Top 5 Tools to Stop you Slacking

by Startacus Admin

If, like many of us, your work requires you to spend more than a few hours every day using a computer, you’ll know only too well how easy it can be to get sidetracked.

Of course if you have a boss breathing down your neck, that sidetracking doesn’t always last too long.However, if you work for yourself, it can be a very different story. Staying focused on work can be a pretty impossible task when there are all those interesting tweets and facebook statuses to read, and all those new viral cat videos that you just have to watch. If you’re a tad guilty of wasting precious ‘work hours’ in this way, we think you’re gonna love this - our Top 5 Tools to Stop you Slacking....

Nanny for Google Chrome
This is an extension for Chrome which can help your online productivity by blocking sites that hold you back. You can block particular sites for certain times or can limit your access to sites to a certain time period every day. If you don’t want to be that ‘controlling’, you can instead simply use Nanny to track and record the amount of time you spend on certain sites every day and then if the results are pretty scary, start using the other features.

LeechBlock
If you’re a Firefox user, this extension is the one for you. Again you can specify which sites you would like to block and the times you would like to block them. LeechBlock lets you block up to six sets of sites at any one time and you can also block sites for distinct time periods or set a time limit for yourself where the blocking comes in once your allocated time expires.

Lockout
This app is the one to use if you’re a Linux user in need of something to keep the productivity up. It can be used to install a firewall which stops you browsing the web. This clever little app also changes the root password for a specified time period, so you can’t sneakily remove the firewall and browse the web regardless.

MacFreedom
Don’t let the name mislead you with this one - it’s available for both Mac and PC. Acclaimed by many of the world’s leading writers, MacFreedom disables the internet for whatever time period you specify. Whilst it’s running, you would actually have to reboot your computer should you want to access the internet. Unlike the other tools listed here, MacFreedom is not free - it costs $10 although a free trial version is available.

Anti Social
If it’s addiction to social networks that is keeping you back, this is the tool that can help. Currently only available for Mac, it prevents you accessing Twitter, Facebook et al and thereby can have a real positive impact on what you get done. A free trial is available and a fully registered version costs $15.

If you’ve used any of these tools, we’d love to hear your thoughts or if you have any non-app methods for stopping the whole slacking off thing, let us know. Spill the beans over at the forum...

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Published on: 10th September 2012