4 ms·

All I want is to have a set of icons in my computer's tray that change color when a given device is done. I used to be here, had goals of "Tony Stark-ing" as m

by dvtrn 6y ago

All I want is to have a set of icons in my computer's tray that change color when a given device is done. I used to be here, had goals of "Tony Stark-ing" as much of my home automation as Ic could and managed to succeed in a lot of ways. What's weird is where I used to be 50/50 WFH thanks to successfully negotiating it in my hiring, going 100% WFH has made me really appreciate having analog "chores" to do that have nothing to do with the world of digital technology that consumes 8-10 hours of the day. In fact I've started looking forward to them. The side effects have been interesting, the chores went from "I gotta clear out the dishwasher otherwise I'll have nothing to cook with, I wish I could automate this" to "I'm gonna tidy up and put on some Chuck Mingus because it's a nice break from Zoom calls" and has introduced a lot of deliberate-ness to my world that didn't exist before. And I like it. Anybody else reach this inflection point in their day to day yet having gone full-remote?

TeMPOraL 6y ago
I get what you mean - I know people with similar views. So please read my comments as written by someone who's just wired differently. For me, the perfect break from 8 hours of work isn't analog chores. It's playing a videogame. Or working on a side project. Or reading a book. I don't know why is that, perhaps because I just don't tire in front of computers: I can stare at a screen for 16+ hours and my eyes don't even get dry (I contrast that to some of my co-workers from previous jobs, who'd have to take breaks to put saline drops in their eyes near the end of the work day). This of course puts me in a risk group - I have to actively manage myself to not become a couch potato. I've been working from home for more than 3 years now, so I know I can easily do the "work -> videogame -> sleep -> repeat" routine without ever getting away from a computer for more than 15 minutes. Being married definitely helps with ensuring I don't spend the whole day in front of the screen. But the bottom line is: even after an exhausting day, I don't find rest in physical chores. Never had. So I welcome every opportunity to get rid of them, as I always feel I have more interesting stuff to do.
- dvtrn 6y ago
  Yup, "different strokes for different folks" is very much a thing here, and I can't help wondering if we're going to see the wild and varying elements of the individualized-cyberfuture made popular in comics and video games arriving sooner than expected, or in entirely different forms than popularized, or even a new way entirely of discussing the "digital divide" at large.
berkes 6y ago
I've worked from home most of my professional working life (20+ years). Some years less than 100% some fulltime. I love manual chores. During RSI breaks, (previously pomodoro breaks), five minutes cleaning out the washer, hanging up laundry, weeding a patch of vegetables, pruning a shrub, chopping wood, collecting fruit, feeding chickens or just petting my cats. E.g. plucking weed in my garden gives me headspace to 'zoom out'. To see bigger pictures. Evaluate if 'm ye entire morning updating the linter' benefits the company at all (no). Or if performance really is an issue for customers in that area. Or if this idea for presentation-models really helps with velocity.
abraae 6y ago
I've got a huge tree that came down in a "1 in 500 year storm" lying outside my home office. I go out and chainsaw and axe it up some more whenever I need a break. Chopping firewood is about at the opposite end of the scale from coding, design or web site-ing.

by dvtrn 6y ago

TeMPOraL 6y ago

I get what you mean - I know people with similar views. So please read my comments as written by someone who's just wired differently. For me, the perfect break from 8 hours of work isn't analog chores. It's playing a videogame. Or working on a side project. Or reading a book. I don't know why is that, perhaps because I just don't tire in front of computers: I can stare at a screen for 16+ hours and my eyes don't even get dry (I contrast that to some of my co-workers from previous jobs, who'd have to take breaks to put saline drops in their eyes near the end of the work day). This of course puts me in a risk group - I have to actively manage myself to not become a couch potato. I've been working from home for more than 3 years now, so I know I can easily do the "work -> videogame -> sleep -> repeat" routine without ever getting away from a computer for more than 15 minutes. Being married definitely helps with ensuring I don't spend the whole day in front of the screen. But the bottom line is: even after an exhausting day, I don't find rest in physical chores. Never had. So I welcome every opportunity to get rid of them, as I always feel I have more interesting stuff to do.

dvtrn 6y ago
Yup, "different strokes for different folks" is very much a thing here, and I can't help wondering if we're going to see the wild and varying elements of the individualized-cyberfuture made popular in comics and video games arriving sooner than expected, or in entirely different forms than popularized, or even a new way entirely of discussing the "digital divide" at large.

berkes 6y ago

I've worked from home most of my professional working life (20+ years). Some years less than 100% some fulltime. I love manual chores. During RSI breaks, (previously pomodoro breaks), five minutes cleaning out the washer, hanging up laundry, weeding a patch of vegetables, pruning a shrub, chopping wood, collecting fruit, feeding chickens or just petting my cats. E.g. plucking weed in my garden gives me headspace to 'zoom out'. To see bigger pictures. Evaluate if 'm ye entire morning updating the linter' benefits the company at all (no). Or if performance really is an issue for customers in that area. Or if this idea for presentation-models really helps with velocity.

abraae 6y ago

I've got a huge tree that came down in a "1 in 500 year storm" lying outside my home office. I go out and chainsaw and axe it up some more whenever I need a break. Chopping firewood is about at the opposite end of the scale from coding, design or web site-ing.