Second Life Forums Archive - Slackesse Obliges?

Gabe Lippmann

"Phone's ringing, Dude."

Join date: 14 Jun 2004

Posts: 4,219

09-13-2005 13:41

I felt a need to add a few non-tech specific techniques I love:

QUIET PLEASE: In the cube environment it is absolutely required that you schedule time in a conference room, tell people you have a conference call (they will be happy to have you out of the open environment and locked away quietly in a conference room), put up a "quiet - conf call in progress" sign on the door and take a nap. BONUS: schedule a room on a different floor so that nobody you regularly work with will feel a need to seek you out.

I HAVE WORK FOR YOU: Another fave is to hold essential work until you don't want to be bothered. When you need a break, leave it with your boss. Having no desire to do work themselves, your boss will now avoid you for a few days, leaving you to goof as necessary.

I'M SO GREAT: Believe it or not, if you show up early, people think you are a hard worker and will cut you unearned slack with absolutely no effort on your part. Just don't tell them your wife HAS to be at work at that time and you like to ride in with her.

CAN'T BE BOTHERED: Make sure people know when you are doing essential work. Most people have no idea it takes you 5 minutes to write that report. They will leave you alone because it takes them all day to do the same thing and know how hard it is. Be subtle, leave it on screen when you go to the bathroom/lunch. Have a fake phone conversation within earshot telling someone you can't do something because you have to get that TPS report done by the end of the day and your in a time crunch already.

It takes skill and poise, but you too can implement these techniques!

_____________________

go to Nocturnal Threads

Mike Westerburg

Who, What, Where?

Join date: 2 May 2004

Posts: 317

09-13-2005 13:47

Awesome ideas Gabe and Rose

I love the non technical slacker tips too! They can be a fit almost anywhere

I sahll put that on my resume: ISO 9000 certified slacker

_____________________

"Life throws you a lemon, you make lemonade and then plant the seeds"

Euterpe Roo

The millionth monkey

Join date: 24 Jan 2005

Posts: 1,395

09-13-2005 14:13

From: Mike Westerburg

I have even devised a few chapter names that kinda sticks it to the big corporate machine:

Slacking: The hidden Empowerment

Better Slacking through Teamwork

The vision of Slacking

Creating the Slacker's agenda

hehehe. make all the chapters poke to the other side of corporate think by using their own buzzwords.

Mike, afraid your book would only exist in Cliff's Notes form. However, I have some addtional chapters for your consideration:

Mission Critical/Critical Mission: Let's Sit Down and Think About It, Maybe Take a Nap.

Percussive Maintance: Just Don't Do It

The Restroom: Thinking Outside the Stall

Pantyhose: A Horrible Idea

Subverting Corporate Culture With Stress-Relief Toys: The Koosh That Took Down Microsoft

Well, I am exhausted. Time to go get some coffee.

_____________________

"Of course, you'd also have to mention . . . furries, Sith Lords, cyberpunks, glowing balls of gaseous neon fumes, and walking foodstuffs" --Cory Edo

“One man developed a romantic attachment to a tractor, even giving it a name and writing poetry in its honor." MSN

"

next week: the .5m torus of "I ate a yummy sandwich and I'm sleepy now"

" Desmond Shang

ZsuZsanna Raven

~:+: Supah Kitteh :+:~

Join date: 19 Dec 2004

Posts: 2,361

09-13-2005 14:22

I really think you should keep your secret slacking skills to yourself, I mean you don't see Victoria telling her Secrets... ;P

_____________________

~Mewz!~

Taco Rubio

also quite creepy

Join date: 15 Feb 2004

Posts: 3,349

09-13-2005 14:35

well, I'm not giving out my really good stuff, and plus maybe it'll help me enjoy more of your (plural) wonderful company, so I don't see the harm.

one thing you should do is check all your software, and see if any of it's makers provide free "online training". I got lucky and found one that does, so I go every month, check it's schedule, then cut and paste a few courses I plan on taking to my boss.

That way, at the appointed time, I can shut my door, ignore my phone, log into the "class" and take a nap.

Oh speaking of phone, if yours has any visible display of messages on it (like number of messages waiting, a blinking light, etc), make sure each morning to get an outside line, call yourself, and leave a message. That way, when somebody asks you do to something, you can point at the phone and say "I'll get to that as soon as I help all the people who've left me messages".

Judah Jimador

Registered User

Join date: 13 Mar 2005

Posts: 230

09-13-2005 17:27

You people must be Windows users.

All I have to do is force-quit InDesign, and whine loudly about having to restart FontBook and the entire Adobe CS product line. Instant 15-minute break.

