The Lure Of Data: Is It Addictive?

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/business/yourmoney/06WIRE.html?ei=5062&en=027a31a06e611f55&ex=1058068800' target='_blank'>http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/06/b...5&ex=1058068800</a><br /><br /></div>This NYT article raises some interesting questions about how mobile and wireless devices might be causing us "psuedo-ADD"...<br /><br />"THIS is Charles Lax's brain on speed. Mr. Lax, a 44-year-old venture capitalist, is sitting in a conference for telecommunications executives at a hotel near Los Angeles, but he is not all here. Out of one ear, he listens to a live presentation about cable television technology; simultaneously, he surfs the Net on a laptop with a wireless connection, while occasionally checking his mobile device — part phone, part pager and part Internet gadget — for e-mail. Mr. Lax flew from Boston and paid $2,000 to attend the conference, called Vortex. But he cannot unwire himself long enough to give the presenters his complete focus. If he did, he would face a fate worse than lack of productivity: he would become bored."<br /><br />I have to admit -- I myself have used Wi-Fi during long meetings. But, in my opinion, that's often because the presenter isn't being efficient or holding my attention. Very often, I've been stuck in presentations where the presenter is reading his own slides. I can do that too, thank you very much.<br /><br />On the other hand, I've noticed that I've played with my Pocket PC in presentations where I'd look up and have to "catch up" to what the speaker is saying.<br /><br />What do you think? Have you used your Pocket PC in meetings or presentations? With Wi-Fi? And how did it turn out?

[Thinkingmandavid]

When I was working on my undergrad, I remember in one class being so bored that I got online to check my email. I as well, if the information is broing, or if it is something that I already know, then I am easily bored with the speaker.
It is the speakers responsibility to keep my attention.
I dont think that someone is addicted if they are using the net during a meeting or a like situation.
However, I do feel that we must be able to function without having to costantly be online. At the same time, so much informaiton is online that it is so easy to go online to get it just in everyday life. It is as simele as saying, "wonder what movie is playing", check my bank and investments", I wonder if there is such a thing as", "what is the latest in teh news or current top story", I need to enter my company info", "check my email", "compare prices on stuff", and etc:)

[Raynne]

I am a Junior in college and last semester I had to take a class that pure computer terminology. Not only did I know the majority of the information, but all the teacher did was read the slides that we could download from the Internet word-for-word. So I ended up playing FF4 on my Axim or reading a book throughout the entire class.

[ricksfiona]

I am a Junior in college and last semester I had to take a class that pure computer terminology. Not only did I know the majority of the information, but all the teacher did was read the slides that we could download from the Internet word-for-word. So I ended up playing FF4 on my Axim or reading a book throughout the entire class.
And it was slides that he's been using for the last few years too I bet. How nice.

[Anthony Caruana]

There have been more than a few boring presentations and meetings where my PPC has save me from falling asleep :sleeping:

[Ed Hansberry]

I think we are just less obvious than others. I can look pretty interested in the reading material with my Pocket PC in a continuing education class. The guy next to me with USA Today spread out all over the table is a bit more obvious he doesn't give a flip. :rotfl:

[Janak Parekh]

I think we are just less obvious than others. I can look pretty interested in the reading material with my Pocket PC in a continuing education class.
Totally. :D One positive side-effect about reflective screens is that they're very hard to see from oblique angles, unlike transflectives which have a better viewing angle. I could play Pocket Entertainment Pack games in class on my 3870 without a fear of getting watched.

--janak

[GoldKey]

I think we are just less obvious than others. I can look pretty interested in the reading material with my Pocket PC in a continuing education class. The guy next to me with USA Today spread out all over the table is a bit more obvious he doesn't give a flip. :rotfl:

Wow, didn't realize that we work at the same office. :D

[Dave Beauvais]

Last year, the university I went to began the first stages of what will eventually be a campus-wide wireless LAN. Right now it only covers several buildings and a few large outdoor communal areas, but word is, it'll be expanding this fall to include several more areas. Too bad I left three years ago! :) Actually, knowing me, it's not too bad... I'd have been surfing instead of listening to lectures. :)

I've used the WLAN when going back to visit and it's not too bad except for a couple things. You can't just hop on and go. You must first enter your student login and password into a Web page to authenticate to the network. Until that's done, any Web page you try to visit just takes you to the authentication page. That's not too bad on a desktop or laptop, but is a little unpleasant on a Pocket PC.

They have also disabled all common insecure protocols except HTTP. That means no POP3, no SMTP, no IMAP, no FTP, and a few others, as well. Since the Inbox app on the Pocket PC can't connect to secure severs, that means I cannot check e-mail unless I use a Web-based service which is often painful with Pocket IE. It just boggles my mind that something as basic as the ability to connect to secure e-mail servers still isn't included even in WinMobile 2003. :roll:

--Dave

[Cypher]

When I was in college I had only one or two classes where I wouldn't "multi-task" during the lectures. Some recent studies have shown that people in the last couple of generations are able to process multiple simultaneous inputs more efficiently than previous generations. Those previous generations learned primarily from reading and lectures. The later generations learn better with multi-media approaches. Unlike the author of that article, I don't assing good or bad to either generation's learning and processing abilities. It's just the way they're wired.

[Vincent M Ferrari]

My death is conference calls. When I'm in my office and on a call I tend to browse sites (this one included) when I really should be paying attention. Last time I was on a CC, I got busted, as I was asked a question but was too busy reading an article on WM 2003.

