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I feel like "Accurate Chat Status" only works if it's automatic (as in, a calendar integration that switches your status to "in a meeting" or "it's after 6pm, p

I feel like "Accurate Chat Status" only works if it's automatic (as in, a calendar integration that switches your status to "in a meeting" or "it's after 6pm, probably afk.) Otherwise you get: 4pm: "Ah, bob's status says he's in a meeting. I could message him, but I'd like this to be a quick, synchronous, chat discussion." 5pm: "Guess bob's still in a meeting..." 7pm: "Let me check - yep, still 'in a meeting'" 10pm: "Yeah, he forgot to update his status" And then you never trust those statuses again.

renewiltord 6y ago
You can hook up Google Calendar to Slack. It does very well. I agree with you on auto-status.
dahart 6y ago
For me automatic idle+meeting detection is not good enough. There are lots of times when I can't chat immediately, but I'm using my computer and not in a scheduled meeting. Pair programming, someone else at my desk (pre covid), programming in the zone, watching a presentation, currently chatting with someone else, etc. etc. I want the expectation that my Slack icon is green to mean that I'm at work and I'll reply sometime today, not that I'm ready for you to interrupt what I'm doing right now.
- WorldMaker 6y ago
  Several of those situations you could use existing "meeting detection": full screen apps signal to most of these detection systems that you are busy. If you are watching a presentation or even programming in the zone, if you have it full screen you should get automatic signalling that you are busy. (VS and VS Code have nice fullscreen views that are great because they also cut down on other distractions even inside of themselves. VS Code also has Zen Mode which pairs really nicely with fullscreen and cuts down on distractions about as much as possible.)
  - dahart 6y ago
    Hey that's a good tip, I didn't know about fullscreen status being a signal for busy detection. This is a useful tip for me personally that I'll start using, thanks! That doesn't quite resolve what I'm talking about. Keeping apps full screen isn't realistic for me, since I'm app switching all the time and often need multiple apps side-by-side, especially when coding. And again, my main goal commenting was just to challenge the very idea that chat status should be minute-to-minute accurate. I don't want that idea to spread, I want people to expect to wait for a response, I want chat to be default asynchronous, and for people to just be happy when they occasionally don't have to wait. By and large this just isn't a big problem for me, it's a totally minor issue, but would be nice if we collectively have the same expectations. At my work, people mostly do use chat asyncronously and don't start chats with just "hi" waiting for a response. I'm personally relatively happy with my work interactions, but I'd prefer if attitudes didn't shift in the direction the article is advocating.
- bjo590 6y ago
  Simply don't replay immediately. You'll build the expectations as people learn to work with you. Some people on my team respond immediately 95% of the time. Some people on my team turn off all slack notifications and check it throughout the day. We all work together pretty well.
  - vladvasiliu 6y ago
    I completely agree that there shouldn't be an expectation of an immediate reply and rather expect the exchage to be asynchronous. However, that renders to whole "presence indicator" moot, which is the subject of this particular thread. If I try to talk to Bob and the expectation is that he might take a while to get back to me, it doesn't make any difference to know that he's "available" or "in a meeting". If he's available and coding he might not anwer for an hour. If he's in a meeting and bored he might answer right away.

renewiltord 6y ago

You can hook up Google Calendar to Slack. It does very well. I agree with you on auto-status.

dahart 6y ago

For me automatic idle+meeting detection is not good enough. There are lots of times when I can't chat immediately, but I'm using my computer and not in a scheduled meeting. Pair programming, someone else at my desk (pre covid), programming in the zone, watching a presentation, currently chatting with someone else, etc. etc. I want the expectation that my Slack icon is green to mean that I'm at work and I'll reply sometime today, not that I'm ready for you to interrupt what I'm doing right now.

WorldMaker 6y ago
Several of those situations you could use existing "meeting detection": full screen apps signal to most of these detection systems that you are busy. If you are watching a presentation or even programming in the zone, if you have it full screen you should get automatic signalling that you are busy. (VS and VS Code have nice fullscreen views that are great because they also cut down on other distractions even inside of themselves. VS Code also has Zen Mode which pairs really nicely with fullscreen and cuts down on distractions about as much as possible.)
- dahart 6y ago
  Hey that's a good tip, I didn't know about fullscreen status being a signal for busy detection. This is a useful tip for me personally that I'll start using, thanks! That doesn't quite resolve what I'm talking about. Keeping apps full screen isn't realistic for me, since I'm app switching all the time and often need multiple apps side-by-side, especially when coding. And again, my main goal commenting was just to challenge the very idea that chat status should be minute-to-minute accurate. I don't want that idea to spread, I want people to expect to wait for a response, I want chat to be default asynchronous, and for people to just be happy when they occasionally don't have to wait. By and large this just isn't a big problem for me, it's a totally minor issue, but would be nice if we collectively have the same expectations. At my work, people mostly do use chat asyncronously and don't start chats with just "hi" waiting for a response. I'm personally relatively happy with my work interactions, but I'd prefer if attitudes didn't shift in the direction the article is advocating.
bjo590 6y ago
Simply don't replay immediately. You'll build the expectations as people learn to work with you. Some people on my team respond immediately 95% of the time. Some people on my team turn off all slack notifications and check it throughout the day. We all work together pretty well.
- vladvasiliu 6y ago
  I completely agree that there shouldn't be an expectation of an immediate reply and rather expect the exchage to be asynchronous. However, that renders to whole "presence indicator" moot, which is the subject of this particular thread. If I try to talk to Bob and the expectation is that he might take a while to get back to me, it doesn't make any difference to know that he's "available" or "in a meeting". If he's available and coding he might not anwer for an hour. If he's in a meeting and bored he might answer right away.