Stay alive ping post.

Over the past several months I've been noticing that many people in my office have been using instant messengers. I remember when IM first came on the scene and thinking that I really didn't need to be quite that available for comment and so I decide to just ignore the whole thing. Recently a few peers started using IM to chat with each other I thought "whatever" and "waste of time". But when I caught high level management using it I began to wonder.

One executive explained that for him it was a great business tool - more immediate than email and less intrusive than a phone a call. He would use it, for example, when he and salesperson were on a conference call with a client. While on the phone they could easily manage a side conversion with IM for questions like "What was this guys name again?" or "Should we tell them about this new feature?". Another executive related a very similar story. Okay, so now IM has my attention.

For starters I install Yahoo's new instant messenger client since I already have a Yahoo! account. Suddenly I find myself doing a little work and having a non-work-related chat with a co-worker and I think "Aha, just as I thought... another time waster." But later I realized that if it wasn't for the IM client I would likely be having that same non-work-related chat, but face-to-face and not getting any work done. More time at my desk? Interesting. Of course, only an hour later I'm on this IM thing with my mom doing the same chat+work thing -- a conversation this time I would usually have on the phone later in the evening. So after only a day, the verdict is still out.

I'm a late adopter on this one and just trying to catch up, but it looks like it at least has the potential to make me more productive... and keep me in contact with mom.

I had originally intended to use this blog to deal with deep philosophical issues. Yeah, so since that didn't happen maybe I'll just post whatever I feel like at the time. (Bear with me while I get the hang of this.) How about a nice Quizilla entry? That's always good.

What childhood toy from the 80s are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

You're an Etch-a-Sketch!! You're the creative, artsy type who doesn't need to actually utilize a single muscle group in order to have fun. Doesn't matter though, you're still cool.




Hmmm... I always thought of myself as more of a Rubik's cube guy, though I have always admired the quick reboot on this classic laptop. Oh, and is it just me or does that image give the illusion that the box around it is crooked?