Way enough for both a trip to the snack bar and two full cigarettes, if you light 'em both at the same time.

-- jj

Mike Westerburg

Who, What, Where?

Join date: 2 May 2004

Posts: 317

09-15-2005 06:32

From: ZsuZsanna Raven

I really think you should keep your secret slacking skills to yourself, I mean you don't see Victoria telling her Secrets... ;P

Exactly, She just shows them to us

_____________________

"Life throws you a lemon, you make lemonade and then plant the seeds"

Ben Bacon

Registered User

Join date: 14 Jul 2005

Posts: 809

09-15-2005 06:54

for all you IT guys and gals (and their seem to be a fair number), don't forget the authoritive reference: BOFH

Rose Karuna

Lizard Doctor

Join date: 5 Jun 2004

Posts: 3,772

09-15-2005 07:01

From: Ben Bacon

for all you IT guys and gals (and their seem to be a fair number), don't forget the authoritive reference: BOFH

I have been a BOFH "student" since the late '80's lol. Here is a great link to some of the best of the best in the slacker world: http://www.theregister.co.uk/odds/bofh/

_____________________

I Do Whatever My Rice Krispies Tell Me To

Taco Rubio

also quite creepy

Join date: 15 Feb 2004

Posts: 3,349

09-15-2005 07:13

Instant Karma's went and got me, knocked me right on the head

so busy today!

Margaret Mfume

I.C.

Join date: 30 Dec 2004

Posts: 2,492

09-15-2005 07:32

From: Mike Westerburg

Exactly, She just shows them to us

Victoria sells her secrets.

_____________________

hush

Ilianexsi Sojourner

Chick with Horns

Join date: 11 Jul 2004

Posts: 1,707

09-15-2005 08:16

I used to have an application called Ghostzilla installed on my PC at a previous job-- and no, I didn't get fired for slacking! It lets you browse the web in a grey-on-white text only format, photos/graphics don't show unless you mouse over them. This way, you can be looking at a webpage and it appears to an outsider (more or less) like you're reading a text document. Not perfect, but much less obvious... great for hiding those non-work-related webpages or forums. And if I remember right, the webpage automatically disappears & minimizes when you move the mouse to a certain part of the screen, which is handy for quickly going back to spreadsheets or other 'real' work at a moment's notice.

_____________________

Everything's impossible,'till it ain't. --Ben Hawkins, Carnivale

Help build a Utopian Playland-- www.doctorsteel.com. Music, robots, fun times!

