Ask YC: Why? The more time I spend here the more I get done.
12 comments
I can't help feeling that you're only saying this to comfort yourself.
Alternatively, it could have a similar effect to taking a break and going for a walk.
How many times does one take a break and go for a walk, per day?
Also, being here is nothing like taking a walk. More like chatting at the office water cooler.
Also, being here is nothing like taking a walk. More like chatting at the office water cooler.
Depends where you work. This was one of the more alarming things about getting bought by Yahoo. When Viaweb was in Harvard Square we used to leave the office 2-4 times a day. When we moved to Yahoo, which was in the middle of nowhere, we never left.
2-4 is still probably less than the number of times people visit this site. It's my mistake for not being more clear about this, but I also feel it's less harmful to go out than to visit here. At least going out constitutes a concrete block of time, leaving you with a big block of time to get work done when you get back. On the other hand, many small visits to this site only serve as interruptions to your flow, never allowing you to have a big block of time for work.
A friend once remarked to me that one of his 'cures for procrastination' is to do something only mildly distracting, and mildly amusing, after sitting down to work and both taking on any big problems. He says it takes some time to get settled, but he needs to feel a sort of mental presence of a problem before he can really tackle it.
Perhaps the right type of break is the same way: perhaps it lets you cool it and evaluate your issues before tackling them, instead of following the path of least resistance.
Perhaps the right type of break is the same way: perhaps it lets you cool it and evaluate your issues before tackling them, instead of following the path of least resistance.
*before.
I seem to be highly susceptible to spelling issues and one word omissions while sleep deprived. PG, if you're reading this, consider allowing very small (~one word) edits after posts have persisted.
I seem to be highly susceptible to spelling issues and one word omissions while sleep deprived. PG, if you're reading this, consider allowing very small (~one word) edits after posts have persisted.
What would the UI for that look like, though? Let people do arbitrary edits, and reject them if they changed too much? That would make people mad.
It's only a hunch, but perhaps after a certain point in time, you could change 'edit' to correct. Upon clicking correct, each word or space (to insert a word or two) becomes hyperlinkable, and if you click on it, you can do inline edits. Validate the changes in javascript, apply when a button is pressed, or focus is lost.
* Allow unlimited editing within X minutes after posting. (Many forums do it this way.)
* Keep history of all edits (as diffs of course). This would be very much in spirit of the board. :)
* Keep history of all edits (as diffs of course). This would be very much in spirit of the board. :)
If only there was an easy way to submit Feature Requests for this website!
(Yeah, I'm a jerk.)
(Yeah, I'm a jerk.)
That's probably true. Complete changes in environment seems to clear the distraction build up better than surfing. Plus, surfing easily turns into "just one more page."
Nearly once an hour, I think. I don't keep close track. Plus going out for a run mid-afternoon, weather permitting.
I've found that one of the largest benefits of working at home is that I can get up to pace whenever I feel like it without disturbing any cubemates. I find pacing much better at clearing the head than deliberately going out for a walk, because I do it subconsciously without mentally unloading the problem. I noticed the same effect at work too: when I had a big office to myself, or when my cubemates weren't in to work, I tended to get much more done.
I find I can't concentrate if I've been sitting at the computer for more than 2-3 hours straight. I really do start to feel the lack of exercise.
I've found that one of the largest benefits of working at home is that I can get up to pace whenever I feel like it without disturbing any cubemates. I find pacing much better at clearing the head than deliberately going out for a walk, because I do it subconsciously without mentally unloading the problem. I noticed the same effect at work too: when I had a big office to myself, or when my cubemates weren't in to work, I tended to get much more done.
I find I can't concentrate if I've been sitting at the computer for more than 2-3 hours straight. I really do start to feel the lack of exercise.
I usually take a bath instead of going for a walk. Sometimes a couple a day. Then a few minutes after I get in I have some idea, or work out how to solve something, so have to get out again to do it...
These are the tidbits I come here for. Visualizing axod jumping in and out of his bathtub all day really gets my creative juices flowing!
Occasionally I'm also known to perch my Macbook on the toilet, facing the bath, and watch a movie/lecture or something.
I guess when I get a big office building and work there, I may have to get a bath installed in my office :/
I guess when I get a big office building and work there, I may have to get a bath installed in my office :/
The justin.tv office has an accessible roof, which was where I went for walks probably 3 or 4 times a day when it was warm outside.
not at all, not unless u count to the bathroom
I find this site is much more valuable for perspective and inspiration than productivity.
Sure, you're not on Fark or Hot or Not, but I'll second gms and say you may be rationalizing a bit here.
Sure, you're not on Fark or Hot or Not, but I'll second gms and say you may be rationalizing a bit here.
It could be the case, though. I've certainly had the experience of reading news.yc for a while and becoming eager to work on something, but it sure doesn't work that way for getting routine non-startup work done.
