Improving Productivity (With Science)

Uhhh by proverbialcow · 2011-03-24 05:17 · Score: 3, Funny

I'm pretty sure I would get fired for running a grow house in my office.

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The only surefire protection against Microsoft infections is abstinence. - The Onion

Re:Uhhh by proverbialcow · 2011-03-24 05:24 · Score: 2

Right? And I'm pretty sure my productivity would increase only if by 'productivity' you mean 'Cheeto consumption.'

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The only surefire protection against Microsoft infections is abstinence. - The Onion
Re:Uhhh by Anonymous Coward · 2011-03-24 06:13 · Score: 5, Informative

You seem to have been fooled by the fictional "heat lamps" mentioned in police bust reports. This is a blatant lie aimed at tricking people into ineffective grows. Cannabis grows fine at room temperature and overheating is a much bigger problem than cold for indoor grows. The less heat, but more light, the better.
The real lights used are high pressure sodium, with a low color temperature for best vegetative growth, and metal halide, with a higher color temperature for best flowering. If somebody is using only one type of light it will be the low color temperature high pressure sodium. Fluorescent lighting is also usable for small scale grows but is less efficient.

Office plant by SEWilco · 2011-03-24 05:18 · Score: 3, Funny

Make sure the office plant has a comfortable chair in his cubicle.

On the contrary by Arancaytar · 2011-03-24 05:22 · Score: 4, Funny

Multiple monitors make it easier to appear productive with less effort.

Re:On the contrary by hedwards · 2011-03-24 05:37 · Score: 3, Informative

I think the issue with the assertion is that it only applies to certain types of work. It's amazingly handy for somebody working on photo manipulation or graphic design to have one monitor showing the whole image and perhaps the toolbars and the other showing just the region that is being worked on.
Likewise it can be really helpful for a receptionist to have an email program going on one monitor and a word processing program going in the other.
With the advent of large monitors, a better solution for the latter would probably be to have a decent utility to split up the main screen, but I've yet to see one that really did a very good job of splitting one monitor into multiple logical monitors. X seems to do the best job, but there's complications there and that doesn't apply to Windows anyways.
Re:On the contrary by Dexter+Herbivore · 2011-03-24 05:47 · Score: 2

I lament the loss of "bosskeys" in current games... nothing better than playing a game like Leisure Suit Larry and hitting that single key when a boss walks around the corner, preserving your crap job in the process.
Re:On the contrary by gknoy · 2011-03-24 06:21 · Score: 2

Some programs like to maximize, and scale their layouts (crappily) based on the maximum physical size of the screen. This makes resizing the window to something other than effectively-maximized both annoying and visually unappealing, in some cases. Having a way to enforce a "maximize" that only maximized height, or within certain bounds (say, a full-screen presentation), perhaps via virtual monitors, would be handy in some situations.
Re:On the contrary by Xtifr · 2011-03-24 19:35 · Score: 2

If you use unit tests, you won't need a debugger anymore.
Until something happens that you didn't plan for--some detail that you completely overlooked, or some quirk of the language that doesn't completely match your mental model. Then a debugger may be useful to determine just what it is that you forgot to add to your unit tests.
Not that I'm a fan of debuggers. I considered them to be a tedious, slow, and generally inefficient way to find bugs even before I discovered TDD. Since I started using unit tests, my use of the debugger for my own code has gone from once in a blue moon to I-can't-remember-the-last-time. But when it comes to other people's code, a debugger can definitely help get you up to speed quicker. And of course, other people's code, especially when it appears in third-party libraries, may well lack unit tests, no matter how religiously you write tests for your own code. So I still sometimes need a debugger--but not often enough that I'd set up a separate monitor for one.

High temp light sources? by chemicaldave · 2011-03-24 05:26 · Score: 2

Did they just give up on the idea of a window for actual sun-light?

Re:High temp light sources? by hedwards · 2011-03-24 05:41 · Score: 2

Depends where the office is, if you're located in an office building you likely don't have just areas next to the windows, and I think that's what they're talking about there. Plus you don't get even light all day anyways. Around here the sun doesn't come up until fairly late in the morning and goes down early in the afternoon. So even if you do have a window during those periods its not terribly useful anyways.
Re:High temp light sources? by chemicaldave · 2011-03-24 06:09 · Score: 2

It's true. Windows and sunlight are reserved for the benefit of managers. And yes, the sun might not be out for very long in some places, but the cubicle farms are some of the most unproductive workplaces. The least they could do is try to include ambient sunlight into the workspace instead of glaring the same fluorescent bulbs from 8-5 in a sad, depressing stink hole where 4-5 consultants work in the same 12x12 space devoid of any color save for the shirt on your chest and whatever Windows theme you happen to choose.
Re:High temp light sources? by Antisyzygy · 2011-03-24 06:44 · Score: 2

I like the dark with some ambient light coming in. Its relaxing. I also like faint blue artificial light during the night, also relaxing. I guess I just like the dark even though Im not a goth or anything. I only really enjoy the sun when Im out hiking, on a lake or at the beach or something.

