Freedom (Development isn’t controlled by one person).Better alignment (users can be involved in development which makes it more aligned to real world use).Improved security (bugs are found and fixed more quickly).There are a number of benefits to open-source (or crowd-sourced) software that make it an attractive attribute for both developers and users. SelfControl is an open-source project, meaning the code is freely available to anyone who wants to improve upon it. Tip: You can keep the timer window on top of all windows inside the apps preferences. (This will come in handy more than you realise) While you can’t access blocked sites, you can still make additions to your block list during this time. It will also be shown as overlay on the SelfControl dock icon.Īnd if you are tempted to try any websites on your blacklist (or not on your whitelist) you’ll see something like this: You’ll know the block is working when you’re presented with a floating timer window. (FYI: The button will be faded out if you have nothing listed in your block list)īefore SelfControl can do it’s thing, you’ll be prompted to enter the administrator password. When you’re ready to start the block, just hit the start button. Tip: If you want to ‘hack’ the timer and increase the maximum duration, you can follow these instructions. It doesn’t matter if you close the app, remove it completely or restart your computer, the block will continue for the duration set. It’s important to choose carefully because once you click start, there’s no way to undo the block until the timer hits zero. You can choose from 15 minutes up to 24 hours. Once you’ve populated your blacklist/whitelist and you’re ready to get productive, you can set the block duration. But I have my fingers-crossed they’ll be treated independently in a future update. You can just check “Do not show this message again”Īt the moment these options rely on a single list, which isn’t ideal. To change your blacklist into a whitelist, just click the setting in the bottom corner.Īnd you’ll get a little warning message explaining the difference between a blacklist and a whitelist… just in case you don’t know. Those websites are defined in your ‘whitelist’. Instead of blocking specific sites, SelfControl allows you to block the entire internet apart from a select few websites. Unfortunately, there’s currently no option to upload a CSV file of distracting websites and have them automatically added to your blacklist. Mail – Imports your incoming and/or outgoing mail servers for Mail, MailMate and Thunderbird.News and Publications – Imports a list of popular news websites, including CNN, NY Times, and Huffington Post.Common Distracting Sites – Imports a list of the most commonly added sites, including Facebook, Youtube and Reddit.The handy import feature allows you to populate your blacklist quickly and easily. To do that, just bring up the application and hit the ‘Edit Blacklist’ button:Ĭlick the plus symbol to start adding websites that hinder your productivity (especially during work hours). In order to tell SelfControl which sites you want blocked, you can add any number of sites to your domain blacklist. Not only does it allow you to block access to distracting websites for up to 24 hours, but the restrictions you set in place are irreversible until the timer completely runs out. SelfControl is a Mac application created by Steve Lambert, and is hands down one of the most effective (free) productivity tools I’ve ever used.
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