Microsoft reboots war on sleep(m.signalvnoise.com)
m.signalvnoise.com
Microsoft reboots war on sleep
https://m.signalvnoise.com/microsoft-reboots-war-on-sleep-a90da0396fb5#.u5leefz6f
109 comments
Your dad's a smart man. I have an hour or so to myself every morning, and some days, I'm fairly certain that's the only thing that keeps me sane.
Could you (also GP) elaborate on what do you do in this "you" hour? Genuinely curious if it involves primarily things away from screens or not.
It sometimes includes screens, sometimes not. I usually sit in a coffee shop before work and read, pray, think, write, or whatever I feel like doing. Sometimes I work on a side project. The point for me is to have time to sift through my own thoughts, rather than going through the whole day simply reacting to outside forces.
Personally when I get my hour (not necessarily every day) there is a 50/50 chance I'll use it to watch something 'dumb' on TV (currently Westworld and Black Mirror).
Go for a run/hike or play the guitar, depending on weather and mood.
Two relevant books I recommend:
Deep Work (an article by the author was recently on HN): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X47ZVXM/
Essentialism: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G1J1D28/
Deep Work (an article by the author was recently on HN): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00X47ZVXM/
Essentialism: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G1J1D28/
Thanks, the first one was less than $4 on Kindle / Amazon AU. Will read with interest.
Meditation also helps to quiet the mind and reduce the mental clutter, but it's not quite enough.
Meditation also helps to quiet the mind and reduce the mental clutter, but it's not quite enough.
> My Dad always told me that you should have an hour a day and a day a week to yourself. When I was younger I laughed that off. These days I struggle to make it my minimum ideal.
Precisely, yesterday I shared this article on Facebook and I wrote that it is not by chance that religions require, roughly, one hour a day and a day a week for prayer. This is for a reason and the reason is not God. The reason is health of the human soul.
There is no need to believe in god to learn from old religions.
Precisely, yesterday I shared this article on Facebook and I wrote that it is not by chance that religions require, roughly, one hour a day and a day a week for prayer. This is for a reason and the reason is not God. The reason is health of the human soul.
There is no need to believe in god to learn from old religions.
Imagine you miss your child's goal just because you were checking your oh-so-important Excel spreadsheet.
Addiction, as you say. Lack of freedom (as any addiction is).
Plain stupid.
Addiction, as you say. Lack of freedom (as any addiction is).
Plain stupid.
Is that better or worse than if you miss it because your boss wouldn't let you go at all?
I've had friends from the USA eat the cost of a plane ticket because their supervisor told them they'd get time off for a visit to Germany, but then got dunked on two weeks before the flight by their supervisor's supervisor, precisely because they wouldn't have been able to react to emergencies in Germany, and this entirely due to technological policy restrictions.
I've had friends from the USA eat the cost of a plane ticket because their supervisor told them they'd get time off for a visit to Germany, but then got dunked on two weeks before the flight by their supervisor's supervisor, precisely because they wouldn't have been able to react to emergencies in Germany, and this entirely due to technological policy restrictions.
Speaking of Germany... Here in Germany your employer can only cancel already approved vacations if a real emergency happens (e.g. the company will go bankrupt if you leave) and you haven't started your trip yet. And your employer also has to eat all costs you have because your delayed trip.
That seems quite resonable for German standards. Last year the court decided that German Amazon employees were entitled for their free days during Christmas https://heise.de/-3049616 (de) and that Amazon had no urgent business need to lift the need for weekends and holidays.
Have you seen the latest movie of Michael Moore "Where to invade next?" http://wheretoinvadenext.com ? Hilarious and insightful regarding this and many other topics where Europe and USA differ.
Have you seen the latest movie of Michael Moore "Where to invade next?" http://wheretoinvadenext.com ? Hilarious and insightful regarding this and many other topics where Europe and USA differ.
This is a good point. I've had jobs where I could work from anywhere, and I would rather work visiting relatives and friends rather than not visit them at all.
That's incredible. I'm happy to be fortunate enough to not work in places like that and to have to ability to tell someone like that to go fuck themselves.
The problem is with different scenarios. Instead of your boss letting you go and have a good time, your boss will let you go and expect you to work.
Competition makes it so that anything that's possible than can give company a leg up soon becomes expected.
Competition makes it so that anything that's possible than can give company a leg up soon becomes expected.
I am glad I do not work in the USA. Really.
Its very backwards compared to other first world countries (Disclaimer: US worker). No parental leave, sick days, vacation time codified into law. Limited worker protections.
At least shoveling snow is exercise.
Pretending like the need for sleep can be ignored, given our current physiology, is absolutely absurd. But I would be very much interested in any work towards fundamentally reconfiguring our biology. I was hoping this was the topic of the article, and was disappointed.
is that #getitdone sheet really original Microsoft advertisement?
i have trouble believing that.
i have trouble believing that.
