4 ms·
> the asynchronous “always on, always connected” style Nit: I've always heard this called synchronous, since in this style work is performed immediately, rathe
by jt2190 7y ago
> the asynchronous “always on, always connected” style
Nit: I've always heard this called synchronous, since in this style work is performed immediately, rather than queued up to wait for execution at a scheduled time.
- buboard 7y agocorrect. Asynchronous is something like email
- andrewfong 7y agoTechnically, you can demand an immediate response via email (and in some industries, this is quite common). It's the expectations around the channel that matter.
- buboard 7y agoa lot of things matter. Just the fact that there is no pre-loaded text area to respond changes the dynamics of the conversation.
- dcsommer 7y agoAgreed, but I would say that chat channels (and especially 1:1 chat pings) typically have expectations closer to immediate mode compared to other mediums. Because they typically cause a notification and break in concentration, I label them as "synchronous." Any communication medium that does not have notifications and only works via me polling it is asynchronous.
- stjohnswarts 7y agoI don't agree, there is nothing requiring them being synchronous since anyone can send a message at anytime and the response can be delayed an arbitrary amount of time unlike a meeting which has a definite start and stop. That certainly sounds asynchronous to me.
- DougBTX 7y agoThere’s certainly confusion about this, as Slack can be used for both. If someone sends you a message, and they’re happy to wait for a reply, then that’s asynchronous. If someone posts an @here in a channel asking for comments before making a final decision on the spot, then that's synchronous.
- lisper 7y agoYes, and this is exactly the problem with Slack: it tries to shoehorn both modes into a single mechanism. Asynchronous communications must be structured fundamentally differently from synchronous ones in order to be effective. Trying to merge them into a single mechanism is a horrible mistake.
- wutbrodo 7y agoAsync communication is what email is for! People who use Slack for sync communication are hopelessly confused (obvious tell: async doesn't notify you). This obviously only applies to DMs, @heres, and tags: public channels are just async modes that can smoothly transition into sync
- ClumsyPilot 7y agoI always treat slack as asynchronous. I find phonecalls less disruptive, they happen once, and the issue is addressed. If it is dragging too long, we move it to a meeting. A chat session can continue indeterminate amount if time, keep flaring up and distracting you as different people chime in from half-afk half-paying attention standpoint.
- PragmaticPulp 7y ago> Nit: I've always heard this called synchronous, since in this style work is performed immediately, rather than queued up to wait for execution at a scheduled time. I referred to meetings as synchronous because they acquire a lock on everyone's time, at a specifically scheduled time on their calendar. I refer to Slack and e-mail communication as asynchronous because you're not explicitly locking other people's calendars, but those other people are expected to read and respond to the notifications all throughout the day. If you never know when the next important "@here" conversation is going to pop up in one of your Slack channels, the only way to have a seat at the table is to be always on, always connected.