Need some help - bored at work, needs some interesting sites to visit

[marlon bishop]

I work at a call center and taking call after call can get boring, anyone know of cool websites like the verge, ifunny i can visit when i get bored at work. of course they have to be safe for work...

 

[rdowns]

YourBossReadsThisSite.com

 

[Apple fanboy]

I work at a call center and taking call after call can get boring, anyone know of cool websites like the verge, ifunny i can visit when i get bored at work. of course they have to be safe for work...

Can't help I'm afraid. I work hard all day. I'll ask the other lower paid workers I share an office with.

 

[samiwas]

Can't help I'm afraid. I work hard all day. I'll ask the other lower paid workers I share an office with.

That sucks for you. I have downtime at work sometimes and am able to surf the web, and I'm certainly (not) lower paid.

Oh wait...this was one of those "why don't you work harder like I do" posts.

EDIT a day later: Uhhh...NOT lower-paid. Don't know how I missed that one.

 

[luvmymbpr]

Can't help I'm afraid. I work hard all day. I'll ask the other lower paid workers I share an office with.

I love this smug post. "Lower paid." For years, I was making a base salary of $125k and surfed the net for most of my day.

Learn to work smarter, not harder.

 

[Apple_Robert]

Can't help I'm afraid. I work hard all day. I'll ask the other lower paid workers I share an office with.

What a crappy thing to post to someone you don't know.

Just because he has some down time, that doesn't mean he hasn't been fulfilling his duties as an employee.

Next time, keep your verbal (read: textual) diarrhea to yourself.

 

[Apple fanboy]

Sorry to offend. But when you are at work you are not there to surf the web on chat with your friends. Your there to do what your paid to do. The reality is I'm old enough to remember when you couldn't surf the web or play with your phone at work because they didn't exist. I work with plenty of people who spend a good portion of their day doing that. They are the ones who's names come up first when discussing under performance.

 

[brentmore]

Sorry to offend. But when you are at work you are not there to surf the web on chat with your friends. Your there to do what your paid to do. The reality is I'm old enough to remember when you couldn't surf the web or play with your phone at work because they didn't exist. I work with plenty of people who spend a good portion of their day doing that. They are the ones who's names come up first when discussing under performance.

So you're probably old enough to know not to project your own experience on a total stranger and make such an ugly assumption. Not a good look, friend.

OP, slashdot for tech stuff. boingboing for interesting/funny stuff.

 

[Apple fanboy]

So you're probably old enough to know not to project your own experience on a total stranger and make such an ugly assumption. Not a good look, friend.

OP, slashdot for tech stuff. boingboing for interesting/funny stuff.

Someone's asking for advice on how to waste time at work. I can't help because I've never done it. I'd actively advise against it. I surf MR at lunch. But on my iPhone not my desktop.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Sorry to offend. But when you are at work you are not there to surf the web on chat with your friends. Your there to do what your paid to do. The reality is I'm old enough to remember when you couldn't surf the web or play with your phone at work because they didn't exist. I work with plenty of people who spend a good portion of their day doing that. They are the ones who's names come up first when discussing under performance.

Someone's asking for advice on how to waste time at work. I can't help because I've never done it. I'd actively advise against it. I surf MR at lunch. But on my iPhone not my desktop.

I'm pretty much completely with Apple fanboy on this one. And, here I'll admit to some surprise at the slightly snarky tone adopted by some posters towards Apple fanboy's refusal to entertain and indulge the OP and the OP's post.

Instead, why not question the OP about his attitude towards his job? If I was bored, - because I dislike intellectual boredom and insist on jobs where I am challenged intellectually, I'd be looking for other positions.

Now, I am not an activity maniac. For that matter, I don't mind doing nothing in my time off - indeed, I greatly value downtime, and value chilling and idling on occasion; however, when working, I tend to be completely focussed in what I am doing, and I hold the view that my employers are entitled to that.

Anyway, at work, I hardly ever surf (with entertainment in mind), and almost never on the work computer, but only on my own computer during a coffee break. This is because - at work - I am generally working, researching, writing, arranging and attending and running meetings, preparing briefing notes, writing reports, reading extra stuff which will keep me better informed - I don't have time to be bored.

However, if you are bored, learn more about your field of work; do some reading that might enhance your professional qualifications, and cast about for adding some qualifications to what you have. Read a book…….