It's easy: turn off your device when at home.
"It's easy to give up smoking - just don't buy cigarettes".
You joke, but this IS how I quit cigarettes. The impulse to smoke was momentary and I'd reach into my pocket. Not having cigs there, I'd be slightly miffed.
But as I was not buying any, a separate action on which I had taken a clear stance for myself, I ended up not smoking unless in a group setting.
Over time I cut out on that too.
But as I was not buying any, a separate action on which I had taken a clear stance for myself, I ended up not smoking unless in a group setting.
Over time I cut out on that too.
Worked for me
The culture you keep, determines your sleep.
#SamIAm
#SamIAm
Way back nearly two decades ago, I set up an early version of ActiveSync on my Palm Treo device. I noticed there was an option in the Treo email settings to disable real time syncing between certain times (after office hours), but I was SO excited about getting and responding to real time emails on my little phone device that I thought "Who the HECK would want to stop this wonderful flow of emails".
Later when I upgraded to the first gen iPhones, I noticed that they didn't have the option to turn off ActiveSync at all. I thought it was odd, but I still didn't mind.
Nowadays, I often leave my phone on DND or Airplane mode for large chunks of the day. I am totally sick of the deluge of mail from what is now 6 separate email addresses. I note that iOS 10 still hasn't got the ability to turn off syncing between certain hours that I know of. On top of that, I have alerts constantly popping up from Twitter, Slack, HelpScout, Intercom et al.
I think the whole "Work can wait" movement is a good one that needs to be front and center at a lot of workplaces (and a lot of apps).
EDIT: Thanks to the responses below, I now realise that iOS 10 DOES indeed have the capability to turn on DND during certain hours only! Winning.
Later when I upgraded to the first gen iPhones, I noticed that they didn't have the option to turn off ActiveSync at all. I thought it was odd, but I still didn't mind.
Nowadays, I often leave my phone on DND or Airplane mode for large chunks of the day. I am totally sick of the deluge of mail from what is now 6 separate email addresses. I note that iOS 10 still hasn't got the ability to turn off syncing between certain hours that I know of. On top of that, I have alerts constantly popping up from Twitter, Slack, HelpScout, Intercom et al.
I think the whole "Work can wait" movement is a good one that needs to be front and center at a lot of workplaces (and a lot of apps).
EDIT: Thanks to the responses below, I now realise that iOS 10 DOES indeed have the capability to turn on DND during certain hours only! Winning.
There's actually a nice feature regarding that in Google Inbox. It has adopted the approach first featured in Opera 12's mail client:
Have all mail pre-filtered into categories with a bayesian (or similar) filter trained by the user themselves.
What this means in practice is that you have a bunch of categories for emails that are not urgent, like purchase receipts, ads, mailing lists, etc. and you teach inbox which of the mails you receive belong in there, just through the simple act of moving emails in and out.
Emails in those categories don't trigger notifications.
And for the kinds of emails you consider urgent, you move them out of the category they're in, let Inbox know "don't categorize this type of mail".
Only those trigger notifications.
The result of this is that your phone acts like a secretary on your emails. It sorts them into various inboxes for you so you can review them later on, or lets you know if something came in you might want to look at immediately. It's not perfect, sure, it's more akin to a 12 year old playing secretary. However it certainly stems the "tide" without forcing you to cut yourself off entirely, providing a nice medium you can use for normal work time, leaving DND mode for when you actually need exactly that.
Have all mail pre-filtered into categories with a bayesian (or similar) filter trained by the user themselves.
What this means in practice is that you have a bunch of categories for emails that are not urgent, like purchase receipts, ads, mailing lists, etc. and you teach inbox which of the mails you receive belong in there, just through the simple act of moving emails in and out.
Emails in those categories don't trigger notifications.
And for the kinds of emails you consider urgent, you move them out of the category they're in, let Inbox know "don't categorize this type of mail".
Only those trigger notifications.
The result of this is that your phone acts like a secretary on your emails. It sorts them into various inboxes for you so you can review them later on, or lets you know if something came in you might want to look at immediately. It's not perfect, sure, it's more akin to a 12 year old playing secretary. However it certainly stems the "tide" without forcing you to cut yourself off entirely, providing a nice medium you can use for normal work time, leaving DND mode for when you actually need exactly that.
Good tip - Yes, I do have this filtering turned on in my two main email accounts, so that sales emails, newsletters, family emails etc. (even some system related alerts) all get filtered into separate folders so I don't get the constant 'dings' and don't see the app notification counter climbing like an F1 car odometer! Google Mail/Inbox is very good at this, and I have never missed any important client emails this way.
However, it would be nice if the dings completely stopped of their own accord, say, after 6pm and didn't resume again until about 8am. (I know I can do this manually as other have suggested, but I would really like to 'baby' my phone less and have it figure out these things itself, or let me set it.)
