PC Users Fight Distractions to Work

prostoalex writes "When someone buys a computer, they expect noticeable increases in productivity and ability to perform routine tasks more efficiently. At least that's what the commercials say. The New York Times talks about the dire reality: software applications do an excellent job of distracting us from doing the tasks. An e-mail notification here, an application popup there, a sound effect telling you the download has been completed and a popup window asking whether you would like to download the latest updates. Much of this distraction is self-enforced, such as taking a break from work to check the weather forecast, read the news headlines, or yet again check the e-mail inbox. NYT talks about various ways people are fighting distractions and points to some cognitive technology research done at Microsoft."

Comments

The worst one

[Inkieminstrel]

The worst one for me is this little app called "Firefox"

Re:The worst one

[Frymaster]

The worst one for me is this little app called "Firefox"

the worst work distraction for me is a little site called... slashdot.

note: i'm at work right now :)

Re:The worst one

[kackler]

THe worst one for me is having Slashdot as my home page. In fact right now end users are sufferign because I'm taking the time to reply to this.

more distractions?

[ack154]

So now I have one distraction providing an article about other distractions?!

Re:more distractions?

[DrEldarion]

I think my brain just exploded.

hmmm

[cheese_wallet]

is there something ironic about me reading this article while I am at work?

What????

[Anonymous Coward]

When did this start happening? What year is it? 1992? Cause that's when this started for me.

Hmmm...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, If this isn't preaching to the choir...

any chance

[justforaday]

Any chance that MS will actually pay any attention to the research being done there in this field? I highly doubt it...

Attention deficit disorder?

[`Sean]

I had an incredibly witty thought that I wanted to share with the rest of the world, so I launched ecto, my blog client. An update was available, so I downloaded and installed it. That reminded me that I hadn't run versiontracker pro for a while, so I proceeded to launch that. Of course, an update to the software I use to check for updates with was available, so I downloaded and installed the update. Then Acrobat, BitTorrent, LimeWire, Poisoned, etc. While everything was downloading, I checked on the make install status of glibc on my Pepper Pad. Halfway done.

Why the heck was ecto open again?

Re:Attention deficit disorder?

[Eberlin]

Somewhat true story:

I fire up the machine and Evolution to check my e-mail. I get mail from someone asking me to alter some content on their site. They send me an image. From within KDE, I fire up Quanta and open up their project. Image needs cropping. I fire up GIMP and grumble that I don't have the same look/feel. Firefox over to GNOME themes sites to see if I can find something similar. Download something, install the RPM or whatever, and find a way to alter GNOME look and feel from within KDE. No GUI on the menu (MDK). Logged off, fired it up under GNOME. Changed the look. Logged back onto KDE...GIMP looks better.

Fire up E-mail client again to check for more messages. RSS Slashdot feed says SCO's smack-talking again. (we all KNOW that's about as irresistable to slashbots as Trailer Trash Cousins on the Springer Show is to middle-america.)

So a couple of hours (and a dozen or two refreshes along with a few 503's) later...

I crop the picture, alter the html, proceed to FTP. Site update. That reminds me, when was the last time I've ran Mandrake Update? Better run that. New OO.org will take 15 minutes to download, a few other patches along with it too. Might as well move to desktop#2 and go back to slashdot while it downloads. Productivity, here I come!!!

Exactly...

[inertia187]

Mac users, however, appear to be afflicted with amusing juxtapositions of the aforementioned situation.

Re:Exactly...

[StalinsNotDead]

In Korea, only old people get distracted at work.

uh-oh

[macshune]

"...cognitive technology research done at Microsoft."

Anybody want to BSOD their neurons? Or have Clippy be like, "hello. you would like to create a new memory. let me help you create a new memory. please, select a memory template from the available options:"

1. Good memory
2. Bad memory
3. Romantic memory
[next poster insert memory option here]

Problem solved:

[Anonymous Coward]

echo '0.0.0.0 slashdot.org' >> /etc/hosts

Dear Slashdot

[Letter]

Dear Slashdot,

I haven't had any trouble with distractions since instal-- hey, hang one sec, I got an IM...

Letter

How it all went wrong with me

[Anonymous Coward]

Was when I changed every audio program event on my system to play the original Star Trek red alert klaxon. I have been on state assistance ever since.

