Procrastination and Useful Websites
April 11, 2010 11:45 AM Subscribe
Bookmarking this thread in the hopes that other MeFites will post their items/lists as well...
posted by Oops at 11:55 AM on April 11, 2010
posted by Oops at 11:55 AM on April 11, 2010
New to the Internet? Start here!
posted by TheManChild2000 at 12:02 PM on April 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by TheManChild2000 at 12:02 PM on April 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
I'm mostly hoping for some snide jokes about 'hacking life.'
posted by box at 12:03 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by box at 12:03 PM on April 11, 2010
Metafilter: I don't even try to pretend this shit is productive.
posted by Edgewise at 12:07 PM on April 11, 2010 [18 favorites]
posted by Edgewise at 12:07 PM on April 11, 2010 [18 favorites]
Whenever I see a list like that, I hear Principle Skinner saying "see how many times you can bounce a basketball in a minute, and then try to beat that record!"
posted by fatbird at 12:08 PM on April 11, 2010 [10 favorites]
posted by fatbird at 12:08 PM on April 11, 2010 [10 favorites]
I'm sure this list will generate a lot of snark, but I appreciated it.
posted by sevenyearlurk at 12:13 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by sevenyearlurk at 12:13 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
seek out new, relevant and interesting stuff to share [insert your preferred network here]
posted by infini at 12:20 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by infini at 12:20 PM on April 11, 2010
Sometimes I think they post this stuff deliberately to annoy Merlin Mann.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 12:24 PM on April 11, 2010 [11 favorites]
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 12:24 PM on April 11, 2010 [11 favorites]
I go to Ask Metafilter to earn good karma by answering whether or not people should eat things.
posted by mccarty.tim at 12:33 PM on April 11, 2010 [5 favorites]
posted by mccarty.tim at 12:33 PM on April 11, 2010 [5 favorites]
I'm with xkcd on this one. I once spent one whole Sunday, 10:00 to 23:30, doing exactly that. And I still ended up with half a dozen jump-off points in my "to check later" bookmarks.
Don't click on the Dr. Horrible page if you're even remotely a fan and planning to do anything this month.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 12:35 PM on April 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
Don't click on the Dr. Horrible page if you're even remotely a fan and planning to do anything this month.
posted by PontifexPrimus at 12:35 PM on April 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
Since my new job BLOCKS Metafilter, but there's still a lot of downtime, I'm hoping maybe one of these other links will give me something to do...
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:40 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:40 PM on April 11, 2010
I don't see ask.metafilter.com on there. That's a gross oversight.
I swear to god I'm ]this[ close to blocking AskMe because of my tendency to waste hours there being helpful to strangers instead of, you know, earning money.
posted by ErikaB at 12:52 PM on April 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
I swear to god I'm ]this[ close to blocking AskMe because of my tendency to waste hours there being helpful to strangers instead of, you know, earning money.
posted by ErikaB at 12:52 PM on April 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
I haven't read it yet, but I hope one of them is "reading lists."
posted by The Devil Tesla at 1:23 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by The Devil Tesla at 1:23 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Thanks to this I am learning Japanese online! (livemocha link!)
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 1:28 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 1:28 PM on April 11, 2010
Whenever I see a list like that, I hear Principle Skinner...
Remember kids, a principal is your pal! ;)
posted by turgid dahlia at 1:32 PM on April 11, 2010
Remember kids, a principal is your pal! ;)
posted by turgid dahlia at 1:32 PM on April 11, 2010
I agree with ErikaB, because she is right, but also because who writes a list and ends on #29? Go the extra mile. Make it 30 things. Sheesh, normal people.
posted by theredpen at 1:39 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by theredpen at 1:39 PM on April 11, 2010
14 Productive Ways To Make The Most Of Time On The Toilet
You don’t always have to stop working when you're excreting. Today's busy always-online professionals can't stop getting things done just because they're getting things out. So here’s a list of 14 semi-productive things I do when evacuating my bowels:
1. Phone my girlfriend. If I time it right, I can ask her a question and then hit the mute button while I rattle the bowl, and then unmute just in time to say "Uh-huh, mmm, really?" so she never even notices.
2. Peel the vegetables for dinner that night. Balance a chopping board across your knees, you're good to go.
3. Work out - dumb-bells are great for this. Work that upper body strength.
4. Watch a webinar on social networking marketing paradigms so I'm better informed going forward.
5. Update my Facebook status.
6. Tweet where I appear to be on the stool scale today.
7. Compose some poetry, because even busy professionals need to have a creative side which has red wheelbarrows and stuff.
