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Even for something quick, I will type up a question and then go over it a few times, make some edits, probably provide some links for context. It just feels lik

Even for something quick, I will type up a question and then go over it a few times, make some edits, probably provide some links for context. It just feels like a bigger deal than just asking someone next to you. In person they can cut me off when they start to get it, or I can tell from their face that I need to keep going with more context, it's just more more collaborative. In chat I'll either end up having to answer a ton of follow up questions for detail, or I'll drown the question in context. Yes, I can get better at asking questions. But tbh most of this complexity stems from me trying to ask questions well to begin with. IDK, pinging someone over chat seems like more of an intrusion than just asking a question. Also, I won't, like, ask someone to take off their headphones for this. I'll ask them at lunch, or when we're grabbing coffee / snacks. Over chat there's no coffee break, it's all "headphone" time, from my perspective.

kwhitefoot 5y ago
> In person they can cut me off when they start to get it, the problem is that you have already interrupted their flow. Getting back into that takes valuable time.
- distrill 5y ago
  I'll wait for coffee or lunch. There are natural places throughout a work day to ask someone a question without interrupting their work time. I specifically said that I wouldn't interrupt someone's flow.
Draiken 5y ago
But the act of tapping someone in the shoulder and break their concentration already does all the harm IMO. Once you've done that, headphones on or off is redundant. In my experience, 99% of these disturbances could be avoided with a bit more effort on the side of the person interrupting. So what generally happens is that the person concentrating loses his focus - very likely getting out of the zone - and helps them with something that they could've done themselves. For me it really seems selfish the majority of the time. Urgent matters, things that really block you and you absolutely can't figure out, sure. Almost anything else can wait a bit for a response.
- distrill 5y ago
  What? I'll wait for coffee or lunch. There are natural places throughout a work day to ask someone a question without interrupting their work time. I specifically noted this too. I'm not advocating for instant response, I'm saying that there are no natural breaks in a remote environment for us to have casual conversations.
  - Draiken 5y ago
    Yeah, fair point. But what's stopping you from simply asking for some face-to-face time and scheduling it? Sometimes the best solution is to have a discussion and it's a lot easier to do compared to writing. On those cases I just ask "can we have a meeting to discuss X?" and we schedule something. This gets you the help you the same results, without any interruption. Sure they could just pretend to not see your message and ignore it leaving you in a tough spot, but that's a problem with the person, not remote work IMO. Generally speaking, even if you're focused, you'll stop to have lunch, grab a snack, etc. And you then answer questions, setup a time to meet, etc.

kwhitefoot 5y ago

> In person they can cut me off when they start to get it, the problem is that you have already interrupted their flow. Getting back into that takes valuable time.

distrill 5y ago
I'll wait for coffee or lunch. There are natural places throughout a work day to ask someone a question without interrupting their work time. I specifically said that I wouldn't interrupt someone's flow.

Draiken 5y ago

But the act of tapping someone in the shoulder and break their concentration already does all the harm IMO. Once you've done that, headphones on or off is redundant. In my experience, 99% of these disturbances could be avoided with a bit more effort on the side of the person interrupting. So what generally happens is that the person concentrating loses his focus - very likely getting out of the zone - and helps them with something that they could've done themselves. For me it really seems selfish the majority of the time. Urgent matters, things that really block you and you absolutely can't figure out, sure. Almost anything else can wait a bit for a response.

distrill 5y ago
What? I'll wait for coffee or lunch. There are natural places throughout a work day to ask someone a question without interrupting their work time. I specifically noted this too. I'm not advocating for instant response, I'm saying that there are no natural breaks in a remote environment for us to have casual conversations.
- Draiken 5y ago
  Yeah, fair point. But what's stopping you from simply asking for some face-to-face time and scheduling it? Sometimes the best solution is to have a discussion and it's a lot easier to do compared to writing. On those cases I just ask "can we have a meeting to discuss X?" and we schedule something. This gets you the help you the same results, without any interruption. Sure they could just pretend to not see your message and ignore it leaving you in a tough spot, but that's a problem with the person, not remote work IMO. Generally speaking, even if you're focused, you'll stop to have lunch, grab a snack, etc. And you then answer questions, setup a time to meet, etc.