{"id":7423,"date":"2007-03-26T22:57:48","date_gmt":"2007-03-27T03:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2007\/03\/26\/an-end-to-my-multiweblogtasking\/"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:53:51","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:53:51","slug":"an-end-to-my-multiweblogtasking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2007\/03\/26\/an-end-to-my-multiweblogtasking\/","title":{"rendered":"an end to my multi-weblog-tasking"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"computer\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/font>No, I didn’t need to see Sunday’s New York Times<\/em> article to know<\/em> how counterproductive multi-tasking can be. “Slow Down, Multitaskers, and Don\u2019t Read in Traffic<\/a>, by Steve Lohr, March 25, 2007.\u00a0 Of course, “knowing” and “acting accordingly” are two very different things. \u00a0The Times<\/em> warns “Confident multitaskers of the world”\u00a0that neuroscientists, psychologists and management professors are all suggesting “that many people would be wise to curb their multitasking behavior when working in an office, studying or driving a car.”\u00a0 Their advice:<\/p>\n

“Check e-mail messages once an hour, at most. Listening to soothing background music while studying may improve concentration. But other distractions \u2014 most songs with lyrics, instant messaging, television shows \u2014 hamper performance. Driving while talking on a cellphone, even with a hands-free headset, is a bad idea.<\/p>\n

“In short, the answer appears to lie in managing the technology, instead of merely yielding to its incessant tug.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Over the past few years,\u00a0the f\/k\/a<\/em> Gang has\u00a0harped<\/a> on the dangerous irresponsibility<\/a> of Driving While Phoning, and bemoaned the effects of mutiltasking and techno-distraction on our productivity.\u00a0 In the well-titled post “multi-non-tasking<\/a>,”\u00a0you’ll find tips on controlling technology, and the admonition that “If you don\u2019t already possess the basic skills to manage information, technology might become a hindrance more than a help \u2014 it becomes a liability, a part of the problem.” (See Paul Chin\u2019s article \u201cUnplugged: Information Overload Requires a Human Solution<\/a>,\u201d Intranet Journal<\/em>, Oct. 13, 2005).<\/p>\n

\u00a0Multi-taskers Dream Toilet<\/em>, from DutchCowboys<\/a>. \"MultiTtoilet\"\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

empty farm wagon
\na cell phone
\nbuzzing under the hay<\/p>\n

…………by\u00a0randy brooks<\/font><\/a> – World Haiku Review<\/em>, Vintage Haiku<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

In\u00a02005, I\u00a0admitted that: “I wish I could absolve myself for my inefficient use of technology (such as checking emails and weblog-referrers far too often), but the main culprit is indeed the guy whose image is reflected in the glare of my computer screen.”\u00a0\u00a0Despite that confession,\u00a0I never learned my lesson.\u00a0 Instead, multitasking woes increased exponentially (and existentially), when I established a second, fullblown weblog at the end of last summer, SHLEP<\/a>: the Self-Help Law ExPress<\/em>.\u00a0 The temptation to interrupt my work flow constantly,\u00a0in order to make one more Google search or ensure that I hadn’t missed a Comment or email message, was incessant, and I gave in\u00a0day in and night out.\u00a0\u00a0Last week, I finally came to my senses and put in my resignation notice<\/a>\u00a0at shlep<\/em> (while noting my pride in its accomplishments and asking for help in finding shlep<\/em> a good a adoptive home).\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

in the middle
\nof the distraction —
\nan interruption<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"kitchen\u00a0………………………………. by dagosan<\/em><\/p>\n