 

[Apple_Robert]

I'm pretty much completely with Apple fanboy on this one. And, here I'll admit to some surprise at the slightly snarky tone adopted by some posters towards Apple fanboy's refusal to entertain and indulge the OP and the OP's post.

Instead, why not question the OP about his attitude towards his job? If I was bored, - because I dislike intellectual boredom and insist on jobs where I am challenged intellectually, I'd be looking for other positions.

Now, I am not an activity maniac. For that matter, I don't mind doing nothing in my time off - indeed, I greatly value downtime, and value chilling and idling on occasion; however, when working, I tend to be completely focussed in what I am doing, and I hold the view that my employers are entitled to that.

Anyway, at work, I hardly ever surf (with entertainment in mind), and almost never on the work computer, but only on my own computer during a coffee break. This is because - at work - I am generally working, researching, writing, arranging and attending and running meetings, preparing briefing notes, writing reports, reading extra stuff which will keep me better informed - I don't have time to be bored.

However, if you are bored, learn more about your field of work; do some reading that might enhance your professional qualifications, and cast about for adding some qualifications to what you have. Read a book…….

Fanboy knows nothing about the OP's job requirements. Fanboy passed judgment on the OP without having any facts. He was wrong to do that. If he couldn't offer suggestions, then there was no need for him to deride the OP the way he did. He crossed the line with the OP, in my opinion. And because of that, several people called him out. And instead of admitting he was wrong, he tries to rationalize behavior based on logical fallacy.

If you want to support that kind of mentality and behavior, you are free to do so. I don't think it is prudent, though.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

Fanboy knows nothing about the OP's job requirements. Fanboy passed judgment on the OP without having any facts. He was wrong to do that. If he couldn't offer suggestions, then there was no need for him to deride the OP the way he did. He crossed the line with the OP, in my opinion. And because of that, several people called him out. And instead of admitting he was wrong, he tries to rationalize behavior based on logical fallacy.

If you want to support that kind of mentality and behavior, you are free to do so. I don't think it is prudent, though.

Prudent? What is not prudent about offering support to someone who expressed disdain - perhaps in a somewhat snarky tone - for an OP who wanted assistance to behave unprofessionally?

I have re-read the OP's original post, and - to be honest - I think that Apple fanboy was offended by the attitude of the OP to his work and seems to have viewed this from an employer's perspective.

I used to be a teacher, and - even at university - one makes allowances for some students behaving in an immature manner.

However, the world of work is different: If you are in the office, you are, to a certain extent, there on your employer's time and on the company's money.

Now, Apple fanboy's tone when responding may have, perhaps, come across as sarcastic, - that is a separate issue - but I do support the general point he is making which is that the conduct and behaviour of the OP towards his job, and towards how to conduct himself in the work place, strike me as somewhat unprofessional.

 

[boast]

This is why company culture plays an important role when finding a job.

My boss surfs the web from time to time, my bosses boss, even our director can sometimes be seen on Facebook. At the end of the day we're all competent engineers who get our work done.

I mostly just visit feedly to read news from Anandtech, Ars Technica, Lifehacker, Re/code, The Verge.

 

[dukebound85]

I never browse at work because it isn't work and I bill my time.

Only time I look at non work related things between 8-5 is on my personal phone during lunch, never on company equipment

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

Sorry to offend. But when you are at work you are not there to surf the web on chat with your friends. Your there to do what your paid to do. The reality is I'm old enough to remember when you couldn't surf the web or play with your phone at work because they didn't exist. I work with plenty of people who spend a good portion of their day doing that. They are the ones who's names come up first when discussing under performance.

So what do you do on your downtime? Beg for work? Work on something you had no permission working on? Do you annoy your supervisor/boss cause you have nothing to do for the next 30 minutes? If you have nothing to do, you tell payroll to dock your pay for the time you wasn't working? I can go on and on.

 

[dukebound85]

So what do you do on your downtime? Beg for work? Work on something you had no permission working on? Do you annoy your supervisor/boss cause you have nothing to do for the next 30 minutes? If you have nothing to do, you tell payroll to dock your pay for the time you wasn't working? I can go on and on.

If you bill your time, yes, you go seek work. Otherwise you got to make up your billable hr requirements on your otherwise time off

 

[Aspasia]

I work at a call center and taking call after call can get boring, anyone know of cool websites like the verge, ifunny i can visit when i get bored at work. of course they have to be safe for work...

