
Microsoft reboots war on sleep - lbarn3
https://m.signalvnoise.com/microsoft-reboots-war-on-sleep-a90da0396fb5#.u5leefz6f
======
SCdF
I think the worst thing about this is that it tricks you into thinking that
dipping into emails at the park or piddling around in a spreadsheet while
you're piddling is actually working.

It's not. It's an addiction. It's shovelling snow, it's a quest for feeling
accomplishment without effort. It's more fuel for being constantly connected,
for constantly thinking you're progressing and accomplishing by hitting that
email archive button, or scrolling through reams of meaningless text, or
fiddling with your spreadsheet layout. It's no better than scrolling through
reddit, then closing it to scroll through twitter, then opening up reddit
again.

It's really hard honestly, but these days I open up email and slack, clear
them, then close them. Both my phone and my computer are permanently on DND,
so no notifications bother me. When I'm done with the work day I make sure
that nothing work related stays open and that no one can contact me unless
it's an emergency. I'm considering splitting my one login on my laptop into
two, a work and a personal, and hard-blocking HN etc on the work one, and hard
blocking work on the personal. Or using Bootcamp and moving all my personal
computer use to Windows.

My Dad always told me that you should have an hour a day and a day a week to
yourself. When I was younger I laughed that off. These days I struggle to make
it my minimum ideal.

~~~
bicx
Your dad's a smart man. I have an hour or so to myself every morning, and some
days, I'm fairly certain that's the only thing that keeps me sane.

~~~
elros
Could you (also GP) elaborate on what do you do in this "you" hour? Genuinely
curious if it involves primarily things away from screens or not.

~~~
Saanti
Go for a run/hike or play the guitar, depending on weather and mood.

------
cyberferret
Way back nearly two decades ago, I set up an early version of ActiveSync on my
Palm Treo device. I noticed there was an option in the Treo email settings to
disable real time syncing between certain times (after office hours), but I
was SO excited about getting and responding to real time emails on my little
phone device that I thought "Who the HECK would want to stop this wonderful
flow of emails".

Later when I upgraded to the first gen iPhones, I noticed that they didn't
have the option to turn off ActiveSync at all. I thought it was odd, but I
still didn't mind.

Nowadays, I often leave my phone on DND or Airplane mode for large chunks of
the day. I am totally sick of the deluge of mail from what is now 6 separate
email addresses. I note that iOS 10 still hasn't got the ability to turn off
syncing between certain hours that I know of. On top of that, I have alerts
constantly popping up from Twitter, Slack, HelpScout, Intercom et al.

I think the whole "Work can wait" movement is a good one that needs to be
front and center at a lot of workplaces (and a lot of apps).

EDIT: Thanks to the responses below, I now realise that iOS 10 DOES indeed
have the capability to turn on DND during certain hours only! Winning.

~~~
Mithaldu
There's actually a nice feature regarding that in Google Inbox. It has adopted
the approach first featured in Opera 12's mail client:

Have _all_ mail pre-filtered into categories with a bayesian (or similar)
filter trained by the user themselves.

What this means in practice is that you have a bunch of categories for emails
that are not urgent, like purchase receipts, ads, mailing lists, etc. and you
_teach_ inbox which of the mails you receive belong in there, just through the
simple act of moving emails in and out.

Emails in those categories don't trigger notifications.

And for the _kinds_ of emails you consider urgent, you move them out of the
category they're in, let Inbox know "don't categorize this type of mail".

Only those trigger notifications.

The result of this is that your phone acts like a secretary on your emails. It
sorts them into various inboxes for you so you can review them later on, or
lets you know if something came in you might want to look at immediately. It's
not perfect, sure, it's more akin to a 12 year old playing secretary. However
it certainly stems the "tide" without forcing you to cut yourself off
entirely, providing a nice medium you can use for normal work time, leaving
DND mode for when you actually need exactly that.

~~~
cyberferret
Good tip - Yes, I do have this filtering turned on in my two main email
accounts, so that sales emails, newsletters, family emails etc. (even some
system related alerts) all get filtered into separate folders so I don't get
the constant 'dings' and don't see the app notification counter climbing like
an F1 car odometer! Google Mail/Inbox is very good at this, and I have never
missed any important client emails this way.

However, it would be nice if the dings completely stopped of their own accord,
say, after 6pm and didn't resume again until about 8am. (I know I can do this
manually as other have suggested, but I would really like to 'baby' my phone
less and have it figure out these things itself, or let me set it.)

After all, if the Google App can work out when I start my car and connect my
phone to my car Bluetooth on a Wednesday evening, that I am going to my mom's
place for dinner, and it tells me how long it will take to get there, surely
it can extend itself to holding off all emails for the evening so I can enjoy
a nice family dinner? :-)

~~~
Mithaldu
You have an iPhone, so i can't help there. Android already has quiet
hours/weekend/calendar event rules/automation. Maybe iOS will follow suit
soon.

