Given the popularity of site-blocking apps like SelfControl, Freedom etc, yes, many people do need help with this. I don't use them, but I go through quite wide swings between ignoring many distractions to get work done to having trouble getting work done because of all the distractions (just plotting my HN comments alone would probably yield a nice sinusoidal wave).

And I absolutely use a choice of work space to help mediate this. When I used to freelance I had to get out of my apartment and work at a coffee shop to really start my day. Now I often have days where it's fine to work from home, but when I find myself completely distracted from work while at home I go into the office because it's just slightly less acceptable to be goofing off all the time there, and that's just the nudge I need to get into my work for the day.

"Given the popularity of site-blocking apps like SelfControl, Freedom etc, yes, many people do need help with this."

The great thing about a computer is I am the master of it. That means if I have trouble focusing I can easily use these tools you mentioned in order to focus.

I can't do anything about my coworker eating a big bag of chips really loudly; or the sales staff laughing and joking around on the phone with clients all day long.

If the work can't keep your attention, perhaps you should find better work.

This is an age-old problem.

* In a survey of more than 3,200 people conducted by Salary.com, 64% say they visit websites unrelated to work daily.

Source: http://business.time.com/2012/03/13/youre-wasting-time-at-wo...

And the other 36% are liars?

Or they don't use computers at work - they just waste time in other ways :)

>what's stopping me from opening up news or playing video games? //

Presumably nothing so long as your performance levels are maintained within the expected parameters. To my mind that's better, goal focussed rather than time focussed.

On the flip side there's probably nothing stopping you from waking up at 2am and doing some productive work for your employer then either.

Busywork shouldn't be the goal. Busywork is what is given to children when the adults don't want to deal.

You're projecting, no one said anything about busy-work. Busy does not mean doing unproductive work. Busy != busy-work.

But it's inevitable that any job will involve some amount of busy-work. Such is the nature of work.

Busy-work isn't unproductive work- at least, not to the organization. Busy-work is work that the organization needs to have done, but the individual does not find interesting or satisfying to do. Any company is going to require busy-work.

> Busy-work isn't unproductive work

That's exactly what it is.

> Busy-work is work that the organization needs to have done, but the individual does not find interesting or satisfying to do.

That is not what the term means. Busy work: work that keeps a person busy but has little value in itself. What you're describing is simply boring work. If the work is useful, it is by definition not busy work.

Projecting?

Not-busy != not-productive

> Being an adult. Really, do you require a baby sitter to keep you busy?

Please don't be personally rude on HN.

You're being overly sensitive, that wasn't rude.

This borders on a personal attack. Don't do this.

No it doesn't. It's not even remotely in the same universe as a personal attack. I suggest you stop making baseless accusations.

Your comments in this thread continue to be rude and judgmental. Telling the moderator that they are being overly sensitive is not a good plan, and violates the guidelines https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html, particularly in "Be civil"

Try reading gnaritas's comments more charitably.

You're posting on a forum with a "noprocrast" setting, designed to block the user at his/her own request.

No, most of us can't fully control ourselves on everything, which is why we set up systems that help us. A shared office is one such a system.