Find me a PC program like Mac's Freedom for 1.5mil (in Contests)

I'm in the midst of finals, and I would like to find an application that runs on PCs that is similar/has similar properties to the Freedom application on Macs.

Freedom is an application that disables networking on an Apple computer for up to eight hours at a time. Freedom will free you from the distractions of the internet, allowing you time to code, write, or create. At the end of your selected offline period, Freedom re-enables your network, restoring everything as normal.

Freedom enforces freedom; a reboot is the only circumvention of the Freedom time limit you specify.

I will pay 1.5M to someone if they can find me a FREE program within 24 hours that has the identical or extremely similar properties to Freedom and directs me to it.

1M if they find me the program in 1-3 days
750k if someone finds the program in 3-7 days.
and 500k if someone finds me the program after the 7 days are up.

Yes. Studying and grades take precedence of CB.

*Studying and grades take precedence over CB.

The main purpose of this program would be to shut off internet, not all networking, but I'm fine with either.

Try turning off your wifi and unplugging the computer ethernet, if you use that.

Free of charge.

Sounds like that would do the thing for you...
http://www.blumentals.net/inetprot/download.php

Trial version though, but it still works fine.

Sorry for double post...
http://www.freedownloadscenter.com/Utilities/Access_Control_Utilities/Internet_Access_Controller.html

this one could also do the trick.

Salketer - I still have control over the program that shuts off the internet. I don't want that ability.

I want to have no control over not having internet short of restarting my computer.

Both of the programs have a timer feature. I would bet more on the second one as the first program still allows you to bypass it since it is trial...

Gotta tell ya, Mitt. If you can't control the plug of an ethernet cable (while simply disabling wireless entirely until your studying is over), then you've got more problems than just needing "freedom". *smile*

Especially considering your closing line. If studying and grades take precedence, then so does the character behind such decisions (there's no piece of software that's going to help you with life in this fashion after the grades are counted, you dig?)

start -

Rebooting will bring the interface back up

If you really want an icon to click on create a text file with that last command and name it .bat

Make sure save as type is listed as All programs

I forget people have extensions hidden...

Sounds like something that would be easily abused, if used for the wrong purpose. Like using it on someone without their knowledge or consent. Fun! Hidden backround program.

Man, I don't even know how to study without wikipedia anymore. It is so useful for quick checks on things I have learned once, but can't remember exactly.

Unless it is a math class of course, in which case wikipedia is a little bit too theoretical to be of much use.

Especially considering your closing line. If studying and grades take precedence, then so does the character behind such decisions (there's no piece of software that's going to help you with life in this fashion after the grades are counted, you dig?)

However, I guess it's a motivational thingy. If you have to do stuff you aren't motivated to do, you're highly likely to get distracted along the way. 'Closing line' usually comes with a really big assignment, and after six months things can get really tedious, no matter how cool you thought your subject was in the beginning. 'Life in this fashion after the grades are counted' won't be life in this fashion any more, because you'll probably be doing something that motivates you. Like an exciting new job. Although I have to admit these kind of measures are a bit harsh, but I understand where it's coming from.

Bah, that second paragraph should be in the purplish quote box as well. Sorry for the confusion, only the last part is my reply.

I do have the willpower to do this, but I want to remove the temptation to get distracted.

I supposed I could turn off wifi, ipconfig /release, but the temptation to flip it back on, use ipconfig /renew (yes, I know about it) makes it moot.

If nobody finds anything better, I'll split the pot, but as of now, I'm still looking for an effective program.

I have just found a good enough substitute program similar to Freedom.

However, in the interest of the contest, if somebody finds the same program or a better one in the next 2 weeks, I will pay out the pre-defined amounts of prize money. After 2 weeks, I will post my find if nobody has found anything.

Quick question -- why do you need a computer at all, if not for the internet? Would it be possible to do some of the studying _completely_ offline, or do you still need the computer for word processing, etc... I'm trying to understand the type of work being done, in that I am trying to figure out what requires a computer but not the internet? I would assume writing a paper would involve a fair amount of internet checking to augment the library materials you have, for example.

If you are mainly doing exercises from a book (or somesuch), can you isolate yourself entirely and just go to the library? I suppose that might be hard if the class you are working on is computer-related, like programming... And the internet would definitely be an unnecessary distraction/temptation there. I graduated right around the time folks were really getting into IRC, newsgroups, and other online forums, and some of the other students were already pretty hard-core into simply copying programs off the web!

Anyway, just wanted to throw in a vote for total non-comp operations. Whatever is left that needs the computer, you could probably eke by with the tools already mentioned...

The internet helps me study. It allows me short breaks to digest everything I've just read. I can study for like 2 or 3 hours at a time then take like 20 minutes to burn some BA or check Facebook and stuff. It might not work for everyone, but it works for me.