Re:Yahoo’s Perplexing Remote Workers Decision
by calibraxis on Sunday February 24, 2013 @05:49AM
(#5273772)
From (http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000068.html): "If you take a 1 minute interruption by a coworker asking you a question, and this knocks out your concentration enough that it takes you half an hour to get productive again, your overall productivity is in serious trouble."
So you saved 15 minutes but cost your coworker 30. That's a net loss, and an argument for remote workers. When I interrupt people, I constantly have this calculation in mind.
In effect, the remote worker saved you from "acting as a drain on the remainder of the team," your post's main concern.
Re:Yahoo’s Perplexing Remote Workers Decision
by mikro2nd on Sunday February 24, 2013 @05:08AM
(#5273659)
Utter bullshit. You've not heard of Skype?
I am a remote worker, and routinely help coworkers with all shirts of stuff. It works best when everyone's remote.
I believe that co-location forms a sort of prisoner's dilemma. If everyone is local, everyone benefits from increased collaboration, morale, etc. If one person is remote, they benefit more, while acting as a drain on the remainder of the team. And when everyone is remote, then everyone loses.