I would turn to something else such as an app if that failed. Even though it is sad to see how far us humans have degenerated, I admire her determination and the creative path she is taking to reach her goal.

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