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Self Control

June 22, 2011 By
Steve Lambert, New York, 2007

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Self control is a virtue that is hard to develop. With the rise of social media, self control has become even more of an issue. Working from a computer has many advantages. A person can keep up with the news, play a game or two, visit Facebook, and even tweet.  The problem is small breaks turn into long breaks, and work productivity goes down.

Digital distractions are the fabric of life now. This site dot-dot-dot.org adds ideas, and even more wonderful programs which are useful. The programs are not the problem, but the addiction a person can form with them is. It is so easy to do. Apps, new software applications, friends, and information streams in at a constant rate. It is all good, but distracting.

Now there is a solution to help a person block the digital distractions. The program is called “SelfControl” and Steve Lambert made it to help himself from meandering in social media instead of producing art. Creative people must have blocks of time to focus on creating. As every creative person knows gremlins lurk in the most unsuspecting places calling their name to do anything, but their work. The program is a free open source download at Steve Lambert’s website. Access can be blocked to items such as email. Facebook or Twitter by the user for a predetermined time. All other websites are available for use. Once SelfControl is started it cannot be undone by deleting or restarting the computer. A user must wait until the timer counts down. A little program to help creative personalities focus on what they love to do without any nagging or heinous punishment.

Filed Under: Internet, Technology Tagged With: , ,

New Real Time Tool for Parents

February 1, 2011 By
There’s a big concern about the safety of children online, and it’s a concern that’s earned a right to attention. Children have disappeared and been harmed by people on the Internet.
Parents keep a good eye on their kids’ behaviors when they’re not online, and equal attention should be given to their online activities. A parent should know what websites their children are looking at and what kind of information they encounter or interact with, and certainly their online friends should be monitored. Sadly, it’s just too dangerous to let them go it alone.
There are all kinds of software out there that people can get to monitor their kids’ activities online, and they’re helpful. But there’s a new one out that lets people monitor the kids in real time. Just like the ‘picture in a picture’ function that some television sets have, parents can do their own online thing while keeping an eye on what the kids are doing at the same time.
Monitor Kids Online From Anywhere, Even Your Phone

Put out by its namesake company, ScreenRetriever (ScreenRetriever.com – download the free trial version) just released this new program that’s the only real time program out there. Internet experts in safety recommend putting the computer in a central part of the home, where it can be easily seen from more than one direction. That way parents can keep a better eye on what’s happening.
Children usually know their parents have the protective software, so there’s no need for secret monitoring. But, kids will be curious, will try and want to see things just because they aren’t supposed to see them. With real time software a parent can stop an activity right away.
Some of the pros about ScreenRetriever:
  • Get real time, up to the minute access to the child’s computer screen.
  • The ability to record the activity to view later.
  • Connect to all the kids’ computers.
  • See what they’re posting on Facebook and Twitter
Children’s or family computers are only accessible from within the house. Nobody else can watch the kids’ activities.
Filed Under: Computers, Websites Tagged With: , , ,