No problem here

[SomeOtherGuy]

What distractions? I thought checking my email and clicking popup boxes was my job.

Re:problem with assumption

[marika]

It's because they want to be distracted from work at a faster pace.

Re:Big time waster fix detailed below:

[Anonymous Coward]

That didn't fix anything.

- CmdrTaco

Re:The solution is

[Tablizer]

that included things like defrag and scandisk, that people used to use all day long to pretend they had time to go get a cuppa and slack off.

Damn! Trick #58 exposed. Next thing you know they won't let me reboot when the machine acts odd.

How I appear busy at work

[bonch]

How I appear busy at work while fulfilling myself with my "distractions":

1.) Keep a floating command prompt open running netstat. It makes it look busy and important.

2.) Once in a while, ping 127.0.0.1. This makes me look like I'm typing something really important and examining very important output.

3.) Fire up a new browser window that opens the company website, then randomly click shit with an intense frown on your face as though looking for something important.

4.) Keep random sticky notes and papers sprawled around your keyboard, and randomly look over at them as though for reference. This is particularly useful when typing messageboard posts where people can hear your keyboard clacking away. You're not slacking; you're doing something important. You have scattered papers you keep looking at!

5.) Keep a spindle for your paper messages. Collect them on this spindle and situate it beside your monitor for a quick and easy "busily cluttered" look to your desk that makes you look slightly more busy.

6.) Have an old keyboard or other computer peripherals lying around at home? Bring them to the office and place them out of the way but in visible sight around your office/cubicle computer. Various important-looking computer parts, like an old non-functioning printer or a second keyboard "connected" to nothing, make you look like you're doing lots of crazy and important computer shit. For an added bonus, occasionally move your chair over and start clacking away on the non-functioning keyboard while looking at your monitor. Do an intense frown, say "hmm" importantly, and move back to your real keyboard and browse Slashdot some more.

7.) Try walking around a lot in a hurry. This makes you look busy and determined. The best strategy is to go the bathroom a lot and just pace for a minute inside. My strategy is to go to the water cooler a lot. Not only does this saturate me, but I'm seen moving all over the office busily and importantly when really I'm just taking a mental break at the water cooler and fantasizing about a life that doesn't so closely resemble Hell.

I have more tips, and I'm sure you do, so let's share.

Re:How I appear busy at work

[marshall_j]

*longs for the days of boss keys in games*

Re:How I appear busy at work

[mattOzan]

7.) Try walking around a lot in a hurry. This makes you look busy and determined.

And when you do this, always have a sheaf of papers in your hand! Makes you look at least 100% busier.

I haven't always worked in an office, though. I used to work for the U.S. Forest Service. Here's a tip for looking busy when working outdoors:

Even though you are just standing around talking with your buddies, whenever a public comes along the key is just to point at something. Point in the direction of that thing over there, then sweep your arm over to point at something else, then make some gestures about the area in between the points.

Works like a charm! Passersby think their tax money is being well-spent, what with all the vigorous gestulating going on over there! "Obviously an important new system for some high priority item is being expertly planned by efficient professionals..."

Re:How I appear busy at work

[Nefarious Wheel]

Bonch, you're fired.

Re:How I appear busy at work

[clnelson]

Can't tell if this should be rated "Funny" or "Informational"

I suggest use of Firefox's tabbed browsing as well as a healthy dose of terminals with current code sitting idle (hey you may get some work done by mistake).

Re:How I appear busy at work

[clean_stoner]

The easiest way to appear busy or like you're on an important mission is to carry around a clipboard and /or tablet PC, and keep reffering to it while walking around aimlessly (random computer equipment, like keyboards, also works). This works anywhere. When my friends and I were in high school and into fun habits like borrowing signs, there was this small barricade at a fair that one of my friends wanted, so he got a hard-hat (one his dad had laying around) and a clip board, went to the fair, walked up to the barricade, made a mark on the paper, picked up the barricade and carried it off, in the middle of a crowd of several hundred people, no one said anything.

Re:The internet is satan

[leenusohleenus]

Books don't pop up in your face and go BOING!

Re:Keeping a "busy" screen

[harikiri]

Pfft. The real trick is that you need to have the fastest alt-tab in the west!