Overview
Leechblock is an innovative attempt to help prevent yourself from being distracted by all the bright and shiny options that the internet has to offer you. It is designed to work with Firefox, one of the most popular browsers in the modern age of the internet. You can specify up to six types of sites to block, and you can block specific sets only for specific times of the day. Therefore, your internet will be unrestricted when you have leisure time, but you won’t be able to engage in distractions while you are supposed to be working.
Pros
Leechblock lets you pick from a range of different sites to block. This level of customization means that you can make sure you give yourself access to the types of sites you need to do your work, while at the same time blocking access to sites that won’t help you accomplish your goals.
Leechblock is also free to use. That makes it a cheap and effective accountability program when compared to some of the higher priced programs that it competes with.
Cons
Leechblock isn’t designed for parental control or for blocking adult content. Instead, Leechblock works more as a productivity application, helping you stay on task when you’re supposed to be working by limiting your access to the internet at large.
Additionally, Leechblock requires a degree of self-discipline to be effective. Since it is merely an internet browser addon and not a standalone program it is easy to disable if you decide to give in to your distractions. Therefore, you’ll want to be sure that you have the self-control required to make the system work for you.
Morever, Leechblock only works with the Firefox browser. While lots of people use Firefox, it’s no longer the most commonly used browser on the market today. This limits its functionality. Especially if you are a fan of browser addons and have your own version of Chrome or Safari teched out with all of the extensions and attachments you need.
Verdict
Overall, Leechblock is a good option for people who have a decent amount of self-control but can sometimes get distracted. Moreover, it’s good for those people who use Firefox as their primary browser. However, most people that have that degree of self-control probably don’t need any help avoiding distractions and working. Therefore, Leechblock has limited functionality and applicability in today’s internet landscape, and you should probably look elsewhere for your accountability software needs.