4 ms·

This is why I stopped using all chat clients.

dspillett 14y ago
That is why I insist on communication via chat clients when I'm busy. I'm not immediately interrupted as I would be if someone walks up or shouts out as I can ignore the little flash of the chat window on the task tray for a few minutes, sometimes tens of minutes, while I bring my train of thought to a more orderly stop. If people start with "Hi, I have a problem" and don't state what the problem is I just respond with "drop me the details and I'll have a quick think" and get back to my work. Even if they respond immediately to that it might take me ten or fifteen minutes to get look at their message again - that is their time wasted, not mine. Some problems require a more urgent response so I'll accept a walk-up or a shout for those, and some problems are best illustrated by showing them than describing them, I just have to trust people to know what they are and what is less urgent. And of course a message will come in at a time when I am eminently interruptible, in which case people get an immediate response anyway. I find it works except for people who insist on not following the process, but they soon learn I'm far more helpful if they don't irritate me!
- masklinn 14y ago
  > If people start with "Hi, I have a problem" and don't state what the problem is I just respond with "drop me the details and I'll have a quick think" and get back to my work. If people start with "Hi, I have a problem" and don't state what the problem is I close the chat window. My work IM's status clearly states "if you have a question, ask it, don't ask if you can ask", time wasters simply get ignored. > Some problems require a more urgent response so I'll accept a walk-up or a shout for those Absolutely.
  - dspillett 14y ago
    > If people start with "Hi, I have a problem" and don't state what the problem is I close the chat window. In the past I've found that leads to people reporting "I asked him several times over a few hours and got no response" which, if the person being complained to does not know the situation, could look bad for me. If I feel like being more terse, I just give a one-word response: "Details?".
    - masklinn 14y ago
      > In the past I've found that leads to people reporting "I asked him several times over a few hours and got no response" which, if the person being complained to does not know the situation, could look bad for me. As I noted, my conditions are clearly spelled out as my IM status text, if they can't bother following simple instructions I can't bother with them.
  - 0x0 14y ago
    I'd answer that "I have a problem" with "I have a solution".
    - crosvenir 14y ago
      I do this all the time and add, "I like this game. Your turn." It normally gets a smile (at least in person), but doesn't really help with the flow problem.
Akram 14y ago
I had clients calling me and don't hang up until i get the problem fixed...

That is why I insist on communication via chat clients when I'm busy. I'm not immediately interrupted as I would be if someone walks up or shouts out as I can ignore the little flash of the chat window on the task tray for a few minutes, sometimes tens of minutes, while I bring my train of thought to a more orderly stop. If people start with "Hi, I have a problem" and don't state what the problem is I just respond with "drop me the details and I'll have a quick think" and get back to my work. Even if they respond immediately to that it might take me ten or fifteen minutes to get look at their message again - that is their time wasted, not mine. Some problems require a more urgent response so I'll accept a walk-up or a shout for those, and some problems are best illustrated by showing them than describing them, I just have to trust people to know what they are and what is less urgent. And of course a message will come in at a time when I am eminently interruptible, in which case people get an immediate response anyway. I find it works except for people who insist on not following the process, but they soon learn I'm far more helpful if they don't irritate me!

masklinn 14y ago
> If people start with "Hi, I have a problem" and don't state what the problem is I just respond with "drop me the details and I'll have a quick think" and get back to my work. If people start with "Hi, I have a problem" and don't state what the problem is I close the chat window. My work IM's status clearly states "if you have a question, ask it, don't ask if you can ask", time wasters simply get ignored. > Some problems require a more urgent response so I'll accept a walk-up or a shout for those Absolutely.
- dspillett 14y ago
  > If people start with "Hi, I have a problem" and don't state what the problem is I close the chat window. In the past I've found that leads to people reporting "I asked him several times over a few hours and got no response" which, if the person being complained to does not know the situation, could look bad for me. If I feel like being more terse, I just give a one-word response: "Details?".
  - masklinn 14y ago
    > In the past I've found that leads to people reporting "I asked him several times over a few hours and got no response" which, if the person being complained to does not know the situation, could look bad for me. As I noted, my conditions are clearly spelled out as my IM status text, if they can't bother following simple instructions I can't bother with them.
- 0x0 14y ago
  I'd answer that "I have a problem" with "I have a solution".
  - crosvenir 14y ago
    I do this all the time and add, "I like this game. Your turn." It normally gets a smile (at least in person), but doesn't really help with the flow problem.

Akram 14y ago

I had clients calling me and don't hang up until i get the problem fixed...