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That brings me to an interesting point, / . is just "the ramblings of socially-inept, technology-literate news-mongers".

They missed one by sharp3 · 2011-03-24 05:27 · Score: 5, Insightful

#1 improvement to productivity) Closing Slashdot!

Re:They missed one by nschubach · 2011-03-24 06:23 · Score: 2

Apparently part of it is using a less intrusive operating system as well:

the study came to the conclusion that it was pixels, not monitors that increased productivity
And people bicker at me about my desire to regain as many pixels as I can. (I'm looking at you Office, Windows 7 Aero, Organize and Address Bars...)

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Every time I start to have faith in humanity, I ruin it by driving to work between 7 and 8 am.

Re:No research against it by nigelo · 2011-03-24 05:30 · Score: 2

Not everything can or has to be proven with research.

*citation needed*

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*Still* negative function...

Aeron chair didn't work for me by llZENll · 2011-03-24 05:31 · Score: 3, Interesting

I actually bought that exact chair as mentioned in the article, with the additional $200 chrome upgrade, about 4 years ago, it was awesome for the first few years, and then I had a huge problem with lower back pain. I went to the doc, tried stretching, muscle relaxers, massages, sleeping differently, it turns out it was the chair, after switching to a $39 Ikea chair http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70133761 my back pain finally went away after a few weeks and has been awesome since. I tried switching back to the Aeron a year ago for a month, but my back started hurting again soon after. The point of my story is just because a chair is expensive or has many adjustments does not mean its the best for you, and you may very well find a very comfortable chair for a lot less.

Re:Aeron chair didn't work for me by ChienAndalu · 2011-03-24 05:35 · Score: 3, Insightful

My back hurt until I started hitting the gym and doing muscle strength exercises.
Re:Aeron chair didn't work for me by Fnord666 · 2011-03-24 07:08 · Score: 2

I actually bought that exact chair as mentioned in the article, with the additional $200 chrome upgrade, about 4 years ago, it was awesome for the first few years, and then I had a huge problem with lower back pain. I went to the doc, tried stretching, muscle relaxers, massages, sleeping differently, it turns out it was the chair, after switching to a $39 Ikea chair http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70133761 my back pain finally went away after a few weeks and has been awesome since. I tried switching back to the Aeron a year ago for a month, but my back started hurting again soon after. The point of my story is just because a chair is expensive or has many adjustments does not mean its the best for you, and you may very well find a very comfortable chair for a lot less.
If it will help, I'll give you the $39 for the Aeron so you won't be tempted any more.

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'The tyrant will always find pretext for his tyranny.' - Aesop's Fables

Re:What I want... by flaming+error · 2011-03-24 05:31 · Score: 2

I used to have a co-worker who kept (in his cubicle) three puppies in tight sweaters.

Never heard of keeping chickens in the office before. Sounds messy. Oh, that must be what the tight shorts are for...

There actually seem to be some studies by BlackEdder · 2011-03-24 05:31 · Score: 3, Informative

Some googling turned up a description of 3 studies (the fourth actually doesn't look at dual monitors) http://www.kevinkane.com/2010/12/4-studies-which-show-that-using-a-second-monitor-can-boost-productivity/ Maybe not high quality research, but they all show an increase in productivity due to a second monitor

Fire useless teammates. by engineerErrant · 2011-03-24 05:33 · Score: 2

The single biggest line item on my (and probably many people's) productivity costs is interruptions of the form, "hey, I need to answer a question that takes more than a goldfish brain's worth of thought. I'd like you to do that thinking for me."

The second would be, "As my work product, I took a big dump into our codebase. Given that I don't care about anything but going home at 5, and none of our leadership understands what I did anyway, especially since I have two monitors and therefore look smart, why don't you clean it up for me if you are interested in finishing your own work?"

I'd settle for just dumping some dead weight instead of any new technology. Really.

Re:single monitor here. by pixelpusher220 · 2011-03-24 05:43 · Score: 2

If they gave us a 24" single monitor I might agree with you. But having 2 screens allows for comparing things side by side or having a reference open.

Alt-tab is faster than turning my neck and re-focusing my eyes.

How far apart were your monitors? Mine are right next to each other; there's minimal if any turning of ones head involved. You're refocusing your eyes regardless since your entire screen changes when you alt tab.

I find that you don't really notice the increase until you have 2 monitors and have to go back to just 1. When I remote into my work machine I'm stuck with just a one monitor interface and switching between them.

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People in cars cause accidents....accidents in cars cause people :-D

Re:6 or 12 monitors for the price of one. by maxwell+demon · 2011-03-24 06:02 · Score: 3, Insightful

Do they also support looking at one screen while typing on the other?

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The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.