After all, if the Google App can work out when I start my car and connect my phone to my car Bluetooth on a Wednesday evening, that I am going to my mom's place for dinner, and it tells me how long it will take to get there, surely it can extend itself to holding off all emails for the evening so I can enjoy a nice family dinner? :-)
However, it would be nice if the dings completely stopped of their own accord, say, after 6pm and didn't resume again until about 8am. (I know I can do this manually as other have suggested, but I would really like to 'baby' my phone less and have it figure out these things itself, or let me set it.)
After all, if the Google App can work out when I start my car and connect my phone to my car Bluetooth on a Wednesday evening, that I am going to my mom's place for dinner, and it tells me how long it will take to get there, surely it can extend itself to holding off all emails for the evening so I can enjoy a nice family dinner? :-)
You have an iPhone, so i can't help there. Android already has quiet hours/weekend/calendar event rules/automation. Maybe iOS will follow suit soon.
But before that, iirc, people used automation/tasking apps. I.e. primitive scripting interfaces in which you could say "when beyond this time, set to DND" or "when near this GPS location, allow only phone calls". Maybe the itunes app store has such automation apps?
But before that, iirc, people used automation/tasking apps. I.e. primitive scripting interfaces in which you could say "when beyond this time, set to DND" or "when near this GPS location, allow only phone calls". Maybe the itunes app store has such automation apps?
It's called "do not disturb" on iOS. Use it, it makes your life better.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204321
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204321
Inbox made me so much more relaxed about emails and daily work life i can only agree.
Also the shedule for later function is a life safer for busy or lazy days.
Also the shedule for later function is a life safer for busy or lazy days.
> The result of this is that your phone acts like a secretary on your emails.
And that's exactly what workplace electronics is supposed to be about, really. We were promised a future where computers would lessen our workload and make human secretaries redundant. Well, human secretaries were made redundant but for the most part computers did not replace them.
And that's exactly what workplace electronics is supposed to be about, really. We were promised a future where computers would lessen our workload and make human secretaries redundant. Well, human secretaries were made redundant but for the most part computers did not replace them.
To be honest, i've been living that future on my desktop with Opera M2 since roughly 2001. Aside from Inbox no other email client i know has ever replicated this feature.
I am very strict about work hours, and try and get the people I work with to take similar steps. I take steps to limit any possible exposure to work emails, notifications, calls from the moment I leave the office (or the work day ends), which is usually around 6pm. I don't even look at anything until 9am the next day. This has probably annoyed some people along the way, but I don't care, my time is more important to me.
I used to do that. Made a point to switch mindset when I was crossing out the door of the building and immediately started thinking about my personal projects.
It's become much more difficult now that I work remotely and use a single place and computer for both work and personal.
It's become much more difficult now that I work remotely and use a single place and computer for both work and personal.
That is actually one of the good things about jobs with a dress code, even if it's only "business casual". You get home, you get changed, and that's a clear line drawn between work-mode and home-mode.
iOS 10 still hasn't got the ability to turn off syncing between certain hours
You can set Do Not Disturb between certain hours on iOS.
You can set Do Not Disturb between certain hours on iOS.
Coolness - I must have been looking in the wrong area (Mail Account Settings). Is there another spot where I can set that?
Settings / Do Not Disturb
It's system wide in iOS, so _nothing_ can notify you, not just email :)
Why would they want to let you turn off notifications, when that's the thing that keeps you into using those apps?
Seriously, companies have psychologists on staff analyzing the behavior of users, with their job being coming up with ways to keep you hooked. Why on earth would you receive notifications for people liking your stupid messages on Twitter or Facebook, if it weren't for our inflated ego craving for those notifications that's making us going back to these apps.
Seriously, companies have psychologists on staff analyzing the behavior of users, with their job being coming up with ways to keep you hooked. Why on earth would you receive notifications for people liking your stupid messages on Twitter or Facebook, if it weren't for our inflated ego craving for those notifications that's making us going back to these apps.
Worst on twitter is notifications because 2 people i follow retweetet the same post...
One thing I find with google Inbox which makes it indispensable on mobile is the ability to schedule times for notifications for individual addresses, groups and/or folders. Weekly, hourly, never.. whatever.
Nice. I've never dived deep into Inbox and didn't realise you could do this. Thanks for the heads up.
I have disabled notifications for my mail apps on iOS. The counter will increment but I only check them when I feel like it.
I turned off the counter too. I found that red dot way too stressful.
> I am totally sick of the deluge of mail from what is now 6 separate email addresses.
I do not use the Mail app in iOS. Rather (ironically), I use Outlook my Microsoft. It has a "Focused" and "Other" Inbox of all your mails. It only notifies you mail coming to your "Focused" inbox which it learns over time. I'm pretty happy about it.
