4 ms·

Oh come on people... This one was rougher than the rest. Americans watch 4 hours of TV per day? Source? (Ok, there's Google, but that's not the good-old footnot

Oh come on people... This one was rougher than the rest. Americans watch 4 hours of TV per day? Source? (Ok, there's Google, but that's not the good-old footnoted style.) Next, a bunch of fairly obvious things (TV is a time sink, so are other forms of distractions, and distractions prevent you from doing work!), then a submarine (plug for a personal investment). The "solution" of separating out a work machine isn't particularly insightful either. I've done this before and I bet many others have also, and its efficacy depends highly on the person. (interestingly, I would guess that those who are very good at focusing wouldn't have to employ as many tactics to prevent their distraction). Indeed, this wasn't the peer-reviewed kind of essay that normally gets linked here, but probably an inspirational thought-stream writing. Pardon my lack of tact, but given the ever-warm feedback to all pg essays alike, this one was, frankly, comparatively bland.

mynameishere 18y ago
http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=7933596&story_id=9527126 http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displays... http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.55dc65b4a7d5adff3f65936147a062a0/?vgnextoid=4156527aacccd010VgnVCM100000ac0a260aRCRD http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.5... Evidentally, 8 hours per day per household. I suspect nielsen is using their meters or whatever, which clock up time even when no one is watching. Some households just let it run nonstop. The internet doesn't bother me so much, though I've noticed my ability to read books has shriveled up alarmingly. The 'net is better than reversi and minesweeper and computer golf, which is exactly what people did before AOL came into their lives. I remember playing Sid Meier's Civilization literally 16 hours a day for several months after it came out. Same thing. As for drinking alone, I suspect it's better on the whole. It reduces the likelihood of violent crimes and car wrecks, anyway.
- aswanson 18y ago
  As for drinking alone, I suspect it's better on the whole. It reduces the likelihood of violent crimes and car wrecks, anyway. Seconded.
  - mechanical_fish 18y ago
    I have a relative who drank alone. He drank himself to death when his kids were in their teens. Apparently nobody knew he was an alcoholic until he collapsed and died of liver failure. I'll see your "seconded" and raise you 3e8.
    - aswanson 18y ago
      No thanks, I've suddenly developed a taste for more vitamin water.
pg 18y ago
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0929/076.html http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0929/076.html
- whacked_new 18y ago
  Much appreciated; the neilsenmedia statistic is cited on the first Google hit, so I was being anal. Interestingly, some sites are quoting nearly 5 hours now, based on the 2007 stats: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb267/is_200706/ai_n25295086 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb267/is_200706/ai_n25...
keating 18y ago
If it quacks like a blog...
webwright 18y ago
"...then a submarine (plug for a personal investment)." What? The way I read it wasn't a plug at all. To my knowledge, I don't think Paul has ever used RescueTime other than to poke around with it. Which is fine-- it's not for everyone. The way I read it was, "yeah there's software-- but my solution was a life-hack". I appreciate the link (mostly for SEO reasons!), but I'm pretty sure that Paul could write an entire essay about RescueTime (heartily endorsing it) and it wouldn't have huge impact on our traffic (we've already been in front of many of the eyeballs that hit his essays). Are you having a bad day?
- whacked_new 18y ago
  I'm just really upset today and I had to troll... no, I'm fine, and I wrote that post sincerely. You made a valid point, and perhaps I was reading too deep, but you have to agree that pg being an investor of RT implies partiality and marks an easy target. Hit or miss is a different matter, but I used it as an example of something that didn't do much for the quality of the essay. But don't get me wrong, I have nothing against RT.

mynameishere 18y ago

http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displaystory.cfm?subjectid=7933596&story_id=9527126 http://www.economist.com/research/articlesBySubject/displays... http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.55dc65b4a7d5adff3f65936147a062a0/?vgnextoid=4156527aacccd010VgnVCM100000ac0a260aRCRD http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.5... Evidentally, 8 hours per day per household. I suspect nielsen is using their meters or whatever, which clock up time even when no one is watching. Some households just let it run nonstop. The internet doesn't bother me so much, though I've noticed my ability to read books has shriveled up alarmingly. The 'net is better than reversi and minesweeper and computer golf, which is exactly what people did before AOL came into their lives. I remember playing Sid Meier's Civilization literally 16 hours a day for several months after it came out. Same thing. As for drinking alone, I suspect it's better on the whole. It reduces the likelihood of violent crimes and car wrecks, anyway.

aswanson 18y ago
As for drinking alone, I suspect it's better on the whole. It reduces the likelihood of violent crimes and car wrecks, anyway. Seconded.
- mechanical_fish 18y ago
  I have a relative who drank alone. He drank himself to death when his kids were in their teens. Apparently nobody knew he was an alcoholic until he collapsed and died of liver failure. I'll see your "seconded" and raise you 3e8.
  - aswanson 18y ago
    No thanks, I've suddenly developed a taste for more vitamin water.

pg 18y ago

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0929/076.html http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/0929/076.html

whacked_new 18y ago
Much appreciated; the neilsenmedia statistic is cited on the first Google hit, so I was being anal. Interestingly, some sites are quoting nearly 5 hours now, based on the 2007 stats: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb267/is_200706/ai_n25295086 http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb267/is_200706/ai_n25...

keating 18y ago

If it quacks like a blog...

webwright 18y ago

"...then a submarine (plug for a personal investment)." What? The way I read it wasn't a plug at all. To my knowledge, I don't think Paul has ever used RescueTime other than to poke around with it. Which is fine-- it's not for everyone. The way I read it was, "yeah there's software-- but my solution was a life-hack". I appreciate the link (mostly for SEO reasons!), but I'm pretty sure that Paul could write an entire essay about RescueTime (heartily endorsing it) and it wouldn't have huge impact on our traffic (we've already been in front of many of the eyeballs that hit his essays). Are you having a bad day?

whacked_new 18y ago
I'm just really upset today and I had to troll... no, I'm fine, and I wrote that post sincerely. You made a valid point, and perhaps I was reading too deep, but you have to agree that pg being an investor of RT implies partiality and marks an easy target. Hit or miss is a different matter, but I used it as an example of something that didn't do much for the quality of the essay. But don't get me wrong, I have nothing against RT.