Many people use the pomodoro technique in a social setting. It's what I did in college to finish my master's thesis: I'd group up with a few other people that had their own stuff to work on, we'd sit in the same room, and work while the pomodoro timer was active, and chat during the break times. This site is intended to be a digital version of this that enforces the quiet time while the pomodoro is active.

Working together (even if separately) with other people is highly motivating. I found that I was much less likely to procrastinate this way, kind of how I'm less likely to be reading Hacker News instead of working when my boss is standing behind me than when I'm alone.

Personally I don't think you need a whole separate website for this; a Discord or IRC bot that runs the pomodoro would work just as well.

Body doubling is exactly this! (https://doubleapp.xyz/blog/how-to-body-double) Also called social facilitation (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_facilitation)

When someone else is around it's like a switch goes gets turned on and BAM - I'm able to do the thing.

Finally I know the name now - thank you!

Didn't know there was a name for it! It's the same reason why kids can stay in a classroom and not start a riot i guess.

It can help with the commitment aspect to make that commitment with another person. If that isn't an issue for you then this is just distraction. By preference, at least for small things, I'll cheat myself before I'll cheat a stranger.

what can help with the commitment aspect is NO distractions though. that's the point of pomodoro.

You’re still only holding yourself accountable, which is harder for some than others. If you don’t have friends to study with, maybe some internet strangers could be a motivational alternative.

I agree and use pomodoro regularly for that purpose. But sometimes I do abandon a tomato in progress, when even the tiniest consequence might have kept me going. Like having to admit it or lie in the inter-pomodoro chat.

I thought the same. When I remember to use a timer, I find it very motivating, but the breaks are easily filled with email, switching contexts, getting a drink, going to the bathroom or whatever else.

Maybe a purely structured chat would work - summarise what you achieved, outline what you will do in your next allotment. But anything beyond that might be time better spent planning and prepping for the next session rather than wasting the first minute getting up to speed?