I do not use the Mail app in iOS. Rather (ironically), I use Outlook my Microsoft. It has a "Focused" and "Other" Inbox of all your mails. It only notifies you mail coming to your "Focused" inbox which it learns over time. I'm pretty happy about it.
I still use Gmail/Inbox in the browser on my Mac, or their respective apps on iOS. I am playing with PolyMail at the moment on the desktop to see how I like it.
If there is a solution like Outlook's "focused" inbox for macOS I would love to hear about it...
If there is a solution like Outlook's "focused" inbox for macOS I would love to hear about it...
Funny, I submitted an Outlook for iOS feature request for just such an "outside working hours" setting (I like keeping my work account tied to this app precisely so I can compartmentalize it and not think about work things when I'm on my own time). I guess I should stop holding my breath.
I got rid of the smartphone and went back to feature phone.
I also have a 7" tablet so I can tether if I really need to.
Life is better.
I also have a 7" tablet so I can tether if I really need to.
Life is better.
My Nokia N9 has this feature too, I can set varying sync timeframes on each mail account.
I couldn't live without it.
I couldn't live without it.
Best thing about Windows Phone was the email notifications didn't make noise by default.
You can turn off notifications in iOS on a per app basis. I do this for emails.
That's what Microsoft should learn: People say they worked in the bathroom, or had meetings on lunchtime, when in fact they shouldn't. Keep your work at bay, keep your work at work. Otherwise it puts you in the grave. Now, Microsoft thinks that's what workers want by totally misinterpreting their usage studies. Hello?
Is anybody there, Microsoft? Are you endorsing burnout?! In case that you've missed, people want to have their work done before they go home. With your crappy office software it was never possible, now it should invade our spare time? Fuck you Microsoft, and get it done!
Is anybody there, Microsoft? Are you endorsing burnout?! In case that you've missed, people want to have their work done before they go home. With your crappy office software it was never possible, now it should invade our spare time? Fuck you Microsoft, and get it done!
Chill down.
What really scares me is the fact that MS would present itself as a company that now focus on enabling people, and then decides that by enabling they only move towards getting work done, thus depriving people of the very life they should be allowed to enjoy.
With all the current privacy discussion going on, it's kinda lame to work somewhere you're supposed to take corporate phones and so on back home - EDIT: considering the future might look like 1984 when it comes to surveillance.
With all the current privacy discussion going on, it's kinda lame to work somewhere you're supposed to take corporate phones and so on back home - EDIT: considering the future might look like 1984 when it comes to surveillance.
A little hyperbolic, based on a single line from an exec at a different company in a single ad.
I get this is a great way to promote their brand, but it seems pretty close to your standard in-group clickbait marketing:
1) pick a big target everyone can hate on
2) blow something minor out of proportion so you can claim outrage / assert your values
3) profit
I get this is a great way to promote their brand, but it seems pretty close to your standard in-group clickbait marketing:
1) pick a big target everyone can hate on
2) blow something minor out of proportion so you can claim outrage / assert your values
3) profit
It would hyperbolic if it didn't represent a reality for many people and wasn't part of a definite trend in modern work.
I agree he uses the strategies you mention, but he does it in this case to attack something real. Asserting values is not intrinsically a negative. His rhetoric is profane and aggressive which would not be my style, but it does appear to be effective these days.
I agree he uses the strategies you mention, but he does it in this case to attack something real. Asserting values is not intrinsically a negative. His rhetoric is profane and aggressive which would not be my style, but it does appear to be effective these days.
i agree. i also think Microsoft isn't encouraging people to lose sleep and work in soccer games, at bed, etc. People already are doing it and Microsoft is simply putting out an ad that speaks and resonates with those people.
A big company should aspire to make life better, not worse. People don't need to work more than they already do (unless they really want to, which is fine, but most of the time they are expected to be always available).
To be honest, for some people this does make life better. I look at it from the perspective of an office programmer become freelancer, working from home.
For a number of earlier jobs i had work could only be done in the office due to technological or security restrictions. Heck, even for a number of my clients i first had to work on-site, then figure out how to migrate things to a remote setup.
But now i work entirely from home and never even visit any offices. This has freed me up considerably. I still get the same amount of work done in practice, but the hours i bill are now half of what i spent previously just in the office. Even less if you consider that i have zero commute anymore.
And yes, i have worked in weird places and at weird times. Bathroom, bed, weekend, 2 am, at a conference in another country.
But the difference is, those things were me responding to emergencies. Emergencies that in all cases would have come up the same regardless of where and when i was. Having set up the technology i had meant the difference in practice for me was:
Instead of spending an hour to get to the office at 2 AM and back, i got up from the bed, walked to the computer, fixed the problem in ten minutes and went back to bed.
My life got considerably better.
