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Comment by randycupertino | Hacker News Reader

Don't you feel rude to the other people trying to enjoy their time in the forest for yammering on a work call?

Not as egregious as the mountain bikers who blast music from speakers on the trails as they ride, but still.

What does this mean? Is there a list of approved conversation allowed on trails? What difference does it make if they are talking to someone virtually or physically present on the trail?

I guess it depends. When you're talking to a person directly, most likely your ears aren't blocked. So you get the feedback of your voice levels, and adjust accordingly. This is really difficult to do when you have earphones in, blocking everything. Usually people with both earphones in tend to raise their voices nearly to a shouting level. I don't know if OP does that or not though.

It's more that their full attention isn't on the meeting at hand - how can it be when they're wandering some nature trail taking it all in? If I spent a week busting my ass to get some feature shipped, and in a sprint re-cap meeting all I see is my boss wandering a forest trail going "Uh-hu, uh-hu, wow there's a red-breasted warbler..." I'd become very upset.

That’s not true, you should try it. My full attention is on the call. Walking the trail, as it’s also the same trail everyday, is fully on autopilot.

Really. Your comment kind of annoys me because it seems you have no experience of this, while I have several years experience of it, yet you are sure that you know better than me what my experience of it is?

Edit: Also, my teams know about it and all agree with it, some of them do walks themselves.

Exactly, I don't this gives either thing the respect it deserves. Just do both things, on their own, properly.

Are we gatekeeping walks and meetings now? You can walk and talk and not annoy other people -- if other people are even around. You can also walk and talk and give enough attention to your meeting. Use your judgement.

I was expressing an opinion. My exact words were "I don't think..." I didn't day he should or shouldn't, that would have been gatekeeping.

As if you would have the full attention of others in a physical meeting…

If someone was pacing about the room in a physical meeting it's going to be the same effect, and same disrespect.

I mean. This is a forrest. I barely run in to anybody. It’s not a park.

I’m on mute most of the time anyway, I speak maybe 1/7 of the time on the calls. If I meet anyone in the forrest, I politely say hello to them, and that’s that.

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