Working In On Demand Time

In Joi Ito's Web: Conference call surfing I read an eerily familiar description of Joi Ito's day. When I was at IBM this was the typical day: wake up (somewhere, home, hotel, office), nudge computer awake and check out whatever I/Ms arrived while I was sleeping (assuming I was online).

For awhile, I had a one hour drive from Poughkeepsie to Armonk. I'd clear out my voicemail before leaving home, by the time I'd arrive in Armonk it'd be filled to capacity again (usually resulting in one or more bitter PROFS emails from someone, somewhere complaining that I was not professional enough to be IBM's alleged Corporate Webmaster dude).

I have to say, for the first couple years it was fun. If your job is entirely being a mediator of communications this might not be such a bad job. If your job isn't to be Mr. always-connected-always-communicating then it's not so fun. Eventually the expectation is set that you're always online, always responsive. It's unprofessional to take a time-out or a break.

Enough time has passed that I can look back and recognize that I really didn't function so well as super-techie/manager/intermediary. Dropping any one of the tasks (as I did for the Sydney Olympics) would have made my life much better. To the people who can handle it all and enjoy it my hat's off to you.

Escaping the RNC

We are escaping to Amagansett for the coming week.

For me, it's a matter of how many times I can sit on the promenade with Frisket and listen to delegates point at the Salomon Smith Barney building and say that That's where the World Trade Center was until the Iraqi's blew it up, or have someone ask me Do you support the President?, or Can I share my personal vision of God with you?

None of these are particularly unique to RNC delegates, however the frequency of these inanities has increased dramatically in the past month, moreso this past week. When asked politely, I advise on where various buildings once stood (I think they get confused by the apparent gap in the skyline between the Woolworth and SSB buildings), I decline to discuss religion or politics (and often get to instruct a bit on the nature of the disproportionate presence of Jehovah's Witnesses in the neighborhood).

I think visitors mistake New York City for this large overwhelming place where we all must be all-so-interested in everything that goes on. Truth be told, I live in a small town where I walk a block to get groceries and a couple more blocks to get the morning bagel. I don't drive, nor do I really need to drive. I live across a river from another collection of towns, each with its own character and population. For the most part, I don't care what visitors think, not because their opinion isn't valid or worthwhile, it just has no value to me personally.

It's not distaste, it's disinterest.

Furthermore, the transit system is already a mess (I thought it was solely due to trains being stopped at Penn Station but apparently there was a partial building collapse a couple blocks away that slowed down the 2/3). Lisa's company has told staff not to come in to work next week, either to work from home or some other location like Armonk or White Plains.

So, we will flee to Amagansett.