8. Chat Roulette. 'Nuff said.
9. Cross 'have a shit' off my Remember the Milk to do list. Add it again for tomorrow.
10. Practice key words in a new language: what's French for 'strain', 'release', and 'excuse me doctor, what are those bits in it?'
11. Take a new picture of my face with my laptop webcam to use as my avatar. If only people knew what I was doing! See, people might think I'm a dullard who does tedious things in marketing that no-one really cares about, but they don't see the wild, proud rebel within.
12. Play WoW online. Just hope that nothing vital happens while I'm wiping. Or take my netbook in because I can hold that one-handed.
13. Record a podcast. Cough loudly at key times to obscure any splashage.
14. Write lists! The web needs more lists. Never enough lists.
posted by reynir at 1:56 PM on April 11, 2010 [28 favorites]
You don’t always have to stop working when you're excreting. Today's busy always-online professionals can't stop getting things done just because they're getting things out. So here’s a list of 14 semi-productive things I do when evacuating my bowels:
1. Phone my girlfriend. If I time it right, I can ask her a question and then hit the mute button while I rattle the bowl, and then unmute just in time to say "Uh-huh, mmm, really?" so she never even notices.
2. Peel the vegetables for dinner that night. Balance a chopping board across your knees, you're good to go.
3. Work out - dumb-bells are great for this. Work that upper body strength.
4. Watch a webinar on social networking marketing paradigms so I'm better informed going forward.
5. Update my Facebook status.
6. Tweet where I appear to be on the stool scale today.
7. Compose some poetry, because even busy professionals need to have a creative side which has red wheelbarrows and stuff.
8. Chat Roulette. 'Nuff said.
9. Cross 'have a shit' off my Remember the Milk to do list. Add it again for tomorrow.
10. Practice key words in a new language: what's French for 'strain', 'release', and 'excuse me doctor, what are those bits in it?'
11. Take a new picture of my face with my laptop webcam to use as my avatar. If only people knew what I was doing! See, people might think I'm a dullard who does tedious things in marketing that no-one really cares about, but they don't see the wild, proud rebel within.
12. Play WoW online. Just hope that nothing vital happens while I'm wiping. Or take my netbook in because I can hold that one-handed.
13. Record a podcast. Cough loudly at key times to obscure any splashage.
14. Write lists! The web needs more lists. Never enough lists.
posted by reynir at 1:56 PM on April 11, 2010 [28 favorites]
6. Tweet where I appear to be on the stool scale today.
"I'm a twitter shitter!"
posted by fatbird at 2:00 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
"I'm a twitter shitter!"
posted by fatbird at 2:00 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Browse through the freshly scanned books on Internet Archive.
That will basically use up the rest of your life.
posted by stbalbach at 2:14 PM on April 11, 2010 [7 favorites]
That will basically use up the rest of your life.
posted by stbalbach at 2:14 PM on April 11, 2010 [7 favorites]
boy, you can sure tell who has and who hasn't clicked the link, can't you?
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 2:41 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 2:41 PM on April 11, 2010
I like the list, thanks. I signed up for a BBC foreign language tutor . . .
posted by 6:1 at 2:41 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by 6:1 at 2:41 PM on April 11, 2010
I didn't see Robot Unicorn Attack on there. That's a serious oversight.
posted by Kattullus at 4:03 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Kattullus at 4:03 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
What kind of semi-productive things do you do online in your off-time? Please share them with us in the comments section below.
Is ending a blog post with this sort of closing statement a requirement in the "Rules of Pro and Semi-Pro Blogging League?" This business-esque "Deliver an Ask" phrase has been popping up on lots of these types of blogs, seemingly started by The Consumerist.
posted by fireoyster at 4:15 PM on April 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
Is ending a blog post with this sort of closing statement a requirement in the "Rules of Pro and Semi-Pro Blogging League?" This business-esque "Deliver an Ask" phrase has been popping up on lots of these types of blogs, seemingly started by The Consumerist.
posted by fireoyster at 4:15 PM on April 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
The Wire re-up is a fantastic time waster, if you've seen the show. I'm partway through their entries for season 3.
posted by A dead Quaker at 4:19 PM on April 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by A dead Quaker at 4:19 PM on April 11, 2010 [3 favorites]
[derail]
I hate the picture the blogger chose to go with the article.
[/derail]
Though this article did lead me to the BBC Online Learn a Language course, so there's that.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:29 PM on April 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
I hate the picture the blogger chose to go with the article.
