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If I feel your meeting is relevant to me, I'm listening and you don't have to worry about banning laptops. If you don't think i'm capable of deciding whether a

If I feel your meeting is relevant to me, I'm listening and you don't have to worry about banning laptops. If you don't think i'm capable of deciding whether a meeting is relevant to me, fire me because I'm bloody incompetent. If your meeting is not relevant to me, I'll try to get out my laptop and get some actual work done while my time is being wasted or if we meander into areas that are not of relevance. If you ban laptops, and for some bizarre reason I still have to attend and your meeting is not interesting to me, i'll code on bloody pen and paper and enter some of that code into the computer once I get back to my desk, or i'll try to do SOMETHING productive. Trust me, you don't magically have my cognitive attention... I had a consultant/workmate try to ban laptops in her meetings. No prizes for guessing whether I think it was the laptops or the meetings (or the consultant) that were the far bigger waste of time/attention/money... Hire competent people and let them decide what the best use of their time is...or at least admit that you think its justified treating other's in the workplace like children...

humble_dev 10y ago
It's not black/white situation. Sometimes only part of the meeting will be relevant to you. By using laptop or any device you show no respect to the person that organised the meeting but as well you might losse a lot. I agree that people tend to organise to many meetings but doing anything else on that meeting is not a solution. Sadly (as I am developer too) I realised that developers often thing that they are to smart to do anything else to code and this is the only good way of spendign their time.
- cma 10y ago
  Easier solution: quit demanding "respect" by asking people to pay attention through irrelevant stuff to appease your ego. Some meetings will have things relevant to different groups of people over time, and you don't need everyone's full attention for the whole meeting.
  - collyw 10y ago
    Why bother turning up in the first place if it is so irrelevant?
    - vidarh 10y ago
      It's not always a choice. Even when it is not overtly made mandatory, it often have "political" consequences if you are seen as detaching from what happens in the team. Being physically present has significant signalling effects.
      - Freak_NL 10y ago
        "You guys can probably handle this without me. Do you need for me anything else?" Or, if that is not acceptable due to workplace hierarchy, talk to your manager and explain the problem. If being present is a political necessity, chances are so is not secluding yourself behind a screen.
      - joesb 10y ago
        Telling people to "quit demanding respect" can have "political" consequencs, too. And may be you missed the point that, like being physically present, opening laptops in the meeting also has significant signalling effects.
- ACow_Adonis 10y ago
  I am, believe it or not (i'm not sure I believe it myself sometimes), socially aware enough to realise that there are different cultures, personalities, etc etc, some of whom believe various actions are "disrespectful". I get that. I really do. But there's so many things on that list these days. Its what I feel if i'm told to close a laptop when its quite clear i've already made a decision on whether what is being said is relevant to me or whether i have better things to do. I'm also aware of the social power/authority plays involved in such, as well as traditional etiquette. But i'm also getting to that stage of life where I'm no longer as concerned about whether some numpty feels i'm disrespecting them by prioritising my time against their preferences or being "rude" by being practical. I'm aware you can't do this in many workplaces/contexts where you basically have to be submissive/concordant with a workplace culture that says otherwise. But my life is too short for me to worry seriously about such things anymore. I don't go out of my way to offend, nor do i take said actions as some kind of social/political power play. If a person doesnt want to work with me because of that or gets offended, well, rack another one up on the board... Its not black and white, granted...but I think its more statistically valid that people who make a big fuss about such are more likely to be on my own "waste of time/oxygen" list...
adwf 10y ago
If the meeting isn't relevant to you, why do you even go to it? Just decline the invitation with your reason.
- vidarh 10y ago
  We don't always have the luxury of being able to decline without repercussions.
- ACow_Adonis 10y ago
  Because modern corporate/professional life is filled with ridiculous events where they care more about headcount/attendance than whether there is actually any content. I'm not yet powerful enough to get out of the fraud/shit-show entirely :P
  - arcanus 10y ago
    > I'm not yet powerful enough to get out of the fraud/shit-show entirely :P In many organizations, the 'more powerful' are even more greatly hamstrung by mandatory (and fruitless) meetings.
ludamad 10y ago
It was always ironic going to a school that touted laptops in the classroom as a selling feature, and then having professors demand the lids be closed. I'm divided on the issue, but having a laptop reassures me that I can reclaim my time during a redundant/slow lecture. My alternative of choice, being a lazy student, was to not go to class, going from 20% listening to 0%.

