Be smarter at work, slack off

[prakash]

http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/16/news/economy/annie/fortune_annie0317/index.htm

[webwright]

"The "time cost" of refocusing your attention may be only a few seconds with each switch, but the researchers found that, over time, it reduced people's total efficiency by 20% to 40%."

So true. The average RescueTime user visits 40 different web domains (note: not PAGES-- domains!) and uses 15 different installable apps-- per day. Another tidbit-- the average RescueTime users alt-tabs to an IM window 70 times per day. Email is around 30. Toss in cell phones, meetings, coffee breaks, and (ahem) Hacker News, and it looks pretty grim.

[tomjen → webwright]

How many of those 40 domains is ad networks?

Second when are you guys going to make a linux version? It would be cool knowing what I spend my time doing.

[webwright → tomjen]

Almost none are ad networks! We don't track domains of embedded stuff-- only the URL that's in your address bar. So ad networks would only theoretically show up with pop-up/pop-under windows. Which are the devil.

Linux version is open-sourced and active-- and ready for action!. I've heard good things: https://launchpad.net/rescuetime-linux-uploader

[prakash → webwright]

I love rescue time :-). It's interesting to know the kind of meta info and intelligence you can gather and build recommendation systems or dating sites with it ;-)

[DaniFong]

'"The physiological effects of tiredness are well-known. You can turn a smart person into an idiot just by overworking him," notes Peter Capelli, a professor of management at Wharton.'

I've definitely felt this. I tried to explain it to my boos once. 'My brain feels dead, sir. I can't code any more. I need a break'.

That wasn't received so well, but I got out of there.

[prakash → DaniFong]

I guess its time to leave, the moment you start calling them "Sir" :-)

[simianstyle]

Don't tell anybody this, but I always take a 15 minute nap in our break room after lunch everyday at work. It really helps me get back to focus for the rest of the day when I'm coding.

[holygoat → simianstyle]

Start telling people; maybe things will change.

[umjames → simianstyle]

Maybe the fact that you feel like you have to keep this a secret is a clue that you're not at the right place.

[simianstyle → umjames]

Well I like where I work, but the only problem is that the old people don't believe in naps. They prefer the 9-5 mundane corporate environment despite the fact that we're a startup.

[k7lim]

Ev Williams talks about how this book (Tom Demarco's _Slack_) sets the tone for his companies. And it was on his recommendation that I read it.

Ironically, he mentioned that his experience at Google did NOT typify the mentality of leaving space to maneuver. My experience there corroborates.

[prakash → k7lim]

Tom DeMarco's books are awesome. Slack really opened my mind, instead of optimizing every waking hour, I used a "structured procrastination" approach in getting things done.

[wanorris → prakash]

Structured procrastination?

Is that where you give yourself x minutes to surf the web or whatever, but when the timer goes off, you go back to work, or is it something else?

[kirubakaran → wanorris]

http://www.structuredprocrastination.com/

(using your tendency to procrastinate to work for you)