Almost all students have wasted time on the computer, playing games or getting on the Internet, when they should be typing a paper or studying for a test.
But now a new computer program called Temptation Blocker could be the cure to any student's procrastination problem.
The program allows the user to block access to any program on the computer for a select period of time. For example, Temptation Blocker could block access to Internet Explorer from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. while the user is writing a paper, keeping them from wasting time by surfing the Web when they need to be working.
"I had the idea for a year or so because I truly needed it," said Adam Howell, the computer programmer whose ideas led to the creation of Temptation Blocker. "I was working for the local paper and found myself browsing on the Web a lot because I was bored out of my head.
"I needed something that would save me from myself and keep me on task with all the stuff I needed to get done, no matter how mundane it was. Sounds a lot like college, huh?"
Howell hired a "friendly" programmer from Rentacoder for $100 to write the program for him.
"Selling desktop software is a little too old-fashioned for me - the troubleshooting, the updates - it's nothing but a hassle, and I was pretty sure that I wouldn't make enough money off of it to make it worth while," Howell said. "I still thought a few other people would find it as useful as I did, so I decided to give it away and try to make back the $100 in free publicity and links from other sites."
Temptation blocker is free and can be downloaded at www.webjillion.com.
The only way Temptation Blocker can be disabled is by entering a 32-character string.
"I can get distracted. I get on the Internet," said Candice Webber, a senior paralegal major. "It might not help me though because I can just enter in a code and get back on."
Temptation Blocker is only compatible for computers that run Windows 98/2000/XP, but the source code is available online if anyone wants to write a version for Mac users.
Webjillion also offers other programs to help manage time, including Trackslife.com and IYHY.com.
"IYHY.com is a site that strips the crap out of Web sites like ESPN.com or CNN.com and makes it easier to read on mobile devices." Howell said. "Trackslife.com is a Web application that helps you track anything and everything so you can remember to do stuff that's important to you and track your progress as you go."
Temptation Blocker would be "problematic" to put on The University's network because of the way it operates, but it could be a good tool for people to use on their personal computers, said Sandy Schaeffer, director of the Advanced Learning Center at The University of Memphis.
"It (Temptation Blocker) would be a helpful tool for students that have problems managing their time," said Barbara Thompson, coordinator of The U of M's ACD1100 program, which introduces freshmen to campus life.
