Yea Pomodoro is a timeboxing technique. However, I don't think it has anything to do with allowing scope or quality to slip. I can be what you want it to be (e.g. just a reminder to take a break). I did it for a while in Emacs, only while at the computer for those types of tasks. I didn't stick with it though. However, I still use it for short tasks where I want to know how much time I spent on the task (like a programming puzzle). I think mostly it's supposed to be a mind hack or gamification to encourage productivity. Come to think of it, I might give it another go for things like updating my resume which is a task I've been putting off for a while.