Absolutely. Don't get me wrong, though; I do like open plan for the most part. I just don't like how convenient it makes everyone.
It would be nice if we had a walled off quiet zone where you could go and sit to get actual work done. I'm sure there are better alternatives.

I work in an open plan office. While this allows me to see what is happening, and make sure my employees are happy and productive, it means I get no peace.

I have recently started to time the intervals between me actually getting any work done. Last Tuesday I went for 12 minutes without someone coming and asking something.

While I don't mind answering and helping people, it means I get none of my actual own work done. Sometimes I just need an hour to get x done without interruption. Often times this leads to me taking work home with me.

I might make a rule that if I have a traffic cone on my head, you can't disturb me.

sometimes it is almost certainy this... the ones that clearly are not are the ones waiting for prompts.

Working in the industry, and having to read low level logs all of the time, I see this frequently.
People will call up, wait for a silence, and after 500ms start pumping down DTMF signals. Often they do this with seemingly random patterns 3-4 times before giving up.
often times they retry promps with longer and longer strings. This is old news.

I am guessing there is a wardialler in ther that is looking for specific systems at the other end. Sort of known phreak attacks.

Weird things like this exist and have existed for a long time. Hardware and software suppliers check for this now. We routinely check for stuff link this in dev and QA.

The submitter is doing nothing new, nothing unknown or even clever. These sorts of phreaks are older than I am. meh.

This. I also work in the industry. There is a massive amount of truth to what you say here, but there is some truth to the submitters fears.
I deal daily with several large call centres all over the world. Each want different things from their "Bathroom break" metrics.

1) Some outsourcer call centres' clients pay for these metrics. Usually as a summary figure on the campaign they paid for. These cleint pay big money for a campaign to be run, so they want to know everything... time waiting for a call, time on a call, time wrapping, time crapping etc etc.

2) Call centres themselves want to know about their own figures. Everyone has targets, SLAs to work to. Knowing how productive you have been is sumarised, and not focussed on individuals. Sure if 50% of the day was spend in the bathroom, you need to do something about it!

3) To use as ammo. If you have an underperformer, pain int he arse, or otherwise undesirable person you want rid of, this is good ammo. Getting rid of someone for putting "bathroom break" while actually smoking/talking/whatever is great for a falsifying records offense. Sickening but have seen done.

3 is a little tinfoil hat, but I have seen this done more than once.

In short, there is probably nothing to worry about here, its pretty normal in call centres.

Also, submitter, dude, you posted on slashdot with a reasoned question... Surely a call centre is not for you? (ignore me if I am not seeing some big picture)

Yes! I wasn't sure he would qualify being part organic, but still 100% yes.

That sounds he makes when walking still haunts me to this day. urgghhh

If I had mod points...

"Thanks for running Banshee... From time to time online transactions generate a small amount of commission.
Where would you like any proceeds to go to:
      [ ] Canonical
      [ ] Mint
      [X] Cancer Research Charity
      [ ] A.N Other Charity
"

Not sure I like this even if "That's all that canonical-census does"

I think removing this on install is going to be my plan there.

I think it was a little more calculated than pure luck. It is pretty much a known certainty that a SIM/Smart card is going to have most of the silicon applied to the back on the contact area, it's just cheaper to make them that way.

Worst case scenario? His "lack of judgement" forces him to call vodafone and request a replacement Sim. They normally arrive next day. Given the choice between no internet and playing the low risk game of butcher the card, I think the butchery would be my preferred option.

yeah, you make good points.
What I was really trying to convey in my post was that you don't have to bruise other people's ego while they are there. Having a private word after meetings, or organising a meeting with my superior tends to do as good a job as the "bull in a china shop" approach.
Still, it doesn't stop other people resenting your creativeness or passion when it comes to getting stuff done.
There is also a fine line between "really shine" and being a pain in the arse. If you have an idea, a way of boosting revenue, or some other amazing plan, and it requires the boss to do something, the answer is almost always no. Do this too often and your boss sees you as that guy who creates more work.
The real irony is that most boss work is created by themselves to keep busy. I know, I have been there.

I learned this lesson the hard way. Yes, you can be excellent and dedicated at your job, but if that involves making everyone else look like lazy/stupid idiots, you are better off either: a) not bothering and keeping your head down b) Do it anyway and hang out after the meeting to present the work.

I lost 1 job and lots of friends by making some people look like the idiots they are. My current job is going the same way as I generally get stuff done instead of having a meeting to talk about the meeting to talk about the issue. There are a couple of guys in our place that work in a similar way... action instead of words, be we are generally looked upon as troublemakers.

It sucks being technically inclined, analytical and ambitious. It's a combination guaranteed to either make you, or ruin you.

Yes, indeed you are correct.

UK: To place an item on the agenda for discussion.
US: To remove the item from consideration.

In the UK we shelve discussion items when they are removed from consideration.

I can't understand a word you're saying.