A quick look at one sec
2023-07-18
After using LeechBlock for nearly two years now, I have to make a confession: It is a great idea and does exactly what it says out to do, but it just doesn't work for me. Luckily enough, there is one sec, which is an excellent alternative and (at least for now) fixes all of my issues with LeechBlock. So, let's take a quick look at what I don't like about my current setup and what one sec does better...
The whole idea behind LeechBlock is to increase your productivity by blocking distracting websites under certain conditions, which can be your work times, daily limits and so on. However, this also means you can not access these resources even when you need them for your work and this led me to mostly deactivating the extension, since it interfered with my needs to much.
one sec on the other hand follows a totally different philosophy - it does not forbid you to use apps and websites, but makes it more annoying by requiring you to take a deep breath (wait for a timer to finish) before opening a blacklisted resource. And it does truely strike the right balance between being annoying enough to change your behaviour and not being too restrictive, which makes it so unique.
Granted, it is not FOSS and the mobile versions cost money, which generally both are no-go criterias for me. But I am willing to make an exception for this software, since it is truely one of a kind, proven to be privacy respecting, build by a trustworthy developer and doesn't force you into a subscription by prodiving a reasonably priced lifetime license for 40 bucks.
So, take a look at the desktop and mobile versions of one sec, if you are in the market for such a tool and have a great day...