Why not find work that excites you, rather than continue in a job that bores you? It's much more rewarding intellectually and when you do work you enjoy, you do it better - and that leads to new opportunities.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

If you bill your time, yes, you go seek work. Otherwise you got to make up your billable hr requirements on your otherwise time off

You do know half of any job is just being there. Being in queue for work, is actually working.

For example: The OP works at a call center. Now if no calls are coming in, that's not his doing. He still has to be paid for the time he is in queue, ready to take a call. During his queue time, internet usage, reading the paper, or etc, should be no problem.

I used to work IT at a hospital and as a cable guy on the field. If there is no work and downtime at any given moment, you can't do nothing about it. And employers can't penalize you because your in queue for work and as soon as something pops up, they will need you.

 

[dukebound85]

You do know half of any job is just being there. Being in queue for work, is actually working.

I would disagree. I get evaluated on my utilization rates. Even checking work related emails, doing time cards and office meetings hurt my utilization as I can't charge a customer for that time.

It greatly depends on the type of job. As a consultant, I simply don't have that luxury to just sit there on the clock.

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I would disagree. I get evaluated on my utilization rates. Even checking work related emails, doing time cards and office meetings hurt my utilization as I can't charge a customer for that time.

It greatly depends on the type of job. As a consultant, I simply don't have that luxury to just sit there on the clock.

Yes your right about billable time, I misread the second sentence of your post as talking about hourly or annual wages.

Otherwise you got to make up your billable hr requirements on your otherwise time off.

But as far as just regular wages goes, my post still stands.

 

[Apple fanboy]

So what do you do on your downtime? Beg for work? Work on something you had no permission working on? Do you annoy your supervisor/boss cause you have nothing to do for the next 30 minutes? If you have nothing to do, you tell payroll to dock your pay for the time you wasn't working? I can go on and on.

I think you have the wrong idea about my job. I'm a manager and never have down time. There is always stuff to do. I have never asked my supervisor (in my case the MD) what should I do. In my experience there is always something to do. Research, project work, updating our company procedures, training.

To the OP, if your job doesn't give you enough to do to keep you busy, why not ask your boss for additional tasks? You will be thought better of, and hopefuly in time rewarded for your initiative.

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I never browse at work because it isn't work and I bill my time.

Only time I look at non work related things between 8-5 is on my personal phone during lunch, never on company equipment

Couldn't agree more. Even though I'm salaried, I have always approached my work life the same way. Probably why I've been promoted in just about every role I've had.

 

[marlon bishop]

Everyone is a hard working citizen in this thread. Hahahaha get out here

 

[Apple fanboy]

Everyone is a hard working citizen in this thread. Hahahaha get out here

I've never met someone who thought they weren't!

 

[LIVEFRMNYC]

I think you have the wrong idea about my job. I'm a manager and never have down time. There is always stuff to do. I have never asked my supervisor (in my case the MD) what should I do. In my experience there is always something to do. Research, project work, updating our company procedures, training.

To the OP, if your job doesn't give you enough to do to keep you busy, why not ask your boss for additional tasks? You will be thought better of, and hopefuly in time rewarded for your initiative.

You can't apply your job's atmosphere to other jobs. There's plenty of jobs where there is not always something to do.

 

[samiwas]

Sorry to offend. But when you are at work you are not there to surf the web on chat with your friends. Your there to do what your paid to do. The reality is I'm old enough to remember when you couldn't surf the web or play with your phone at work because they didn't exist. I work with plenty of people who spend a good portion of their day doing that. They are the ones who's names come up first when discussing under performance.

Sorry, but there are plenty of times where I have literally nothing to do at work. On some jobs, my job is to be there in case something goes wrong, or to run a cue every now and then. There is literally nothing else i could do that's not just creating work in order to stay busy.

For instance, I worked on a three-month TV game show as an electrician. My job was to show up in the morning and make sure everything was working correctly. We'd fix anything that wasn't working properly before showtime. Once showtime rolled around, I had only one cue about every hour and fifteen minutes. That cue took five people. We had to be there to take care of anything that might go wrong, but other than that, the time was ours. There was a LOT of websurfing done. And that job, including benefits and other payments, amounted to over $500 per day.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but just because someone is doing personal stuff at work, that does NOT mean they are avoiding work or not doing their job.

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I never browse at work because it isn't work and I bill my time.

Only time I look at non work related things between 8-5 is on my personal phone during lunch, never on company equipment

Oh, definitely...when I'm billing by the hour, I don't surf during that time.