Stop Reading
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At least at work. That's the headline at C|Net for this article on people's goof-off habits at work. It lists surfing the Internet as the primary time waster with socializing with colleagues and personal business as next in line.
What I'm curious about it whether the time you spend reading this, checking out the articles at SQLServerCentral.com, or answering posts in the forums count? If you're not looking for a specific answer to a question, then is it wasting time or improving yourself? Or is it just good practice in an industry that changes and evolves as quickly as IT?
Most employers seem to be split on this. They'll tolerate some surfing, which seems to have taken the place of coffee or smoke breaks, but not an excessive amount. Most of those I've worked for have been tolerant of me answering posts and making notes on issues for articles. I've usually disclosed this in an interview up front, so maybe that helps, but in general they, and I, see it as a way that keeps me fresh, forces me to think, and allows me to learn more about SQL Server.
However, spending 10 minutes looking for a new car, reading a few jokes, or something else isn't necessarily bad. These days with many IT workers being on-call 24x7, the line between personal and company time is blurred. Many people get called in the middle of the night, on vacation, or holidays, even if they're not "on call" specifically. So the mixing of professional and personal time is bound to occur.
There's another side to it as well. When you're not working, you're unwinding, which can be very helpful in coping with long workdays, pressure filled schedules and stressful situations. Getting a little downtime helps to recharge you for those times when you are too busy to remember to eat.
So take a few minutes and enjoy this daily rant. It's good for you 🙂
Steve Jones
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I believe there have been some studies that short people who spend a "reasonable" amount of time personal surfing tend to be more efficient workers over all. It is because for them the line is blurred and that means overall more time for the company.
K. Brian Kelley
@kbriankelley -
Most jobs I have been in, the boss could see what I'm looking at on my monitor and/or they were logging it. My thoughts on this is that I feel developers and DBAs are stuck between waiting on things to happen (processes, builds, etc.) and choose to multitask by going to forums, researching, and chatting. I have some issues with the chat stuff, but otherwise, I say, let them go.
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I'd like to see a study of how much time that professional people spend working (thinking about work, preparing a presentation, report, etc.) from home.
'You took ten minutes to book your vacation airfare online - shame on you. Make sure that you finish that report while you are gone!'
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Chris makes a great point. The trouble with making your living by thinking is that it never stops.
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I see the argument as a philisophical one. I formerly worked in a results based environment where it didn't matter if you worked 30 hours per week or 80, the important thing was that your projects were caught up and you were on top of things.
After a recent reorganiztion, we're now in a much more task based situation where time and attendance are strictly enforced and web surfing is significantly locked down. And I have to say that having seen both sides I don't care for this at all, and I feel like we're being treated like children sometimes.
There will always be people in any organization that take unfair advantage of the policies. Whether you're abusing your web access, using your phone for personal business, or spending 45 minutes in someone else's cube discussing your vacation plans, in any case you're essentially getting paid for doing nothing. I am much more in favor of going after the abusers than making blanket policy changes that penalize everyone including those who are concientious and hard working.
Previously if I had a problem with a bill or an insurance policy for example, I could quickly and easily rectify this on line in most cases. Now I have to schedule time off of work to accomplish the same thing and IMHO, this has a negative effect on my overall productivity.
Just my 2 pesos for what they're worth.
My hovercraft is full of eels.
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Comunities like this would be impossible with such regulations!
Lets hope there is a balance in management decisions out there
* Noel -
Since I'm a developer/DBA (in that order), I don't answer a lot of post cause most of you guys knows a lot more than I do. But I do read a lot on SSC. It keeps informed on many things that I wouldn't be aware of if it wasn't for SSC. Even if I don't fully understands every topic, at least I know it exists when I'll need it. So the time I spend (or should I say: invests) here saves more time that it costs. Plus, just the time I save when you guys answer my questions compensates for the time I read!
Erik
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I take the view that if I get something out of SSC then I should put something back in.
I don't use SQL Server outside of my work therefore my use of SSC is for works purposes. I'll answer a few posts at night in my own time but for the most part I tend to read the new articles during my first cofee break.
The point about being treated like children is well made. There comes a point in your life when you don't want to be in the passenger seat. You certainly don't want to be strapped to the child seat in the back, while some incompetent bump parks there way around.
Trust me to do my job, after all I do not what my job is and I have been doing it for 20 years.
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