For a number of earlier jobs i had work could only be done in the office due to technological or security restrictions. Heck, even for a number of my clients i first had to work on-site, then figure out how to migrate things to a remote setup.
But now i work entirely from home and never even visit any offices. This has freed me up considerably. I still get the same amount of work done in practice, but the hours i bill are now half of what i spent previously just in the office. Even less if you consider that i have zero commute anymore.
And yes, i have worked in weird places and at weird times. Bathroom, bed, weekend, 2 am, at a conference in another country.
But the difference is, those things were me responding to emergencies. Emergencies that in all cases would have come up the same regardless of where and when i was. Having set up the technology i had meant the difference in practice for me was:
Instead of spending an hour to get to the office at 2 AM and back, i got up from the bed, walked to the computer, fixed the problem in ten minutes and went back to bed.
My life got considerably better.
But this can be better.
I'll have taken about 8 weeks holiday this year. But for about half of it I'll do 30 min or even 2 hours work. Actually it's been less than half.
That's a pretty sweet deal. I've still got that ability to take a good few contiguous days off, completely relaxing so to speak. But I'm more relaxed after spending 5 min checking on progress in my absence, as I know when I come back to work full time, it won't be hell.
I'll have taken about 8 weeks holiday this year. But for about half of it I'll do 30 min or even 2 hours work. Actually it's been less than half.
That's a pretty sweet deal. I've still got that ability to take a good few contiguous days off, completely relaxing so to speak. But I'm more relaxed after spending 5 min checking on progress in my absence, as I know when I come back to work full time, it won't be hell.
A big company aspires to make money. Nothing more, nothing less. Most of the time that means asking people to do "more with less" for more hours.
It's part of the system. Anytime that you read about a company that does it differently you are seeing an aberration. Let them have some pressures applied and they will revert to the norm. Also, if you are reading about them it's because they are news not the norm.
It's part of the system. Anytime that you read about a company that does it differently you are seeing an aberration. Let them have some pressures applied and they will revert to the norm. Also, if you are reading about them it's because they are news not the norm.
Tell that to McDonalds, Marlboro and hundreds of others.
A big, capitalistic company's only goal is to satisfy their stakeholders, nothing more.
A big, capitalistic company's only goal is to satisfy their stakeholders, nothing more.
Yes, and by creating such a public resentment they won't satisfy their stakeholders.
So it's our job to write articles like DHH wrote and make them as visible as possible. No company is able to foresee all the negative consequences they can cause (they should try, however, because it will and should hurt them).
It's up to the society to create strong negative signals that will counteract and negate positive economic signals coming from any activities harmful to the society.
So it's our job to write articles like DHH wrote and make them as visible as possible. No company is able to foresee all the negative consequences they can cause (they should try, however, because it will and should hurt them).
It's up to the society to create strong negative signals that will counteract and negate positive economic signals coming from any activities harmful to the society.
>A big company should aspire to make life better, not worse.
Why exactly?
Why exactly?
[deleted]
Nintendo is kind of following the same product positioning for their new Switch console: it's not "work anywhere, all the time", it's "play anywhere, all the time": game while you are going for a walk with your dog. Game when you are in public transports. Game when you meet your friends. Game at night. Game during the day. Game all the time. This kind of fight for attention is getting really tiring.
There is no Balance and no Art.
Consider part of the reason work takes so long is the constant stream of updates. Updates have killed more than one conference presentation.
Yet, when companies are faced with evidence that people don't like updates, they force more, bigger, faster. Why don't they invest in fewer, more meaningful, careful updates?
Treasure the customer's device as you would their home.
Consider part of the reason work takes so long is the constant stream of updates. Updates have killed more than one conference presentation.
Yet, when companies are faced with evidence that people don't like updates, they force more, bigger, faster. Why don't they invest in fewer, more meaningful, careful updates?
Treasure the customer's device as you would their home.
I have conflicting feelings about this article.
Firstly, I don't by choice use any Microsoft products, so this is not a defence of that company.
Secondly, I also fully agree that work can wait and my employer should not be intruding on my personal time, outside of office hours.
However, I have a passion for something and I have a young family. Between my paid work commitments and the fabulous time I spend with my family, I have only a limited amount of time to dedicate to my passion. I would like to hope that one day, my passion can generate enough income that I can give up "work." (I know that's a whole other conversation about whether that is a good thing).
What I really want are tools which assist in enabling me to make as much progress with my passion, in the limited time available to me. If that means doing something while on holiday, from work, so be it. Does it make me one of the 47%?
There are of course lines which should be in place and a correct balance found, especially when it comes to family activities. However, I do want tools to keep me informed about the latest events regarding my passion and effective ways to react to that news while away from a desktop/laptop computer.
Firstly, I don't by choice use any Microsoft products, so this is not a defence of that company.
Secondly, I also fully agree that work can wait and my employer should not be intruding on my personal time, outside of office hours.