I just blamed it on the service and said I didn't hear the question, but truth be told, it's real easy to zone out on those conference calls; especially when you don't get many of the questions directed your way. :roll:

[Janak Parekh]

It just boggles my mind that something as basic as the ability to connect to secure e-mail servers still isn't included even in WinMobile 2003. :roll:
Are you sure about this? I've heard that WM2k3 supports IMAP over SSL natively, now.

--janak

[karen]

At a conference, I usually hook up my keyboard to my IPAQ and pretend to be taking notes while I:

- Make out a million to-do lists
- Write up e-mails pending my next sync
- Write articles for my website
- Watch a flick
- Clean up my mailbox/file storage
- Write poetry
-
- etc.

A conference series I always speak at always has a secret wireless lan they set up for the organizers' use...and they let me use it. So for those, I can surf, but I try to keep that to e-mails.

[Dave Beauvais]

It just boggles my mind that something as basic as the ability to connect to secure e-mail servers still isn't included even in WinMobile 2003. :roll:
Are you sure about this? I've heard that WM2k3 supports IMAP over SSL natively, now.
No, I'm not sure, but I didn't see that listed in any of the "what's new" lists, and was pretty sure I read a forum post stating that, as well. Maybe someone with a 2003 device could help us here... Either way, it doesn't matter much to me as most of my e-mail accounts are POP3-only. Actually only one -- FastMail (http://www.fastmail.fm) -- is IMAP4.

--Dave

[Ed Hansberry]

It just boggles my mind that something as basic as the ability to connect to secure e-mail servers still isn't included even in WinMobile 2003. :roll:
Uhm... what do you mean? There is the new SSL support for POP3 and IMAP4 mail servers.

[Rob Borek]

Been there, done that. I'll often sit there and play with my phone or my Pocket PC when I'm bored and need something else to do. If it's something interesting, I'll keep my attention on the subject.

[iPaqDude]

Guilty as charged :oops:

Especially now that T-Mobile has the unlimited GPRS plan... I am out surfing continiously while looking attentive to the speaker. I convinced everyone that I do handwritten notes on my iPaq - I even open up a notes screen, start a few lines, then zone out with PIE hooked to my T68. Don't think anyone is the wiser.... 'Course, ya gotta remember to turn the speaker off...

Beats playing the buzz word bingo game....

[bcaray]

Were it not for the PocketPC I would have bludgeoned either myself or the professor while taking Geology. Not a very enthralling subject to begin with (at the intro level) and certainly not if taught by someone who must have had training as a hypnotist. Some fell asleep, I played games and read books; we all passed.

[danmanmayer]

I am definately addicted to the net and instant information. During my english lecture we were unsure if the copy of a poem we had contained and error. I got out my pocket pc checked the poem online and found we did indeed have a typo on the poem. I raised my hand and informed the teacher that it was an error as she expected. She of course asked how i found this out. She was blown away that i could check things on the net during class. She thought it was very cool and usefull.

Then again other times i use the wireless to update my blog from inside the classroom. Argggg where is the balance?

[PPC_Raider]

I am a Junior in college and last semester I had to take a class that pure computer terminology. Not only did I know the majority of the information, but all the teacher did was read the slides that we could download from the Internet word-for-word. So I ended up playing FF4 on my Axim or reading a book throughout the entire class.

Amen! Last year I took a Sophomore-level computer course (required for my major), and the prof did the exact same thing as yours. The material was so basic, I tested out of all the labs (over MS Office) and only showed up to the lecture for tests. I got an 'A'. I r0x0rz.

But yeah, during class... if its really boring, I've been known to whip out my Maestro and play some Bejeweled.

[Dave Beauvais]

Uhm... what do you mean? There is the new SSL support for POP3 and IMAP4 mail servers.
:oops: Uh, thanks. My mistake! (And I'm usually pretty good about these things!)

--Dave

[juni]

Once I was attending a demonstration at IBM for their new notebooks and the (boring) presentator was showing off the bluetooth capabilities so I quickly tried to connect to his notebook to access the "lan service" with my Loox. Sadly he noticed and was smart enough to turn off the bluetooth. :lol:

[cherring]

Try this one on for size, maybe it's not how boring the presentation is, but the pace that you're used to working at or the amount of information you're used to getting at any one time.

At your desk, or under normal circumstances one would be doing various things at the same time and getting information in from many sources at the same time by checking your pager and your E-mail client and news sites etc.

In a meeting or conference, by giving your full attention to the speaker, you are only getting information as fast as the speaker can deliver it. No matter what the subject is, it's not near the level one would be used to getting information at and just sitting there listening is nowhere close to the work rate you're used to.

[moaske]

Once I was attending a demonstration at IBM for their new notebooks and the (boring) presentator was showing off the bluetooth capabilities so I quickly tried to connect to his notebook to access the "lan service" with my Loox. Sadly he noticed and was smart enough to turn off the bluetooth. :lol:

It wouldn't have worked anyway, cause by default all Bluetooth devices require a passkey to be bonded in order to be able to use these services :D
But it would have been very funny if you succeeded ;)

[Techtoys]

I used to use the PPC in every meeting - partly note taking, but also reading web articles and e-books when the meeting simply had no need of my presence. One of my senior managers said he found my use of a PPC distracting, and requested (read - told or get a bad review!) that I only use pen and paper. Luckily he retired, so I can use it again now.
We still have enough ludites in the office that they think being able to e-mail meeting minutes out as the meeting finishes is cool :roll:

[dean_shan]

I beat Kirby's Adventure for NES in class one day via NES emulator on my laptop. That hasn't been they only game I've played in class. Emulators are perfect for school. I also use my PPC to play Yatzee and Monopoly with my friends durnig boring classes.