Less interruptions for developers with offline hours

Not all interruptions are created equal though. There are cases when interruptions should be tolerated. If someone is working on a problem (a tester, a support engineer, or another developer), and has a question I know the answer to off the top of my head, I’m fine with being interrupted.

Sure, my productivity takes a hit, but we should optimize for the company’s productivity, not only my productivity. If one (or several) other people in the company would be stalled, it’s better to ask me and get the answer in one minute, than to wait for an hour or two, or to dig around for an answer in the code or in the documentation.

From my blog post "Programmer Productivity – Interruptions, Meetings and Working Remotely" http://henrikwarne.com/2013/04/02/programmer-productivity-in...

Sometimes I would really like to turn my internet connection off to get things done, but as a web developer it's quite impossible.

A few weeks ago I had no internet at home. It was great. Not having the possibility and not using it are two different pair of shoes.

Fewer interruptions

I agree with henrik_w below. Experienced/Senior engineers lose a lot of their potency if they go dark during office hours. It is a criminal waste to let developers lurch around trying to solve a known problem. Managing distractions is a major part of growing as an engineer.

I don't encourage people pinging me for trivial stuff that they can find by themselves though. First few times I go with documentation links / google links, escalate to lmgtfy and finally I give direct feedback.

If you work from home, you can replicate this by unplugging your wi-fi router. Freedom software works too, but I find the physical disconnecting helps make it real.

I get a lot of writing done this way, and there's no need to rely on willpower to avoid checking the internet.

Caveat: If other internet addicted people will be in your house while you work, they will not appreciate this solution....

I found the linked-to "study" (not sure why scare quotes were used) to be more in-depth: http://blog.ninlabs.com/2013/01/programmer-interrupted/

FTA "Mornings are for quiet, uninterrupted, and focused work. No emails, no chat, no calls until lunch break." I would agree with that. But how do I solve my addiction to chat? I feel naked when I go offline...