However, I have a passion for something and I have a young family. Between my paid work commitments and the fabulous time I spend with my family, I have only a limited amount of time to dedicate to my passion. I would like to hope that one day, my passion can generate enough income that I can give up "work." (I know that's a whole other conversation about whether that is a good thing).
What I really want are tools which assist in enabling me to make as much progress with my passion, in the limited time available to me. If that means doing something while on holiday, from work, so be it. Does it make me one of the 47%?
There are of course lines which should be in place and a correct balance found, especially when it comes to family activities. However, I do want tools to keep me informed about the latest events regarding my passion and effective ways to react to that news while away from a desktop/laptop computer.
I agree. The critical question isn't "should I be attending a meeting when I'm walking in the countryside?". It's "what's the alternative?"
If it's that you can be walking in the countryside when you would previously have had to come into the office for a meeting, then that's great.
If, on the other hand, it's that you've now got no excuse for not working in times you would previously have been resting, then that's pretty bad.
I work in a company that offers pretty good flexibility. You aren't expected to be answering your emails when you're on holiday, but you are often able to work from home if that helps with your particular situation.
I've got my kid's school play in a few weeks, and I could not do a full day in the office and get back to watch it. But I can stay at home, work in the morning and the evening, and then go to the play in the afternoon. I could also choose to take the entire day off as holiday of course, but then I'd be losing a day's holiday. I appreciate this kind of flexibility.
Of course, there's plenty of companies who take the opposite tack - if you've got a work phone, you're now available to be working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The advert at the bottom is pretty poor, because it seems to be very much pushing that message.
But most of the original ones could be read either way.
If it's that you can be walking in the countryside when you would previously have had to come into the office for a meeting, then that's great.
If, on the other hand, it's that you've now got no excuse for not working in times you would previously have been resting, then that's pretty bad.
I work in a company that offers pretty good flexibility. You aren't expected to be answering your emails when you're on holiday, but you are often able to work from home if that helps with your particular situation.
I've got my kid's school play in a few weeks, and I could not do a full day in the office and get back to watch it. But I can stay at home, work in the morning and the evening, and then go to the play in the afternoon. I could also choose to take the entire day off as holiday of course, but then I'd be losing a day's holiday. I appreciate this kind of flexibility.
Of course, there's plenty of companies who take the opposite tack - if you've got a work phone, you're now available to be working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The advert at the bottom is pretty poor, because it seems to be very much pushing that message.
But most of the original ones could be read either way.
I must admit I didn't watch the new advert video due to the "do not track" warning.
"This embedded content is from a site that does not comply with the Do Not Track (DNT) setting now enabled on your browser.
Please note, if you click through and view it anyway, you may be tracked by the website hosting the embed."
"This embedded content is from a site that does not comply with the Do Not Track (DNT) setting now enabled on your browser.
Please note, if you click through and view it anyway, you may be tracked by the website hosting the embed."
First one I'd seen that campaign, absolutely atrocious.
I've been working like that for the last couple of months the and it's really not healthy. It has been at the expense of every other part of my life, I had my own reasons but will be returning to a more balanced approach.
I've been working like that for the last couple of months the and it's really not healthy. It has been at the expense of every other part of my life, I had my own reasons but will be returning to a more balanced approach.
That Surface Pro commercial struck me similarly. Working 14-hour days is a sign of something terribly wrong, far from being an accomplishment to boast about or to promote.
Several months ago I started leaving my laptop charger at work, so that the time I spend on the computer at home is limited to the battery life. As a result, I stopped staying up late (2am-), which has been a life-long habit until then.
Two weeks ago, I stopped bringing my laptop home. As a result, I've been reading a lot more, going to sleep early, waking up early, and being more productive at work despite spending less time working.
Several months ago I started leaving my laptop charger at work, so that the time I spend on the computer at home is limited to the battery life. As a result, I stopped staying up late (2am-), which has been a life-long habit until then.
Two weeks ago, I stopped bringing my laptop home. As a result, I've been reading a lot more, going to sleep early, waking up early, and being more productive at work despite spending less time working.
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Article mashes up a valid grievance with an irrelevant attack on the quality of Marvel films. Anger is a powerful tool, but it can really weaken your argument if not used with precision.
I also think the message of this particular advert doesn't justify the strength of this attack.
I also think the message of this particular advert doesn't justify the strength of this attack.
At the very least, it's ridiculous to call it a 'sweatshop'. The kid making DHH's shoes would probably love to work for Marvel.
Yes, I am fighting hyperbole with hyperbole.
Yes, I am fighting hyperbole with hyperbole.
I get your hyperbole but simply as a matter of course I'm gonna have to throw a flag: that's the fallacy of relative privation.
It's not the fallacy of relative privation if the article already made the comparison to sweatshops. It's just pointing out an inaccurate (and arguably tasteless) analogy.
