These two weeks I have succeeded at avoiding web procrastination from Monday to Friday. (This is what I have decided in advance, because I don't want to give up the web completely -- especially LW -- I just don't want it to harm my work, or take away all the evenings during the weekdays. Then I use the weekend to read all the new stuff.) As a proof, see my disappearence from the "top contributors, 30 days" list. :D

The technique is susprisingly easy (for me; that is not an evidence it would work for anyone else). Each week I write on a piece of paper "I will not browse the web during this week (Monday to Friday)", and I keep the paper always with me in my pocket. However, there is an exception: I can browse the web as much as I want, assuming I will eat that paper first. Every morning, and every time I feel the temptation, I touch the paper with my tongue to remind myself (in near mode) about the conditions. At the end of the week I happily tear the paper to pieces and throw it away, as a symbol of success.

Some speculation about why it works: The punishment for going to internet is precisely calculated: It is not too big to become unrealistic. For example if instead I decided "if I go to internet, I will kill myself", I know that I really wouldn't; I can't precommit to a serious self-punishment. However, I don't really have a good excuse for not eating a piece of paper. So this threat cannot be removed by some clever reasoning. On the other hand, licking the paper really is unpleasant. Doing it when I feel the temptation probably helps associate the unpleasant feeling with web browsing, which should help. It is easy to keep the paper always with me.

See you next Saturday!