Continuous Partial Attention 245
ubercombatwombat writes "While answering my softphone and checking my mail simultaneously I ran across the following article by Steven Levy. In it he writes about a speaker named Linda Stone and something she called "Continuous Partial Attention." I finally had a phrase for the reason I turn off wi-fi, asked people to turn off their cell phones and put away their crackberrys when I am speaking to a group. I suffer from this too. Starting today I am going to do something about it, brb."
R. Keller at Legoe Bay Wireless, LLC (Score:5, Funny)
In other news, R. Keller of Legoe Bay communications was fired today after he ran through his office complex preaching the horrors of wireless devices.
His manager later commented that his "Continuous Partial Attention" campaign wasn't very good for business.
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
You know... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Amazing! (Score:5, Funny)
Whoa! Look guys! (Score:5, Funny)
The author's e-mail address is rkeller@legoebay.com
A whole Ebay just for Lego!
Re:Right... (Score:5, Funny)
Meanwhile, I've noticed that many of the people (not you necessarily) who complain loudly about cluttered web pages run Firefox with dozens of extensions and have at least 5 tabs open at any given point not to mention all the ultra-important widgets that tell them exactly what the state of the universe is and do I have mail already. I prefer to keep things simple. [splasho.com]
Redundant Department of Redundancy department (Score:5, Funny)
Re:too kind a description (Score:5, Funny)
Oops I just got an email. gotta run.
Re:Not just work... (Score:5, Funny)
Then answer my emails. Do you want this Viagra and penis enlargement stuff or not?
Projection to the future (Score:5, Funny)
Picard: I am going to sleep now...Data, you have the bridge (I hope nothing wakes me up this time).
Data: ok Sir.
After 20 minutes:
Data: Data to Picard.
Picard: (sleepy) ommm, what is it?
Data: we are 3 days away from our rendesvous point, sir.
Picard: good...night.
Data: yes sir.
After 5 minutes:
LaForge : Engineering to Picard.
Picard: (grrr, this can't go on for ever!) what is it this time Geordi?
LaForge: I couldn't sleep sir, so I thought to check up on the engines.
Picard: so? you wake me up for that?
LaForge: the engines are not performing as they should, sir.
Picard: ok, run a full diagnostic and notify me.
LaForge: yes sir.
Picard: in the morning, that is.
LaForge: yes sir.
After 10 minutes:
LtWorf: Security to Picard.
Picard: (outraged) what????
LtWorf: sorry sir, I did not mean to bother you.
Picard: ok, tell me.
LtWorf: I think that the teenage people on board are a little behind their physical training schedules. We need to:
Picard: damn you Worf, don't you have anything else to occupy yourself with? it is 3 am in the morning!
LtWorf: duty first, sir.
Picard: GOODNIGHT!
After 5 minutes:
Data: Data to Picard.
Picard: WHAT NOW???
Data: I have never seen such a beautiful star cluster, sir. I am actually thinking of a poem for it, right now. Do you believe that...
Picard: THIS IS THE CAPTAIN SPEAKING...ATTENTION ALL CREW MEMBERS. PLEASE SHUT DOWN ALL YOUR COMMUNICATORS AND GO SLEEP! GOD DAMN IT!!!!
moral of the story: technology and instant communication with anyone, anytime in any place is not always desirable...
Re:too kind a description (Score:2, Funny)
Somehow I think an epsilon-delta proof in the middle of the article would trigger a discontinuity in the attention span of the reader.
Re:too kind a description (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Amazing! (Score:5, Funny)
eh sorry... (Score:3, Funny)
What was the general gist again
:-]
Jaj
Re:too kind a description (Score:5, Funny)
During my last outing a woman answered her cell to tell the caller she was in the middle of a movie and couldn't talk. She had to repeat it several times because the caller couldn't hear her whisper.
Just confirms my theory that technology accentuates stupid.
Re:Amazing! (Score:2, Funny)
Come out with your hands up! (Score:2, Funny)
From the Article (Score:2, Funny)
From the Article
I really can't think of a better punchline than that.
Re:Amazing! (Score:2, Funny)
Mine was so pissed the last time, he threatened to pull my network connection and strangle me with it if he ever caught me on
Re:Insist? (Score:2, Funny)
Harem ? No, that's the collective noun isn't it. I give up.