The good news for f\/k\/a<\/em> fans, of course, is that\u00a0my period of neglecting f\/k\/a<\/em> should soon be over, and (health and technology-willing) The Gang<\/em> will be back to its old tricks very soon. More one-breath poetry and breathless punditry are on their way, tempered — I hope — with an increasingly zen-like ability to attend to one thing at a time.\u00a0 Meanwhile:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. You’ll smile at this Buddhist Monk Multi-tasking<\/a> cartoon \"buddahG\"<\/li>\n
  2. You’ll wince at the news that more and more drivers are likely to be playing computer games on their Blackberries. “Maker of Mobile Games Brings Line to BlackBerry<\/a>,” New York Times<\/em>, March 26, 2007. And,<\/li>\n
  3. You’ll surely scratch your heads to learn that firms now have to worry about lawsuits, and claims for overtime pay,\u00a0from stressed-out employees who\u00a0can’t resist checking\u00a0from home on their office email and projects, using company-supplied PDAs. “How to Avoid Lawsuits by Tech-Driven Employees<\/a>,” by Frank C. Morris Jr., New Jersey Law Journal<\/em>, March 9, 2007\u00a0(via Point of Law<\/em><\/a>, March 23, 2007)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \"infielderG\"\u00a0An-often benign distraction this time of year, of course,\u00a0are thoughts of Spring Training and the upcoming baseball season.\u00a0 This very posting got delayed tonight (until after “24” was over),\u00a0because my advance copy of Baseball Haiku<\/a><\/em> arrived in the mail this afternoon\u00a0(see our prior post<\/a>). The book should be at stores this weekend, and shipping from Amazon.com too (at a nice discount).\u00a0\u00a0The book contains over 200 of the best haiku written about baseball, by 44 poets.\u00a0 In a starred review, Library Journal<\/em> said<\/a> that: “Not one of those parody collections. . . . .\u00a0[it] inspire some ball fans to be poets and some poets to be ballplayers.” You’re\u00a0going to get a few sneak peaks this week right here at f\/k\/a<\/em>, with selections by some of f\/k\/a<\/em>‘s Honored Guests Poets,\u00a0and by its editor, Cor van den Heuvel, the primary spirit behind Baseball Haiku<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

    \"BaseballHaikuCover\"\u00a0\u00a0Baseball Haiku<\/font><\/em><\/a>\u00a0(edited, with translations, by Cor van den Heuvel and Nanae Tamura, W.W. Norton<\/font><\/a> Press, April 2007)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    Tonight’s haiku and senryu seem to suggest that even baseball can\u00a0breed multi-tasking and moments of lost focus.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    last day of school . . .
    \nthe crack of a bat
    \nthrough an open window<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    …………by Randy Brooks\u00a0 – Baseball Haiku<\/em> (2007)<\/p>\n

    bases loaded
    \nthe rookie pitcher
    \nblows a bubble<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    late innings\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \"infielderG\"\u00a0
    \nthe shortstop backpedals
    \ninto fireflies<\/p>\n

    …………………………by\u00a0ed markowski<\/font><\/a> from Baseball Haiku<\/em> (2007)
    \n“bases loaded” – orig. pub. Haiku Sun<\/em> #10 (2004)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    law firm picnic\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
    \nthe ump consults
    \nhis Blackberry
    \n\u00a0
    \n\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\"blackberryG\"…………………… by dagosan\u00a0\u00a0– Baseball Haiku<\/em> (2007)
    \ngeese flying north
    \nthe pitcher stops his windup
    \nto watch<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    dispute at second base
    \nthe catcher lets some dirt
    \nrun through his fingers<\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    hot day\u00a0
    \nlistening to the ball game
    \nwhile washing the car<\/p>\n

    …………………………. by Cor van den Heuvel – Baseball Haiku<\/em> (2007),
    \norig pub. Play Ball<\/em> (Red Moon Press 1999)<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

    \"baseballDiamond\"\u00a0 Want more baseball haiku from our Honored Guest poets?\u00a0 Head over to the <\/em>f\/k\/a Baseball Haiku page<\/a>, which incidentally is the first result today for the query “baseball haiku” at both Yahoo Search<\/font><\/a>\u00a0and<\/font>\u00a0<\/font>Google Search<\/font><\/a>.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0No, I didn’t need to see Sunday’s New York Times article to know how counterproductive multi-tasking can be. “Slow Down, Multitaskers, and Don\u2019t Read in Traffic, by Steve Lohr, March 25, 2007.\u00a0 Of course, “knowing” and “acting accordingly” are two very different things. \u00a0The Times warns “Confident multitaskers of the world”\u00a0that neuroscientists, psychologists and management […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[555,900],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-haiku-or-senryu","category-viewpoint"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-1VJ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7423"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7423\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12582,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7423\/revisions\/12582"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}