But before that, iirc, people used automation/tasking apps. I.e. primitive
scripting interfaces in which you could say "when beyond this time, set to
DND" or "when near this GPS location, allow only phone calls". Maybe the
itunes app store has such automation apps?

~~~
ashildr
It's called "do not disturb" on iOS. Use it, it makes your life better.

[https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204321](https://support.apple.com/en-
us/HT204321)

------
dschuetz
That's what Microsoft should learn: People _say_ they worked in the bathroom,
or had meetings on lunchtime, when in fact they shouldn't. Keep your work at
bay, keep your work at work. Otherwise it puts you in the grave. Now,
Microsoft thinks that's what workers _want_ by totally misinterpreting their
usage studies. Hello?

Is anybody there, Microsoft? Are you endorsing burnout?! In case that you've
missed, people want to have their work done _before_ they go home. With your
crappy office software it was never possible, now it should invade our spare
time? Fuck you Microsoft, and get it done!

------
themgt
A little hyperbolic, based on a single line from an exec at a different
company in a single ad.

I get this is a great way to promote their brand, but it seems pretty close to
your standard in-group clickbait marketing:

1) pick a big target everyone can hate on

2) blow something minor out of proportion so you can claim outrage / assert
your values

3) profit

~~~
AznHisoka
i agree. i also think Microsoft isn't encouraging people to lose sleep and
work in soccer games, at bed, etc. People already are doing it and Microsoft
is simply putting out an ad that speaks and resonates with those people.

~~~
ekianjo
A big company should aspire to make life better, not worse. People don't need
to work more than they already do (unless they really want to, which is fine,
but most of the time they are expected to be always available).

~~~
AznHisoka
Tell that to McDonalds, Marlboro and hundreds of others.

A big, capitalistic company's only goal is to satisfy their stakeholders,
nothing more.

~~~
aaimnr
Yes, and by creating such a public resentment they won't satisfy their
stakeholders.

So it's our job to write articles like DHH wrote and make them as visible as
possible. No company is able to foresee all the negative consequences they can
cause (they should try, however, because it will and should hurt them).

It's up to the society to create strong negative signals that will counteract
and negate positive economic signals coming from any activities harmful to the
society.

------
phillc73
I have conflicting feelings about this article.

Firstly, I don't by choice use any Microsoft products, so this is not a
defence of that company.

Secondly, I also fully agree that work can wait and my employer should not be
intruding on my personal time, outside of office hours.

However, I have a passion for something and I have a young family. Between my
paid work commitments and the fabulous time I spend with my family, I have
only a limited amount of time to dedicate to my passion. I would like to hope
that one day, my passion can generate enough income that I can give up "work."
(I know that's a whole other conversation about whether that is a good thing).

What I really want are tools which assist in enabling me to make as much
progress with my passion, in the limited time available to me. If that means
doing something while on holiday, from work, so be it. Does it make me one of
the 47%?

There are of course lines which should be in place and a correct balance
found, especially when it comes to family activities. However, I do want tools
to keep me informed about the latest events regarding my passion and effective
ways to react to that news while away from a desktop/laptop computer.

~~~
prof_hobart
I agree. The critical question isn't "should I be attending a meeting when I'm
walking in the countryside?". It's "what's the alternative?"

If it's that you can be walking in the countryside when you would previously
have had to come into the office for a meeting, then that's great.

If, on the other hand, it's that you've now got no excuse for not working in
times you would previously have been resting, then that's pretty bad.

I work in a company that offers pretty good flexibility. You aren't expected
to be answering your emails when you're on holiday, but you are often able to
work from home if that helps with your particular situation.

I've got my kid's school play in a few weeks, and I could not do a full day in
the office and get back to watch it. But I can stay at home, work in the
morning and the evening, and then go to the play in the afternoon. I could
also choose to take the entire day off as holiday of course, but then I'd be
losing a day's holiday. I appreciate this kind of flexibility.

Of course, there's plenty of companies who take the opposite tack - if you've
got a work phone, you're now available to be working 24 hours a day, 7 days a
week. The advert at the bottom is pretty poor, because it seems to be very
much pushing that message.