humble_dev 10y ago

It's not black/white situation. Sometimes only part of the meeting will be relevant to you. By using laptop or any device you show no respect to the person that organised the meeting but as well you might losse a lot. I agree that people tend to organise to many meetings but doing anything else on that meeting is not a solution. Sadly (as I am developer too) I realised that developers often thing that they are to smart to do anything else to code and this is the only good way of spendign their time.

cma 10y ago
Easier solution: quit demanding "respect" by asking people to pay attention through irrelevant stuff to appease your ego. Some meetings will have things relevant to different groups of people over time, and you don't need everyone's full attention for the whole meeting.
- collyw 10y ago
  Why bother turning up in the first place if it is so irrelevant?
  - vidarh 10y ago
    It's not always a choice. Even when it is not overtly made mandatory, it often have "political" consequences if you are seen as detaching from what happens in the team. Being physically present has significant signalling effects.
    - Freak_NL 10y ago
      "You guys can probably handle this without me. Do you need for me anything else?" Or, if that is not acceptable due to workplace hierarchy, talk to your manager and explain the problem. If being present is a political necessity, chances are so is not secluding yourself behind a screen.
    - joesb 10y ago
      Telling people to "quit demanding respect" can have "political" consequencs, too. And may be you missed the point that, like being physically present, opening laptops in the meeting also has significant signalling effects.
ACow_Adonis 10y ago
I am, believe it or not (i'm not sure I believe it myself sometimes), socially aware enough to realise that there are different cultures, personalities, etc etc, some of whom believe various actions are "disrespectful". I get that. I really do. But there's so many things on that list these days. Its what I feel if i'm told to close a laptop when its quite clear i've already made a decision on whether what is being said is relevant to me or whether i have better things to do. I'm also aware of the social power/authority plays involved in such, as well as traditional etiquette. But i'm also getting to that stage of life where I'm no longer as concerned about whether some numpty feels i'm disrespecting them by prioritising my time against their preferences or being "rude" by being practical. I'm aware you can't do this in many workplaces/contexts where you basically have to be submissive/concordant with a workplace culture that says otherwise. But my life is too short for me to worry seriously about such things anymore. I don't go out of my way to offend, nor do i take said actions as some kind of social/political power play. If a person doesnt want to work with me because of that or gets offended, well, rack another one up on the board... Its not black and white, granted...but I think its more statistically valid that people who make a big fuss about such are more likely to be on my own "waste of time/oxygen" list...

adwf 10y ago

If the meeting isn't relevant to you, why do you even go to it? Just decline the invitation with your reason.

vidarh 10y ago
We don't always have the luxury of being able to decline without repercussions.
ACow_Adonis 10y ago
Because modern corporate/professional life is filled with ridiculous events where they care more about headcount/attendance than whether there is actually any content. I'm not yet powerful enough to get out of the fraud/shit-show entirely :P
- arcanus 10y ago
  > I'm not yet powerful enough to get out of the fraud/shit-show entirely :P In many organizations, the 'more powerful' are even more greatly hamstrung by mandatory (and fruitless) meetings.

ludamad 10y ago

It was always ironic going to a school that touted laptops in the classroom as a selling feature, and then having professors demand the lids be closed. I'm divided on the issue, but having a laptop reassures me that I can reclaim my time during a redundant/slow lecture. My alternative of choice, being a lazy student, was to not go to class, going from 20% listening to 0%.