Vindication!
Thanks! I really need to read up on my fallacies.
Seems like hyperbole. That's a single line in a single video of an executive at a different company.
DHH on that self-promotion game
DHH on that self-promotion game
Have you seen these ads with guy sleeping with tablet etc? They are conveying the same message.
I don't get the point of this article. The ads show an activity that a large part of the population is already doing, and that Microsoft has a product targeted to those people. What does the author have a problem with? Is someone forcing him to work at home?
I think that the culture of working all the time is stupid, but so is blaming it on a single company.
Why not blame Android for making this possible with all the useful mobile devices. Or how about blaming the web for making access to information at all hours of the day possible.
Why not blame Android for making this possible with all the useful mobile devices. Or how about blaming the web for making access to information at all hours of the day possible.
I really don't like this post.
The article is shoehorning an agenda and viewpoint in to an ad that is essentially a profile of an unusual person.
I don't like the tone, I don't like the language, and I don't like the judgemental assumptions.
It is obviously written by someone who doesn't know many working creatives, and why some people approach work that way.
And it is assuming that the author knows what is best, and what makes everyone happy, as if there are no variations in people in this world. I I find it a shame a person could think they know better what someone else needs than they do. Condescending. Insulting.
The article is shoehorning an agenda and viewpoint in to an ad that is essentially a profile of an unusual person.
I don't like the tone, I don't like the language, and I don't like the judgemental assumptions.
It is obviously written by someone who doesn't know many working creatives, and why some people approach work that way.
And it is assuming that the author knows what is best, and what makes everyone happy, as if there are no variations in people in this world. I I find it a shame a person could think they know better what someone else needs than they do. Condescending. Insulting.
The author is well known for taking this kind of strongly-opinionated, incendiary stance with his writing.
I happen to agree with the post 100%. The ad is not telling the story of a creative, it's speaking to the mass market. It's creating a norm of live-to-work, not work-to-live. It's created the culture in the US where taking a full 5-days of consecutive vacation days is now no longer the norm in my branch. In fact, it's frowned upon. It was not the workers who decided on that norm - it was thrust upon them by 'conditions'. 'Conditions' are defined by people with power, the powerless must follow them.
That's DHH for ya.
This. Work work work.
Work is the process of mapping nature into products and (then) waste.
If nobody needs the 'fruits' of your work, there's always marketing and advertising which can make people want them.
This my friends is the reason our planet is fast becoming uninhabitable.
People doing too much work.
I think we've achieved a lot, now it's time to take a look around and take a look inside.
Is it possible to build a society which is not built around the concept of 'work'?
Are there any other human values which could replace it ?
Work is the process of mapping nature into products and (then) waste.
If nobody needs the 'fruits' of your work, there's always marketing and advertising which can make people want them.
This my friends is the reason our planet is fast becoming uninhabitable.
People doing too much work.
I think we've achieved a lot, now it's time to take a look around and take a look inside.
Is it possible to build a society which is not built around the concept of 'work'?
Are there any other human values which could replace it ?
Work is fine. Bullshit work isn't.
> Is it possible to build a society which is not built around the concept of 'work'?
I hope so. I suppose it will happen, as more and more people realize there isn't much to be proud about working anymore. We're not making food for our community, we're not making sheets for someone else to make swords to protect our community. We're making pointless websites that are meant to trick people into buying some shit they don't need, all to make our boss richer.
Of course pop psychology is already on it, reminding us that what matters is that we're working - our professionalism, our dedication, our skill. But at some point I guess the society at large will get disillusioned about it and realize there's nothing honourable in working, because most work is no longer doing anything honourable. The pride of work is an outdated value.
> Is it possible to build a society which is not built around the concept of 'work'?
I hope so. I suppose it will happen, as more and more people realize there isn't much to be proud about working anymore. We're not making food for our community, we're not making sheets for someone else to make swords to protect our community. We're making pointless websites that are meant to trick people into buying some shit they don't need, all to make our boss richer.
Of course pop psychology is already on it, reminding us that what matters is that we're working - our professionalism, our dedication, our skill. But at some point I guess the society at large will get disillusioned about it and realize there's nothing honourable in working, because most work is no longer doing anything honourable. The pride of work is an outdated value.
>Is it possible to build a society which is not built around the concept of 'work'?
Sure, but it could probably only happen in a post-scarcity society. As long as resources are scarce effort will need to be put forward to sustain life.
Sure, but it could probably only happen in a post-scarcity society. As long as resources are scarce effort will need to be put forward to sustain life.
There are two aspects to this imho:
1) The glorification of a lifestyle completely dominated by work.
2) Microsoft offering products that you can use from anywhere, at any time.
The article is mostly about 1). But I do think that 2) is to be applauded.
1) The glorification of a lifestyle completely dominated by work.
2) Microsoft offering products that you can use from anywhere, at any time.