But most of the original ones could be read either way.

~~~
phillc73
I must admit I didn't watch the new advert video due to the "do not track"
warning.

"This embedded content is from a site that does not comply with the Do Not
Track (DNT) setting now enabled on your browser.

Please note, if you click through and view it anyway, you may be tracked by
the website hosting the embed."

------
ekianjo
Nintendo is kind of following the same product positioning for their new
Switch console: it's not "work anywhere, all the time", it's "play anywhere,
all the time": game while you are going for a walk with your dog. Game when
you are in public transports. Game when you meet your friends. Game at night.
Game during the day. Game all the time. This kind of fight for attention is
getting really tiring.

~~~
coldnebo
There is no Balance and no Art.

Consider part of the reason work takes so long is the constant stream of
updates. Updates have killed more than one conference presentation.

Yet, when companies are faced with evidence that people don't like updates,
they force more, bigger, faster. Why don't they invest in fewer, more
meaningful, careful updates?

Treasure the customer's device as you would their home.

------
aaimnr
I'm surprised by the amount of comments denying even the sense of such
critique as DHH presented in the article.

The problem comes from a very narrow understanding of how 'capitalism/free
market economy/society' should work. In the original theoretical framework
that laid the ground for the modern economical system, David Hume (and Adam
Smith) talked about 'spontaneous order' that comprised _multiple_ social
signals, not just prices! Society and economy are complex adaptive system with
multiple inputs and any public indignation like this one are perfect examples
of signals that should act like 'invisible hand'.

The more such signals we'll allow, the better the optimisation will be, not
just in terms of economical efficiency, but also environmental friendliness,
quality of life impact etc.

Unfortunately neoclassical economy (including some Nobel price winners) seem
to be blissfully unaware of where they are coming from and they tend to ditch
social 'messiness' so characteristic for any complex system in favour of
simplified mathematical models.

For anyone interested, I really recommend the below:

1) This talk about the missing forgotten part of Adam Smith thought ("The
Theory of Moral Sentiment"), that significantly changes the understanding of
his perspective:
[http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2015/04/vernon_smith_an.htm...](http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2015/04/vernon_smith_an.html)

2) This article by Yannis Varoufakis on the idea of Spotaneous Order and how
it got oversimplified over the last 3 centuries:
[https://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2013/02/25/on-spontaneous-
order-v...](https://yanisvaroufakis.eu/2013/02/25/on-spontaneous-order-valve-
the-future-of-corporations-hume-smith-marx-and-hayek-a-one-hour-chat-with-
russ-roberts-on-econtalk/)

------
delegate
This. Work work work.

Work is the process of mapping nature into products and (then) waste.

If nobody needs the 'fruits' of your work, there's always marketing and
advertising which can make people want them.

This my friends is the reason our planet is fast becoming uninhabitable.

People doing too much work.

I think we've achieved a lot, now it's time to take a look around and take a
look inside.

Is it possible to build a society which is not built around the concept of
'work'?

Are there any other human values which could replace it ?

~~~
TeMPOraL
Work is fine. Bullshit work isn't.

> _Is it possible to build a society which is not built around the concept of
> 'work'?_

I hope so. I suppose it will happen, as more and more people realize there
isn't much to be proud about working anymore. We're not making food for our
community, we're not making sheets for someone else to make swords to protect
our community. We're making pointless websites that are meant to trick people
into buying some shit they don't need, all to make our boss richer.

Of course pop psychology is already on it, reminding us that what matters is
that we're working - our professionalism, our dedication, our skill. But at
some point I guess the society at large will get disillusioned about it and
realize there's nothing honourable in working, because most work is no longer
doing anything honourable. The pride of work is an outdated value.

------
gk1
That Surface Pro commercial struck me similarly. Working 14-hour days is a
sign of something terribly wrong, far from being an accomplishment to boast
about or to promote.

Several months ago I started leaving my laptop charger at work, so that the
time I spend on the computer at home is limited to the battery life. As a
result, I stopped staying up late (2am-), which has been a life-long habit
until then.

Two weeks ago, I stopped bringing _my laptop_ home. As a result, I've been
reading a lot more, going to sleep early, waking up early, and being more
productive at work despite spending less time working.

------
whiddershins
I really don't like this post.

The article is shoehorning an agenda and viewpoint in to an ad that is
essentially a profile of an unusual person.

I don't like the tone, I don't like the language, and I don't like the
judgemental assumptions.

It is obviously written by someone who doesn't know many working creatives,
and why some people approach work that way.

And it is assuming that the author knows what is best, and what makes everyone
happy, as if there are no variations in people in this world. I I find it a
shame a person could think they know better what someone else needs than they
do. Condescending. Insulting.

~~~
mafro
The author is well known for taking this kind of strongly-opinionated,
incendiary stance with his writing.

------
mherrmann
There are two aspects to this imho:

1) The glorification of a lifestyle completely dominated by work.

2) Microsoft offering products that you can use from anywhere, at any time.