Slackesse Obliges?
Gabe Lippmann "Phone's ringing, Dude." Join date: 14 Jun 2004 Posts: 4,219	09-13-2005 13:41 I felt a need to add a few non-tech specific techniques I love: QUIET PLEASE: In the cube environment it is absolutely required that you schedule time in a conference room, tell people you have a conference call (they will be happy to have you out of the open environment and locked away quietly in a conference room), put up a "quiet - conf call in progress" sign on the door and take a nap. BONUS: schedule a room on a different floor so that nobody you regularly work with will feel a need to seek you out. I HAVE WORK FOR YOU: Another fave is to hold essential work until you don't want to be bothered. When you need a break, leave it with your boss. Having no desire to do work themselves, your boss will now avoid you for a few days, leaving you to goof as necessary. I'M SO GREAT: Believe it or not, if you show up early, people think you are a hard worker and will cut you unearned slack with absolutely no effort on your part. Just don't tell them your wife HAS to be at work at that time and you like to ride in with her. CAN'T BE BOTHERED: Make sure people know when you are doing essential work. Most people have no idea it takes you 5 minutes to write that report. They will leave you alone because it takes them all day to do the same thing and know how hard it is. Be subtle, leave it on screen when you go to the bathroom/lunch. Have a fake phone conversation within earshot telling someone you can't do something because you have to get that TPS report done by the end of the day and your in a time crunch already. It takes skill and poise, but you too can implement these techniques! _____________________ go to Nocturnal Threads
Mike Westerburg Who, What, Where? Join date: 2 May 2004 Posts: 317	09-13-2005 13:47 Awesome ideas Gabe and Rose I love the non technical slacker tips too! They can be a fit almost anywhere I sahll put that on my resume: ISO 9000 certified slacker _____________________ "Life throws you a lemon, you make lemonade and then plant the seeds"
Euterpe Roo The millionth monkey Join date: 24 Jan 2005 Posts: 1,395	09-13-2005 14:13 From: Mike Westerburg I have even devised a few chapter names that kinda sticks it to the big corporate machine: Slacking: The hidden Empowerment Better Slacking through Teamwork The vision of Slacking Creating the Slacker's agenda hehehe. make all the chapters poke to the other side of corporate think by using their own buzzwords. Mike, afraid your book would only exist in Cliff's Notes form. However, I have some addtional chapters for your consideration: Mission Critical/Critical Mission: Let's Sit Down and Think About It, Maybe Take a Nap. Percussive Maintance: Just Don't Do It The Restroom: Thinking Outside the Stall Pantyhose: A Horrible Idea Subverting Corporate Culture With Stress-Relief Toys: The Koosh That Took Down Microsoft Well, I am exhausted. Time to go get some coffee. _____________________ "Of course, you'd also have to mention . . . furries, Sith Lords, cyberpunks, glowing balls of gaseous neon fumes, and walking foodstuffs" --Cory Edo “One man developed a romantic attachment to a tractor, even giving it a name and writing poetry in its honor." MSN "next week: the .5m torus of "I ate a yummy sandwich and I'm sleepy now"" Desmond Shang
ZsuZsanna Raven ~:+: Supah Kitteh :+:~ Join date: 19 Dec 2004 Posts: 2,361	09-13-2005 14:22 I really think you should keep your secret slacking skills to yourself, I mean you don't see Victoria telling her Secrets... ;P _____________________ ~Mewz!~
Taco Rubio also quite creepy Join date: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 3,349	09-13-2005 14:35 well, I'm not giving out my really good stuff, and plus maybe it'll help me enjoy more of your (plural) wonderful company, so I don't see the harm. one thing you should do is check all your software, and see if any of it's makers provide free "online training". I got lucky and found one that does, so I go every month, check it's schedule, then cut and paste a few courses I plan on taking to my boss. That way, at the appointed time, I can shut my door, ignore my phone, log into the "class" and take a nap. Oh speaking of phone, if yours has any visible display of messages on it (like number of messages waiting, a blinking light, etc), make sure each morning to get an outside line, call yourself, and leave a message. That way, when somebody asks you do to something, you can point at the phone and say "I'll get to that as soon as I help all the people who've left me messages".
Judah Jimador Registered User Join date: 13 Mar 2005 Posts: 230	09-13-2005 17:27 You people must be Windows users. All I have to do is force-quit InDesign, and whine loudly about having to restart FontBook and the entire Adobe CS product line. Instant 15-minute break. Way enough for both a trip to the snack bar and two full cigarettes, if you light 'em both at the same time. -- jj
Mike Westerburg Who, What, Where? Join date: 2 May 2004 Posts: 317	09-15-2005 06:32 From: ZsuZsanna Raven I really think you should keep your secret slacking skills to yourself, I mean you don't see Victoria telling her Secrets... ;P Exactly, She just shows them to us _____________________ "Life throws you a lemon, you make lemonade and then plant the seeds"
Ben Bacon Registered User Join date: 14 Jul 2005 Posts: 809	09-15-2005 06:54 for all you IT guys and gals (and their seem to be a fair number), don't forget the authoritive reference: BOFH
Rose Karuna Lizard Doctor Join date: 5 Jun 2004 Posts: 3,772	09-15-2005 07:01 From: Ben Bacon for all you IT guys and gals (and their seem to be a fair number), don't forget the authoritive reference: BOFH I have been a BOFH "student" since the late '80's lol. Here is a great link to some of the best of the best in the slacker world: http://www.theregister.co.uk/odds/bofh/ _____________________ I Do Whatever My Rice Krispies Tell Me To
Taco Rubio also quite creepy Join date: 15 Feb 2004 Posts: 3,349	09-15-2005 07:13 Instant Karma's went and got me, knocked me right on the head so busy today!
Margaret Mfume I.C. Join date: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 2,492	09-15-2005 07:32 From: Mike Westerburg Exactly, She just shows them to us Victoria sells her secrets. _____________________ hush
Ilianexsi Sojourner Chick with Horns Join date: 11 Jul 2004 Posts: 1,707	09-15-2005 08:16 I used to have an application called Ghostzilla installed on my PC at a previous job-- and no, I didn't get fired for slacking! It lets you browse the web in a grey-on-white text only format, photos/graphics don't show unless you mouse over them. This way, you can be looking at a webpage and it appears to an outsider (more or less) like you're reading a text document. Not perfect, but much less obvious... great for hiding those non-work-related webpages or forums. And if I remember right, the webpage automatically disappears & minimizes when you move the mouse to a certain part of the screen, which is handy for quickly going back to spreadsheets or other 'real' work at a moment's notice. _____________________ Everything's impossible,'till it ain't. --Ben Hawkins, Carnivale Help build a Utopian Playland-- www.doctorsteel.com. Music, robots, fun times!

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Slackesse Obliges?