The article is mostly about 1). But I do think that 2) is to be applauded.
DHH is coming from the "10 hour work week" perspective, which I'm sure many people would be envious of, but it's not a reality most people live in.
That said, I do think mobile device usage outside of the office is more likely to supplement rather than replace time in the office.
That said, I do think mobile device usage outside of the office is more likely to supplement rather than replace time in the office.
To those who complain: are you the person who is responsible for a potential purchase of Office 365 license pack for your entire company? If not, then the message in this advertising campaign is not targeted to you. It is targeted to this person. Now, who they might be, and what _they_ will think of the message?
(As a software engineer, I, of course, agree that this is terrible).
(As a software engineer, I, of course, agree that this is terrible).
I'm surprised by the amount of comments denying even the sense of such critique as DHH presented in the article.
The problem comes from a very narrow understanding of how 'capitalism/free market economy/society' should work. In the original theoretical framework that laid the ground for the modern economical system, David Hume (and Adam Smith) talked about 'spontaneous order' that comprised multiple social signals, not just prices! Society and economy are complex adaptive system with multiple inputs and any public indignation like this one are perfect examples of signals that should act like 'invisible hand'.
The more such signals we'll allow, the better the optimisation will be, not just in terms of economical efficiency, but also environmental friendliness, quality of life impact etc.
Unfortunately neoclassical economy (including some Nobel price winners) seem to be blissfully unaware of where they are coming from and they tend to ditch social 'messiness' so characteristic for any complex system in favour of simplified mathematical models.
For anyone interested, I really recommend the below:
1) This talk about the missing forgotten part of Adam Smith thought ("The Theory of Moral Sentiment"), that significantly changes the understanding of his perspective: http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2015/04/vernon_smith_an.htm...
2) This article by Yannis Varoufakis on the idea of Spotaneous Order and how it got oversimplified over the last 3 centuries: https://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2013/02/25/on-spontaneous-order-v...
The problem comes from a very narrow understanding of how 'capitalism/free market economy/society' should work. In the original theoretical framework that laid the ground for the modern economical system, David Hume (and Adam Smith) talked about 'spontaneous order' that comprised multiple social signals, not just prices! Society and economy are complex adaptive system with multiple inputs and any public indignation like this one are perfect examples of signals that should act like 'invisible hand'.
The more such signals we'll allow, the better the optimisation will be, not just in terms of economical efficiency, but also environmental friendliness, quality of life impact etc.
Unfortunately neoclassical economy (including some Nobel price winners) seem to be blissfully unaware of where they are coming from and they tend to ditch social 'messiness' so characteristic for any complex system in favour of simplified mathematical models.
For anyone interested, I really recommend the below:
1) This talk about the missing forgotten part of Adam Smith thought ("The Theory of Moral Sentiment"), that significantly changes the understanding of his perspective: http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2015/04/vernon_smith_an.htm...
2) This article by Yannis Varoufakis on the idea of Spotaneous Order and how it got oversimplified over the last 3 centuries: https://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2013/02/25/on-spontaneous-order-v...
It's not about working 24/7. It's about the ease and convenience of getting something done during off hours in the occasional times you want to or need to.
I don't work during off-hours because I have to or feel pressured to. I also don't do it excessively. I do it because I like my work and care about the uptime of my systems and sometimes I want to get ahead. This has paid off for me in tangible ways, and I still enjoy a stress-free home life.
If you want to work 9-5 and then be done, that's fine. But don't act like the alternative is morally wrong or that others can't exercise their own choice.
I don't work during off-hours because I have to or feel pressured to. I also don't do it excessively. I do it because I like my work and care about the uptime of my systems and sometimes I want to get ahead. This has paid off for me in tangible ways, and I still enjoy a stress-free home life.
If you want to work 9-5 and then be done, that's fine. But don't act like the alternative is morally wrong or that others can't exercise their own choice.
It's not. It's an addiction. It's shovelling snow, it's a quest for feeling accomplishment without effort. It's more fuel for being constantly connected, for constantly thinking you're progressing and accomplishing by hitting that email archive button, or scrolling through reams of meaningless text, or fiddling with your spreadsheet layout. It's no better than scrolling through reddit, then closing it to scroll through twitter, then opening up reddit again.
It's really hard honestly, but these days I open up email and slack, clear them, then close them. Both my phone and my computer are permanently on DND, so no notifications bother me. When I'm done with the work day I make sure that nothing work related stays open and that no one can contact me unless it's an emergency. I'm considering splitting my one login on my laptop into two, a work and a personal, and hard-blocking HN etc on the work one, and hard blocking work on the personal. Or using Bootcamp and moving all my personal computer use to Windows.
My Dad always told me that you should have an hour a day and a day a week to yourself. When I was younger I laughed that off. These days I struggle to make it my minimum ideal.