One of the strangest things to emerge from the digital revolution concerns our behavior when we are in work mode.
It used to be that we made our ‘to-do’ lists and added and crossed out tasks obediently. We visually scanned the list on a regular basis and decided what was the next most urgent or important task.
Then came along email, an extra-ordinary new and efficient way to communicate with our work colleagues without so much as having to talk face to face with those we didn’t like.
Something else happened with the advent of email – the Ping Factor. Now for all you digital clever-dicks, I know that you can turn the sound off but that would eliminate the public joy of being so popular. Hence, all the pinging.
The real problem with the ping is that it has destroyed our sense of priority. We now live in a world where latest is most important. Last in, first out used to be an inventory control maxim. It’s now become our response mechanism.
Sit in a meeting with the big boss and just hear all those pings – no wonder he’s such a cranky bastard. Where does he find time to respond or has he found a way to self-ping?
This is not so much a complaint just a recognition that in comparison to all of the other gods that we serve in our daily lives, none has such an immediate and visible effect than Ping.
Oops. There it goes again.. must respond.. manhood at stake.. time is of the essence.
Simon Williams
Tweet this | Tags: communicate, email, ping, technology