[/derail]
Though this article did lead me to the BBC Online Learn a Language course, so there's that.
posted by pxe2000 at 4:29 PM on April 11, 2010 [2 favorites]
Love it!!! Just the kind of quasi-fulfilling time-suck I need. Thanks. lulz.
posted by pianistcomposer at 5:41 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by pianistcomposer at 5:41 PM on April 11, 2010
Oh My God, PontifexPrimus, you have ruined my life. I may never do anything productive again. Also, I love the random link on Wikipedia. I have learned so much about anime that way.
posted by jeoc at 5:46 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by jeoc at 5:46 PM on April 11, 2010
9. Cross 'have a shit' off my Remember the Milk to do list. Add it again for tomorrow.
RTM supports recurring tasks, you know.
posted by me & my monkey at 6:14 PM on April 11, 2010
RTM supports recurring tasks, you know.
posted by me & my monkey at 6:14 PM on April 11, 2010
The mochalive learn Japanese was disappointing.
posted by Obscure Reference at 6:25 PM on April 11, 2010
posted by Obscure Reference at 6:25 PM on April 11, 2010
RTM supports recurring tasks, you know.
Recurrence as supported by fiber intake, anyway.
posted by dhartung at 8:45 PM on April 11, 2010
Recurrence as supported by fiber intake, anyway.
posted by dhartung at 8:45 PM on April 11, 2010
fireoyster: "Is ending a blog post with this sort of closing statement a requirement in the "Rules of Pro and Semi-Pro Blogging League?" This business-esque "Deliver an Ask" phrase has been popping up on lots of these types of blogs, seemingly started by The Consumerist."
I'm not a professional blogger, but when I do use a 'Deliver an Ask', it's because I'm both because I'm interested in other people's perspective on the topic and trying to diffuse any authority people may associate with the content. I find in my field nobody writes the kinds of articles I want to read; so one of the reasons I blog is to do the research, the citations, and evaluations to set a good example.
I'm sure you've heard something like 'the best way to learn the truth is to make a definitive statement on the internet.' It's true, and especially if you invest time to add citations, graphics and Neilsen readability guidelines, people may infer a level of expertise I simply don't yet have. By framing the conversation, it helps put people in collaborative rather than combative mood, I think.
I bet it's also a good way to develop follow-ups on popular articles if you're a pro blogger.
posted by pwnguin at 8:45 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
I'm not a professional blogger, but when I do use a 'Deliver an Ask', it's because I'm both because I'm interested in other people's perspective on the topic and trying to diffuse any authority people may associate with the content. I find in my field nobody writes the kinds of articles I want to read; so one of the reasons I blog is to do the research, the citations, and evaluations to set a good example.
I'm sure you've heard something like 'the best way to learn the truth is to make a definitive statement on the internet.' It's true, and especially if you invest time to add citations, graphics and Neilsen readability guidelines, people may infer a level of expertise I simply don't yet have. By framing the conversation, it helps put people in collaborative rather than combative mood, I think.
I bet it's also a good way to develop follow-ups on popular articles if you're a pro blogger.
posted by pwnguin at 8:45 PM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Bloody hell, can we get a [NSFW] warning on that...?
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 4:14 AM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 4:14 AM on April 12, 2010 [1 favorite]
Send a paper greeting card directly to a friend or relative at enGreet.
I've never of that! That's awesome, and it's only like $2.50!
posted by exhilaration at 7:44 AM on April 12, 2010
I've never of that! That's awesome, and it's only like $2.50!
posted by exhilaration at 7:44 AM on April 12, 2010
There was a time when the del.icio.us "popular" list actually had some interesting links. I blame people like this for turning it into a graveyard of "15 best life hacks."
*shakes fist*
posted by Galvatron at 12:20 PM on April 12, 2010
*shakes fist*
posted by Galvatron at 12:20 PM on April 12, 2010
Is ending a blog post with this sort of closing statement a requirement in the "Rules of Pro and Semi-Pro Blogging League?"
1. It gets you, the reader, to write more content that the blogger doesn't have to produce themselves.
2. You're going to get at least one extra page's worth of ad impressions for each person that comments.
3. If it's a topic that interests you, you'll come back later to see what comments people have left, giving them more ad impressions.
3. Other people will argue in the comments, multiplying the ad impressions.
It's pretty brilliant, really.
posted by Evilspork at 3:58 AM on April 13, 2010
1. It gets you, the reader, to write more content that the blogger doesn't have to produce themselves.
2. You're going to get at least one extra page's worth of ad impressions for each person that comments.
3. If it's a topic that interests you, you'll come back later to see what comments people have left, giving them more ad impressions.
3. Other people will argue in the comments, multiplying the ad impressions.
It's pretty brilliant, really.
posted by Evilspork at 3:58 AM on April 13, 2010
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posted by The Whelk at 11:47 AM on April 11, 2010 [1 favorite]