Hacker News does bring out my usually quite dormant competitive streak. If I'm not feeling very inspired about anything, all I have to do is read a bunch of stories here and then I quickly feel the need to create something better than all the amazing things I've just read about.
Yes. My employer's approximately as enthused about it as your girlfriend is, though.
I can agree.
I think a lot of us geeks - as smart as we claim to be - have a difficult time executing our ideas because we're so in love with the ideas themselves, that often they suffice for the actual thing. Many of us want our products to be perfect at launch. It's a totally insane way to be.
Hacker News helps me get real and break through my self-imposed reality-distortion field (you know what I'm talking about!). I discovered Hacker News two weeks ago and I've done more actual work on my product since then than in the last 3 months. Loving it.
I think a lot of us geeks - as smart as we claim to be - have a difficult time executing our ideas because we're so in love with the ideas themselves, that often they suffice for the actual thing. Many of us want our products to be perfect at launch. It's a totally insane way to be.
Hacker News helps me get real and break through my self-imposed reality-distortion field (you know what I'm talking about!). I discovered Hacker News two weeks ago and I've done more actual work on my product since then than in the last 3 months. Loving it.
I think there may be a limit to the amount of productive work you can get done in a day, and whether you hit that limit after 3 hours or 14 hours, it's still there. So there may be some truth to your impression that news.YC isn't really hurting your real productivity.
OTOH, I've found that going out and getting some exercise, or turning off the computer and reading a book, or watching a movie tends to clear my head a lot quicker than social bookmarking sites or blogs. I feel like I get "stuck" in a low level of activity when I read too much, like all that incoming information is still taking up cycles that would otherwise be used for my startup. So maybe it's not the best procrastination activity. ;-)
I certainly have noticed that the biggest bottleneck for my productivity is the time it takes for my brain to adjust to and assimilate new architectural decisions. And letting my brain relax and switch off seems to make that go faster. (So does getting lots of sleep...again, sleep is not something to shortchange.) I'm just not certain that news.YC or other programming-related websites really let my brain switch off all that well.
OTOH, I've found that going out and getting some exercise, or turning off the computer and reading a book, or watching a movie tends to clear my head a lot quicker than social bookmarking sites or blogs. I feel like I get "stuck" in a low level of activity when I read too much, like all that incoming information is still taking up cycles that would otherwise be used for my startup. So maybe it's not the best procrastination activity. ;-)
I certainly have noticed that the biggest bottleneck for my productivity is the time it takes for my brain to adjust to and assimilate new architectural decisions. And letting my brain relax and switch off seems to make that go faster. (So does getting lots of sleep...again, sleep is not something to shortchange.) I'm just not certain that news.YC or other programming-related websites really let my brain switch off all that well.
I think it is the threads of discussion that help jog/stimulate/kick-start your brain after it stalls on a non-YC related problem...
If you want to cut back (definitely not cold turkey)... 8aweek.com - just started yesterday and I'm shocked at how quickly 30 minutes (of usage) goes... Now they just need an iPhone version (so I don't cheat)
If you want to cut back (definitely not cold turkey)... 8aweek.com - just started yesterday and I'm shocked at how quickly 30 minutes (of usage) goes... Now they just need an iPhone version (so I don't cheat)
I can't be here (or much of anywhere) for more than 30 minutes each day. 8aweek won't let me!
And I am absolutely far more productive because of it. :)
And I am absolutely far more productive because of it. :)
It makes logical sense that time spent on news.yc would somehow correlate with time spent working, since there is a limited amount of time in the day. In practice though I doubt there is much (if any) relation between the two. Either you're in the mood to get work done or you're not. In 95% of cases time spent on news.yc is probably replacing other non-work activities.
Here's a possibility:
I've noticed that the more time I spend here, the less tolerance I have for other sites. So while I spend more time here than I used to, I spend much less time on other, less relevant sites than I used to. The time I have to do work is actually the same or greater.
I've noticed that the more time I spend here, the less tolerance I have for other sites. So while I spend more time here than I used to, I spend much less time on other, less relevant sites than I used to. The time I have to do work is actually the same or greater.
I'm right there with you. Reading here just gets me in a technical mood to start my day.
Get back to work Drew!
I hope you are who I think you are, because if not, that is creepy as hell.
Flattery is getting you more karma ;)
Got me to thinking. I DO spend a lot of time here lately. But I've also gotten a lot of work done. Yesterday was a great day, with several major breakthroughs and lots of new code. Yet I was here off and on all day long. I can't explain it. It seems like it's the opposite of what you'd expect.
The only explanations I can think of is that reading and discussing interesting stuff here gets my juices flowing, almost like "stretching" before the real workout. Maybe being among others who are achieving the same things as me keeps me going. Also, it tempers the loneliness. Anyone else with similar experience?