Thoughts on intentional computing, attention architecture, and software design.
Why binary website blocklists fail for modern work, and how WhyFirst uses context-aware AI intent checks to replace rigid bans with conscious awareness.
BlockSite is a hard blocker with schedules, passwords and phone sync, sold as a subscription. WhyFirst asks why before a site opens, and Pro is a one-time purchase. When each one makes sense.
LeechBlock NG blocks by time and budget, with an optional 60-second delay page. WhyFirst replaces the countdown with one question. How they differ, and when to keep LeechBlock.
Looking for ScreenZen on Chrome? Its official extension hides feeds — it doesn't pause. For a standalone pause in Chrome or Firefox, try WhyFirst.
StayFocusd limits how long you spend on a site. WhyFirst asks why you are opening it. How time budgets and intent checks differ, plus what each Chrome Web Store listing discloses about data.
If Unhook stopped hiding part of YouTube, start with an update and a reload. Why element-hiding breaks after a redesign, and how a URL-based pause handles the same problem differently. You can run both.
WhyFirst asks why before you open a site. Here is how it compares with BlockSite, StayFocusd, Freedom, Cold Turkey and Opal — price, browsers, blocking style and the data each listing discloses, as of Oct 23, 2026.