The article is mostly about 1). But I do think that 2) is to be applauded.

------
cbernini
What really scares me is the fact that MS would present itself as a company
that now focus on enabling people, and then decides that by enabling they only
move towards getting work done, thus depriving people of the very life they
should be allowed to enjoy.

With all the current privacy discussion going on, it's kinda lame to work
somewhere you're supposed to take corporate phones and so on back home - EDIT:
considering the future might look like 1984 when it comes to surveillance.

------
atemerev
To those who complain: are you the person who is responsible for a potential
purchase of Office 365 license pack for your entire company? If not, then the
message in this advertising campaign is not targeted to you. It is targeted to
this person. Now, who they might be, and what _they_ will think of the
message?

(As a software engineer, I, of course, agree that this is terrible).

------
stuaxo
First one I'd seen that campaign, absolutely atrocious.

I've been working like that for the last couple of months the and it's really
not healthy. It has been at the expense of every other part of my life, I had
my own reasons but will be returning to a more balanced approach.

------
andrewingram
Article mashes up a valid grievance with an irrelevant attack on the quality
of Marvel films. Anger is a powerful tool, but it can really weaken your
argument if not used with precision.

I also think the message of this particular advert doesn't justify the
strength of this attack.

~~~
midgetjones
At the very least, it's ridiculous to call it a 'sweatshop'. The kid making
DHH's shoes would probably love to work for Marvel.

Yes, I am fighting hyperbole with hyperbole.

~~~
orly_bookz
I get your hyperbole but simply as a matter of course I'm gonna have to throw
a flag: that's the fallacy of relative privation.

~~~
aninhumer
It's not the fallacy of relative privation if the article _already_ made the
comparison to sweatshops. It's just pointing out an inaccurate (and arguably
tasteless) analogy.

~~~
midgetjones
Vindication!

------
gdulli
It's not about working 24/7\. It's about the ease and convenience of getting
something done during off hours in the occasional times you want to or need
to.

I don't work during off-hours because I have to or feel pressured to. I also
don't do it excessively. I do it because I like my work and care about the
uptime of my systems and sometimes I want to get ahead. This has paid off for
me in tangible ways, and I still enjoy a stress-free home life.

If you want to work 9-5 and then be done, that's fine. But don't act like the
alternative is morally wrong or that others can't exercise their own choice.

------
ourmandave
The culture you keep, determines your sleep.

#SamIAm

------
blahblah12
Seems like hyperbole. That's a single line in a single video of an executive
at a different company.

DHH on that self-promotion game

~~~
aaimnr
Have you seen these ads with guy sleeping with tablet etc? They are conveying
the same message.

------
nwah1
Pretending like the need for sleep can be ignored, given our current
physiology, is absolutely absurd. But I would be very much interested in any
work towards fundamentally reconfiguring our biology. I was hoping this was
the topic of the article, and was disappointed.

------
slowmotiony
I don't get the point of this article. The ads show an activity that a large
part of the population is already doing, and that Microsoft has a product
targeted to those people. What does the author have a problem with? Is someone
forcing him to work at home?

------
youdontknowtho
I think that the culture of working all the time is stupid, but so is blaming
it on a single company.

Why not blame Android for making this possible with all the useful mobile
devices. Or how about blaming the web for making access to information at all
hours of the day possible.

------
tlrobinson
DHH is coming from the "10 hour work week" perspective, which I'm sure many
people would be envious of, but it's not a reality most people live in.

That said, I do think mobile device usage outside of the office is more likely
to supplement rather than replace time in the office.

------
tener
Perhaps this campaign reflects the bubble the marketing team is in.

~~~
gk1
Having spent a year at a marketing agency, I can imagine this being the case.
People took pride in how long they stayed in the office. It was common to see
people still there at 10pm (myself included, I'm ashamed to say).

------
blubb-fish
is that #getitdone sheet really original Microsoft advertisement?

i have trouble believing that.

------
Kiro
Chill down.

------
abhv
Article is a rant with no substance

~~~
dschuetz
Yeah, that's why it's called a rant.

------
Ftuuky
It's easy: turn off your device when at home.

~~~
blowski
"It's easy to give up smoking - just don't buy cigarettes".

~~~
Senji
You joke, but this IS how I quit cigarettes. The impulse to smoke was
momentary and I'd reach into my pocket. Not having cigs there, I'd be slightly
miffed.

But as I was not buying any, a separate action on which I had taken a clear
stance for myself, I ended up not smoking unless in a group setting.

Over time I cut out on that too.

~~~
blowski
Despite never being a smoker, I know that my willpower is much too weak for
that to work.

~~~
Senji
I suggest training your agency. Read some Nietzsche :3

