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Software For Slackers: Lockout

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the self-help dept.

Matijs van Zuijlen writes "Having trouble getting work done? Reading Slashdot too much? Lockout will enforce some dicipline. It will lock you out of your internet connection, and then lock you out of your root account so you can't unlock it. For a limited time of course. Use at your own peril."

5 of 217 comments (clear)

  1. use the internet by twistedfuck · · Score: 5, Insightful

    But I use the internet to _get_ work done! This would only help me slack and smoke more.

  2. Wow by number · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think it'd be a better idea to build some discipline, than intentionally crippling your PC. What if you need access to some internet-bound information during your work?

    Just pick an activity (jogging, gym, studying, whatever) and involve a friend in it - if two people , however slack, are depending on each other at a set time to show up, they'll have much better luck sticking to it than if they were alone. Not wanting to let a friend down and all that.

    --
    - HOORAY!
  3. Silly by toxic666 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Learn a little bit of self-discipline if you are a work time web junkie. Do you really need this on your machine? Sure, lots of safeguards to prevent it from irretrievably changing your root password (yeah, I RTFA'd), but how about this for two last sentences:

    "Worst case scenario is that you have to reboot your computer. Well, that's not really true: worst case scenario is that things fail badly and you end up not knowing your root password. "

    Well, you won't be browsing the web for quite some time while you restore from backup. Ooops, I forgot, you don't have enough self-discipline to keep from browsing the web and need a script to lock you out. Guess backing up would be asking way too much.

  4. Re:How does one get around it? by lacheur · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The Fine Article mentions that a reboot will restore root, but that brings up an interesting point. A system like this MUST have a way to turn it off if you need to, so what's preventing you from doing that when you want to slack?

    Really all this is good for is a reminder that you should be working...and for that, simpler methods (PostIt?) would probably suffice.

  5. Re:NO I didnt read the article by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful
    How do you think I got First post?

    Shoot first, read later...

    ... er, by being prepared to post yet add absolutely nothing to the conversation and by being prepared to look like a complete loser to the rest of the community perhaps? Oh, I don't know - I'm just guessing.