Tzero: Social Timeboxing for IRC Channels

Yea Pomodoro is a timeboxing technique. However, I don't think it has anything to do with allowing scope or quality to slip. I can be what you want it to be (e.g. just a reminder to take a break). I did it for a while in Emacs, only while at the computer for those types of tasks. I didn't stick with it though. However, I still use it for short tasks where I want to know how much time I spent on the task (like a programming puzzle). I think mostly it's supposed to be a mind hack or gamification to encourage productivity. Come to think of it, I might give it another go for things like updating my resume which is a task I've been putting off for a while.

It's possible you might be less productive with showing off your timeboxing to your IRC friends. Example: I have a free afternoon after work one day (nothing critical needs to be done). There's several things on my personal to-do list ranging from important (like cleaning the house, doing laundry, paying bills, etc) that eventually need to be done to less important tasks (volunteering or working on a side project that could eventually produce income or otherwise contribute positively to my community) to leisure tasks (reading something new, video games, managing my home media server, things that only impact my happiness). If I'm sharing what I'm timeboxing with my friends, I may be more inclined to do tasks that solely make myself look better. Laundry isn't very sexy, taking a nap or a walk around the neighborhood isn't that interesting, maybe that side project is a little interesting but maybe only to you. But maybe saying I'm going read a journal article about something intellectual would make me look good. Or maybe I work on a side project that has very little impact other than making me work hard to understand a new topic that I don't particularly care much about but my friends do. I may be avoiding more important tasks that directly improve my living conditions or happiness just to impress others. It's nerd bragging. Is practicing some exercises from an esoteric number theory textbook really going to improve my living condition or somehow make me a better web developer? Probably not. If I'm not sharing that I'm doing it, then I'm probably just doing it because I actually want to, like doing a sudoku, it's a brain teaser. But if I am sharing it, am I actually doing it because I want to or because I think it will impress people?

It's like people that otherwise live a pretty humdrum life but share every small exciting thing they do on Instagram to show off to their friends. They go out of their way to experience things not because they actually want to but because it makes a good photo for the gram. They present themselves online as more interesting than they really are to impress and make others envious. It allows people to manufacture a personality for themselves that wouldn't otherwise exist if they couldn't show off. I love doing interesting things. I go to all kinds of places and eat food I know my social circle wouldn't have the opportunity to do so. But I don't share any of it online. I'll tell a friend if I know they share the same interest but I'm not bragging to everyone just to impress because I don't need that validation to cover for the times I'm not doing anything interesting.