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Author Topic: Work-Mode Lock  (Read 7383 times)

moerl

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Work-Mode Lock
« on: November 07, 2005, 11:44 PM »
The PC is like a virus. And the internet is its catalyst. I get carried away by stuff on the web so easily, I can't believe how fast time flies. And of course I don't get ANYTHING done in that time. So I had an idea... what if we had a little program that would allow the user to hit a button called WORK-MODE, which would lock all anti-productive applications on the system from being launched. It should be customizable too. The program would ask you to provide paths to the executables and would lock those programs from being launched. I would probably feed it my web-browser (Opera), my email app (Thunderbird), my IM app (Trillian) and my multimedia players (Media Player Classic & QMP). Now all you could run is your productivity software, like, if you're writing a paper, MS Word or if you're coding, your editor, like Eclipse, or whatever it is you're using. You get the point. I wonder if anyone has ever come up with this before? If not, it sounds like a very cool project. I wish I could code it myself.. but hell, I'm nowhere near that proficient a coder. I can't even call myself a coder. Anyway... what do you think?

Obviously, this concept relies on self-control. If you can put the system in work-mode, you can also revert it back to play-mode. You would need a basic amount of discipline and perseverance to make this work, but I'd think that anyone willing to install such a program should have that and should be willing and able to MAKE themselves do work and be productive. I can imagine all sorts of features already... like, say, a timer. Set up a certain amount of time and the program will keep the system locked in work-mode for that amount of time until the timer runs out. Even better, include a random password generator that would protect the timer from access even by the user himself, lol. That way you could TRULY force yourself. Well... at least until you resort to CTRL ALT DEL... and even if that fails, there is always APT. In essence, if you'd really like to regain full control of the system, you could at any time, but the point would be to willingly refuse to do so.

Anyway.. this is already longer than it should be. I got my point across.

mouser

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Re: Work-Mode Lock
« Reply #1 on: November 07, 2005, 11:50 PM »
should i move this to coding snacks section, seems like a good coding snacks request.

i think this would be a fun idea and let me elabortate on some ideas.

what about if the gui for this had 3 listboxes:
1) list of running programs
2) apps marked as play
3) apps marked as work

then you can put the app into work mode and play mode
when it work mode it should bug you like mad when you launch playmode app.

maybe it could keep score for you in a nice display like
Time spent in work mode vs play mode (today / thisweek / this month).

just an idea.

moerl

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Re: Work-Mode Lock
« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2005, 11:53 PM »
Awesome ideas, mouser! Really, great extensions to what I wrote earlier. That's awesome :). Sure, if you like, move it over there. I can't believe this might turn into a real piece of software :). How freaking cool would that be :D