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Independent Developer Projects in the Workplace?

Posted by Cliff on from the if-it-works-for-Google... dept.

An anonymous reader asks: "My company wants to increase creativity and innovation, we our thinking of implementing a Google like policy of 20% of your time for independent projects but I can't find any details on how Google actually implements this. I am curious how they divvy up their time (1 day a week or 1 week a month)? How do you keep your real project from impacting it? At what point are the projects reviewed? Has anybody experienced other successful ways to stimulate creativity at their workplace?"

18 of 337 comments (clear)

  1. Heh by Neil+Blender · · Score: 5, Funny

    Who doesn't spend at least 20% of their workday doing things other than work?

    1. Re:Heh by Cheesy+Fool · · Score: 5, Funny

      Probably more than that. To quote Office Space:

      ~ Well, generally I come in at least twenty minutes late, I sneak in through the backdoor so Lumberg won't see me, then for the next hour I just kinda space out.
      ~ Space out?
      ~ Yeah, I just kinda stare at my desk, but it looks like I'm working... I'd say in a given week I do about, oh, 15 minutes of real, actual work.

      --

      Hail to the king, baby!
    2. Re:Heh by Sean+the+Impaler · · Score: 2, Funny

      Does Slashdot count as work?

      --
      Sig? No thanks, I'm trying to quit.
    3. Re:Heh by EvilTwinSkippy · · Score: 4, Funny
      Are you kidding? My job description includes "...Stay up to date on network and techology developments..."

      It just so happens that most of my leads include "Userfriendly", Fark.com, and /.

      --
      "Learning is not compulsory... neither is survival."
      --Dr.W.Edwards Deming
    4. Re:Heh by hoggoth · · Score: 4, Funny

      > Mastadon hunting parties probably stopped to bathe in the brook and wrestle each other under water

      I, for one, welcome our new homo-erotic Elephant killing cavemen overlords.

      --
      - For the complete works of Shakespeare: cat /dev/random (may take some time)
    5. Re:Heh by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

      I, for one, welcome our new homo-erotic Elephant killing cavemen overlords.

      Be careful. Mr. Goatse? A Mastadon mating injury.

      --
      Table-ized A.I.
    6. Re:Heh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Sometimes it gets to the point where if I managed to put in 3 hours a day of actual work, I'd look like a champion here. At the end of the day, I can't think of more than 1hr of actual work being done.

      In the meantime, I'm getting payed for 8 hours.

      Ok, this time I better hit the post anon button. :-)

    7. Re:Heh by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
      I like the Lester Burnham quote from American Beauty even better:

      "My job consists of basically masking my contempt for the assholes in charge, and, at least once a day, retiring to the men's room so I can jerk off while I fantasize about a life that doesn't so closely resemble Hell."

  2. I work independently out of emplyment hours COUGH! by urbieta · · Score: 2, Funny

    really! :D

    is this a first post?

  3. Simple.... by GeneralEmergency · · Score: 2, Funny



    Just mandate that all /. surfing time be surrendered and devoted to the outside projects.

    I crack me up.

    --
    "A microprocessor... is a terrible thing to waste." --
    GeneralEmergency
  4. Two words by savagedome · · Score: 4, Funny

    My company wants to increase creativity and innovation

    Two words: Massage Bunnies

    Nothing much. They just rub your shoulders after you've been sitting there pondering on the problem at hand (no pun) for long. It relaxes you.

    It helps if they are wearing a tutu.

    --


    Free XBox, PS2
    1. Re:Two words by beerman2k · · Score: 2, Funny
      Two words: Massage Bunnies

      Two more words: With Release

  5. Your company has deeper problems by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me get this straight... Your company wants to increase creativity and innovation yet can't even decide for itself how to "implement" independent thinking time?

    And you go as far as asking slashdot how to copy google's infrastructure... how original and creative!

  6. Off topic (Re:Two words by dmorin · · Score: 2, Funny
    Two words: Massage Bunnies

    During the boom (I feel so old when I say that) I was on a "soft perks" team. The idea of in cube massage came up often (as did beanbag chairs). I went so far as to find a local place that offered corporate programs where you could buy x hours of massage a month, for company use. People would then just put their name on the list and get an appointment.

    We never got them. And, I got kicked off the committee.

    --
    www.HearMySoulSpeak.com
  7. I hate to be an ass but.... by dave1g · · Score: 2, Funny

    "....and innovation, we our thinking of implementing a Google like policy of 20% of yo....."

    Maybe you should spend 20% of your time proofreading.

    Heh, I'm just being mean, we all make mistakes.

  8. -1, Obvious by Keck · · Score: 1, Funny

    (1 day a week or 1 week a month)?

    One day a week = 20%
    One week a month =~ 25%

    I'll take one week a month, please!

    --
    A computer without Microsoft is like ice cream without ketchup.
  9. Are you hiring? by scovetta · · Score: 2, Funny

    20% of your time on creative projects? This would be great for creative, talented people. Everyone else would just be browsing /.

    (ducks)

    Mod Funny, not Flamebait!

    --
    Wer mit Ungeheuern kämpft, mag zusehn, dass er nicht dabei zum Ungeheuer wird. --Nietzsche
  10. Re:Google is pretty unique. by jellomizer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well it is tough to convince those Execs at Microsoft to use Fire Fox. It is almost like their ego is at stake.

    --
    If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.