Paradigm shift sought

[triadruid]

So it's become increasingly obvious to me that my oath about refraining from coming online during the workday ain't working so well. Really, it's been a problem ever since I started this desk job; it's very difficult to fuck around online when you're breaking up fights or pulling kids out of frozen lakes. But nevermind; I shouldn't be doing it. Being salaried really doesn't help, but when I'm spending 3, 4, 5, 7 hours of my workday on teh Intarweb, it really puts me in peril of becoming that thing I despise: the government bureaucrat who does no work but wastes your tax dollars. Feh.

Of course, it was bad enough when I was hanging out in a Microsoft Access online forum while I was learning the system to code the database we use; then I got an LJ, and then I found NationStates (a minor time waster) and then MafiaScum was nearly doom, but I've cut down on my games there...

But no. I had to find something worse. I repeat myself, but
WikiPedia is THE GREAT SATAN!

Why, you may ask? Very simple: it's the perfect site to complement my Internet addiction.

• It's information-based.
• It's infinite in scope.
• It's inherently friendly toward cross-linking to another page within the site.
• It Makes The World A Better Place™ (by improving information there).

Really, what more could I want out of life? Nevermind that if my boss/IT dept. see my bandwidth records, it'll spell doom for my job. We're talking about the potential for the greatest repository of knowledge in the known world, man!!!1!eleven!!

*sigh* Unfortunately, as breathofgold mentioned the other day, I'm a crack shot at poking holes in logic, especially when it comes to things I don't want to do. So talking myself out of it is difficult, to say the least. My oaths to reform other bad habits have done pretty well; better when I make them to someone/something other than myself, I'll admit. So maybe that's an option. And getting kicked out of my house and living on the street with no job is no way to save the world, but that's so far-off.

SO: Arguments welcome. Kick me in the philosophical ass, appeal to my sense of ethics, whatever. I'm trying to figure out how to rein this in before it blows up on me. Locked to general friends only.

Comments

[lexpendragon.livejournal.com]

I've Run Through Something Similar At Work. I also Sit In Front Of A Desk All Day (Night, In My Case), And Consequently Spend All Of my Work Day Fucking Around Online. The Way I Look At It, Though Is That UPS Pays Me To Know Their Software, And To Be Available To Take Phone Calls. So, I Am Always Waiting For That Next Call To Come In, And I Retain Everything They Want Me To Know. Now, The Time Between Phone Calls, Or While I'm Talking To Someone And Waiting For Their Reboot To Finish, If I Cast My Eyes Or Fingers Over To LJ, My Virtual World Or Email, I Just Look At That As Me Using My Time Effectively. I'm Still Doing What They Expect Of Me, But Since I'm Effecient, I Can Do It While Doing What I Enjoy, Also.

I Don't Know What You Do For A Living. What, Specifically, Do They Pay You To Do?

re: What, Specifically, Do They Pay You To Do?

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a complicated question. My primary duty is educating the public (at meetings and the like) about crime prevention, so they don't get victimized, revictimized, or continue to allow a problem to fester in their area. This mostly happens on evenings and weekends, but sometimes during the weekday I'm in other community-building meetings. The biggest secondary task is organizing neighborhood groups along those lines.

However, I'm also our 3-person division's webmaster, DB admin, part-time technical materials writer, GIS "expert", courier, and problem solver. My boss is a bit of a worrier, so there's a lot of little things that go along with all of that. Plus we occasionally plan and put on public hearings, conferences, etc. Even with all of that, it's not generally a 40-hour-a-week job (for me), which is why I still have the job despite my f'ing around. It's never boring, it's just sometimes less interesting than other things I could do. I just need to do it better...

Re: What, Specifically, Do They Pay You To Do?

[lexpendragon.livejournal.com]

Were I You, I'd Keep A 'To Do' List, And Put Twoards The Bottom Even The Stuff That You Don't Need To Do, But Can (Calling Around To Set Up Groups Or Something), And If You Actually Do All Of That Stuff, Then consider Yourself Free To Wiki All You Want. Otherwise, You've Got A Handy List Of What You Should Do.

Re: What, Specifically, Do They Pay You To Do?

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Actually, I have that list. It's got about five major projects and as many small ones, along with ongoing duties. The list is in ~three places, and still not getting done. Such is the power of immediate gratification for me...

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

I'm with lexpendragon, though perhaps a more extreme example. I've been in my position for seven years now, and I've seen the company change around me (100% turnover, except for me). At this point I can accomplish all of the daily tasks for which I am responsible in approximately forty-five minutes per day. The rest of the time I am "focusing on reception" - basically, waiting for the phone or doorbell to ring, or to grab the fire extinguisher when the people I support manage to light themselves on fire.

I don't have a problem with accepting my wages for spending most of my time idle - I believe that I am being paid primarily to "meet the seat," i.e., to actually be around just in case I am needed. What I do while I'm waiting is my own concern.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but my job isn't about "filling a seat"; my co-worker does the majority of the receptionist duties. My responsibilities include creation of training materials, ongoing projects, and the like.

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

Are you leaving work undone?

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Am I goofing off when I should be working on my to-do list? Yes.
Are things not getting done? Mostly, no, they're getting done. That has more to do with my ability to blitz through things with 80% success, though.

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

Whatever the reason, if your essential work is getting done and nobody's complaining, I fail to see any problem with goofing off.

I don't think you're getting paid to be productive 100% of the time, I think you're getting paid to get your essential work done. As a taxpayer, I would prefer to have my tax money spent on the salary of someone who's efficient enough to have free time.

addendum

[greektoomey.livejournal.com]

"Busy work" is for gradeschoolers and temps.

Trade ya.

[zylch.livejournal.com]

You can come over by my place of business -- there's always stuff to do in the Fro-Zone ::hands you bottle of glass cleaner and points to doors covered in sticky-child fingerprints::

Seriously, I agree with lexp. Make a list, with every possible thing that needs to be done, even cleaning your desk (like, clean, with soap and water and everything). Do the list. If you ever actually manage to finish your list, go find someone else with a list and help them out.

Re: Trade ya.

[triadruid.livejournal.com]

Not a fair trade. You don't want my work ethic.

You don't want my work ethic.

[featherynscale.livejournal.com]

Neither do you, really.