# How about a temporary, voluntary ban for those who want to spend less time at the SDMB? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 19, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386 "2013-03-19T19:16:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/1 "2013-03-19T19:16:16Z")
For whatever reasons, posters can sometimes feel they spend too much time on the SDMB. Yet they are somewhat addicted and could use some help to make it harder to log in or post. I’ve read about posters blindly typing in a new random password so they would lose their own account. Some try flaming themselves into an auto-ban. I myself have, on occasion, set myself time limits on the my computer to prevent late night surfing the Dope when I should get some shut-eye. But I suppose there must be easier technical way. Suppose someone would wish to be banned temporarily. It would take an e-mail to a mod to get posting privileges again. And it would be understood that such a request can’t be made on a whim but must last at least, for instance six weeks. Would anyone be interested in such a voluntary, forced hiatus. ? ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/2 "2013-03-19T19:24:44Z")
People have done this before in the past, actually. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/3 "2013-03-19T19:27:13Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Would anyone be interested in such a voluntary, forced hiatus. ? Not currently, but I did that a couple of years ago, when I found myself responding with much too much vitriol to posters I otherwise respected. Don’t know if it helped or not, but I haven’t felt the need since. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![R3d\_Anonymous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/aeb1de/32.png) [@R3d\_Anonymous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R3d_Anonymous)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/4 "2013-03-19T19:29:10Z")
I may be starting to need a one-week suspension. I was wondering about that because I have become addicted to the board myself. However, I will pass on the suspension for now. If it really becomes a problem, I may request one later on. For now, I will just enjoy the board! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/5 "2013-03-19T19:29:11Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > Would anyone be interested in such a voluntary, forced hiatus. ? No. ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/6 "2013-03-19T19:42:07Z")
If you don’t have the requisite self-control, instead of burdening the moderators with such requests, you might consider a Firefox plugin such as [LeechBlock](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/leechblock/). ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/7 "2013-03-19T19:47:20Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > If you don’t have the requisite self-control, instead of burdening the moderators with such requests, you might consider a Firefox plugin such as [LeechBlock](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/leechblock/). Or a shock collar 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/8 "2013-03-19T19:49:26Z")
> [@voltaire](#): > > If you don’t have the requisite self-control, instead of burdening the moderators with such requests, you might consider a Firefox plugin such as [LeechBlock](https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/leechblock/). Cool, I didn’t know that. Apparently, Chrome Nanny does the same thing for Chrome. > [@](#): > > Chrome Nanny is a Chrome extension which can keep your browsing habits in check. Do you spend more time on facebook than on work ? Do you spend time more time in Google Reader or Digg or Hacker News or youtube watching kittens and later wished you had not spent as much time ? Do you want to know how much you spent on Flickr ? If so , Chrome Nanny is for you. > > I developed Chrome Nanny when I switched to Chrome and did not find any Chrome Extensions equivalent to Leech Block. You can consider Chrome Nanny as the unofficial Leech Block Lite for Chrome. It has most of the important functionalities in Leech Block and also adds some more. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2013, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/9 "2013-03-19T19:54:32Z")
We do put people on posting sabbatical in rare instances, but that tends to be a long-term thing and is often brought about by emergencies. If you don’t want to be here, don’t log in and don’t post. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/10 "2013-03-21T12:49:14Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Not currently, but I did that a couple of years ago, when I found myself responding with much too much vitriol to posters I otherwise respected. Water under the bridge, my friend. C’mon. Bear hug. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/11 "2013-03-22T03:58:23Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > Water under the bridge, my friend. C’mon. Bear hug. He said posters he “otherwise respected.” ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 9:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/12 "2013-03-22T09:05:55Z")
As long as I get to suggest who should take a holiday 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/13 "2013-03-22T13:08:05Z")
> [@Maastricht](#): > > I’ve read about posters blindly typing in a new random password so they would lose their own account. That’s the easiest way to do it. Change location to ‘On Sabbatical’ Open notepad, pound on keyboard (don’t watch closely) \+A \+V Paste into both fields on the SDMB password change screen Empty clipboard Done When you’re ready to come back, email a mod and ask for a password reset. Simples. ---
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2013, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-about-a-temporary-voluntary-ban-for-those-who-want-to-spend-less-time-at-the-sdmb/653386/14 "2013-03-22T19:20:20Z")
You can request a posting sabbatical. This means you can read the board but physically you cannot make posts. All the other board functions operate the same, you just can’t write a posting or start a thread. The clock also runs on your subscription, Time’s Winged Cadillac waits for no sabbatical. This is more for people who need a block of time off, sometimes an extended time. For a couple days or a week you should be able to work through that yourself.