Re:single monitor here. by gsslay · 2011-03-24 06:06 · Score: 2

When you're developing software two monitors allows you to have your application open, as it would be used by the end user, and also have desktop space for working on it.

The article lies. by tomhudson · 2011-03-24 06:06 · Score: 4, Insightful

There HAVE been studies that show that multiple monitors increase productivity.

http://research.microsoft.com/en-us/news/features/vibe.aspx

The first study revealed that the users' productivity increased by 9 percent. Further studies showed even greater increases - at times up to 50 percent for tasks such as cutting and pasting. Mary Czerwinski, the VIBE research manager, is excited about her group's discoveries, asking, "If you're able to squeeze 10 percent more productivity out, do you know how much money that will save?"

The article is utter garbage.

Re:The article lies. by jdgeorge · 2011-03-24 06:16 · Score: 2, Interesting

The article (second link in summary) about ways to increase productivity doesn't mention multiple monitors, and appears to have relevant research backing up all of its suggestions.
The Advice column (first link) does appear to be something a lazy writer pulled our of his or her... uh... ear.
Overall, the summary is exactly the quality I expect to find on Slashdot.
Re:The article lies. by GodfatherofSoul · 2011-03-24 07:51 · Score: 3, Funny

You probably made more before the sex change I bet, Tom...I mean Barbara.

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I swear to God...I swear to God! That is NOT how you treat your human!
Re:The article lies. by iiii · 2011-03-24 08:55 · Score: 2

Bingo. There are *lots* of studies. The author of this article is speaking from ignorance. A quick look through the publications from Virginia Tech's HCI group, viz group and gigapixel project shows an abundance of work on this. And that is just one university. I'm sure there are *many* other examples.

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Light cup, beer drink, thin so chain, neck turtle fat, man I won't say it again
Re:The article lies. by tomhudson · 2011-03-24 09:56 · Score: 2

I'm sorry, but my wages have NOT increased to the point where they match a man's pay for the same job. Sexism is alive and well in the I.T. industry.
try showing some titty.
if that doesn't work, try losing weight and then showing some titty.
really though ... not your fault that most other women just want to be manipulative, catty, immature, backstabbing, gossiping, petty, fickle bitches who always have a million excuses for why they didn't do what they said they would do when they said they would do it whose entire lives are always about some fleeting emotional dramatic problem and entire philosophies can be summed up as "me, me, me". thing about women, it's only 90% who make all the rest look bad.
women? really easy to find anywhere. women who are physically attractive? not so hard to find. women who have real integrity, maturity, intelligence, wisdom, common sense, are not manipulative, and keep their word? almost fucking impossible to ever find those. is it so hard to understand why they don't do as well in business?
Not too sexist, are we?
s/women/men/gi;

men? really easy to find anywhere. men who are physically attractive? not so hard to find. men who have real integrity, maturity, intelligence, wisdom, common sense, are not manipulative, and keep their word? almost [redacted] impossible to ever find those.
Of course, the reality is not even that great. Guys stand in front of a mirror with that 50 extra pounds hanging out, bed-head hair thing going, 3 days stubble, and think "yeah, I've still got it". Trust me, honey, you don't.
Re:The article lies. by tomhudson · 2011-03-24 10:17 · Score: 2

And we can even go back to 2003, and this article on slashdot

Multiple Monitors Increase Productivity
Posted by michael on Thursday October 09 2003, @10:01AM
from the print-out-and-show-your-boss dept.
eggoeater writes

"An systematic study conducted by NEC-Mitsubishi, ATI Technologies and the University of Utah has concluded that the use of multiple monitors in the workplace increases productivity. The study is discussed on Tom's Hardware, EE Times, and there's a detailed press release on NEC-Mitsubishi. For those of us who use multi-monitors, this is not shocking. But maybe now that it's official, IT managers will view it as a good investment and not just for gamers."

Music by jomama717 · 2011-03-24 06:37 · Score: 4, Informative

I wish they had done some studies about the effects of music on productivity. I have some of those very nice Bose headphones and by far my most productive hours are spent wearing them.

Any music that I am able to "zone out" to will do, classical, jazz, techno - usually long tracks with many subtle transitions.

Granted I am a programmer, and listening to music while working is perfectly reasonable while it may be totally unacceptable for others.

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while [ 1 ]; do echo -n -e "\xe2\x95\xb$((($RANDOM&1)+1))"; done

Re:No research against it by blue+trane · 2011-03-24 06:59 · Score: 2

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence was used to deny Aristarchus's 3rd century BC heliocentric theory. "Where's the parallax motion of the stars, if the earth is rotating? Any why isn't the wind stronger if the planet is spinning?" But there is parallax motion, their instruments just weren't sensitive enough; and the wind objection seems to be the real extraordinary claim. In conclusion, instead of following homilies like "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence", the Greeks should have been developing the instruments to test the heliocentric claim properly. Instead we had to wait almost 2 millenia before science finally admitted the extraordinary was true...

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Improving Productivity (With Science)

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