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Companies go 'topless' at meetings

upi.com — Distractions from laptops and other devices are causing many San Francisco companies to say they are going "topless" -- no electronic devices at meetings. Many companies are banning electronics during meetings after getting increasing complaints of sidetracked workers slowing down productivity.

Who dugg this? Made popular Mar 31, 2008

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52 Comments

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  • bossm4n, on 03/31/2008, -1/+42Nice headline. That's probably the best double entendre I'll see all day. Of course I'd rather see the chick in the thumbnail go topless, and I don't mean nothing on her conference table.
  • localcats, on 03/31/2008, -0/+31This wasn't about boobs :(
  • RadiatedAnt, on 03/31/2008, -1/+18Buried as inaccurate :(
  • Poochyfud, on 03/31/2008, -1/+12Seriously though, people who text message during meetings or when they are talking to you are really annoying.
  • WiseWeasel, on 03/31/2008, -2/+12Too easy. In other news, how a saucy, misleading and completely irrelevant story headline can get your worthless story published by UPI...
  • Namco, on 03/31/2008, -1/+9Um hm... right... oh, what? Sorry, I was replying to an email there, what were you saying?
  • cranium, on 03/31/2008, -1/+8I used to work in an IT department where laptops were banned for meetings. What a bunch of luddites. It's Dilbert-like, they way they want you to sit through endless hours of *****. If what people were saying was at all interesting, people wouldn't get distracted. Needless to say, that team basically imploded due to lack of results some time after I bailed out in disgust.
  • zephc, on 03/31/2008, -0/+7They have it backwards. Meetings are what sidetrack people and slow down productivity.
  • bamafun, on 03/31/2008, -0/+7what I hate is going to a meeting about a meeting
  • odmonk, on 03/31/2008, -0/+6I thought they were going to say leaving out the top executive involved in the meeting would make it more productive. That was always my experience anyway: more got done when they had to step out of the room "for a minute" and handed it over to someone (usually the real workhorse, who wanted to get stuff done instead of meet in the first place).
  • Spoomeister, on 04/01/2008, -0/+4How hard is it to run a good meeting?
    Have few of them. Make sure they have a purpose. Handle issues outside of meetings when possible. If someone can use their laptop or PDA in a big meeting w/o saying "what? what? i'm sorry, repeat that", then power to 'em. If not, stop inviting them to your meetings.
    Pretty simple!
    And, when meeting with someone individually, put away the laptops and such. Ask for (and give) undivided attention. If the other person interrupts to take phone calls, text messages, etc. then ask them politely not to. If it happens again, take the hint and shoo; handle whatever it is later. If it happens to you often, perhaps you're ***** boring.
  • ahoyhoy, on 03/31/2008, -0/+4Not to mention people using laptops are like 90% likely to be doing something other than note-taking. I should know, I'm one of them.
  • PhilLesh69, on 04/01/2008, -0/+3People who text message and take calls and answer emails in meetings will stand out in the eyes of those who matter to their future at that company. Even though those backwater fools think that it makes them look important, or useful, they are simply making themselves look rude and inconsiderate.

    I've accidentally left my cell phone on ring, or even when it is on vibrate, and received a call during a meeting. I quietly look at the caller id, and press "End" so that the call goes to voice mail. Bosses notice this stuff. Especially in a meeting with the CEO or someone else high up. They see that as respectful, a good etiquette.

    On only a few occassions, I've asked to be excused to take the call, only because I am a web developer, and certain calls are completely excusable, like if a database server has crashed, or if the web site is under attack or something. But I explain that, and nobody has ever criticized that.

    Of course, I have to ask, as a web developer, what happens at a company that has banned laptops in meetings, when the topic of the meeting is the web site? Many a time I have brought my laptop, connected it to an LCD projector so that I could demonstrate a new feature on the site or a new technology we wished to incorporate into the site.
  • someguyouknow, on 03/31/2008, -2/+5No breast, no digg.
  • mal1964, on 03/31/2008, -1/+4Note this, pencils and paper kill trees!
  • RavagesOfTime, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2Dugg, for ruining people's day.

  • Frozenfuryblade, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3I am highly disappointed.
  • Xyc0, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2Too bad the majority of business meetings are useless. All of the information could be conveyed electronically and since most meetings are one-sided, there really isn't any emotion conveyed.
  • PhilLesh69, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2Yeah, and when the top person is in the room, so much time is wasted by the driftwood losers who are trying to impress the boss.
  • PhilLesh69, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2I worked in a new media/web dev shop. We had to bring our laptops to our own departmental meetings, and occassionaly brought our laptops, when necessary, to meetings with the CEO and assorted vice presidents.

    I can distract myself by doodling on a legal pad much more effectively than I can with a laptop. Once I start typing, I become too aware that everyone knows what I'm doing. I type 70 wpm, so it's not like it's quiet, everyone would stop and stare at the rat-a-tat typing noise.
  • EdmontonEh, on 03/31/2008, -0/+2Dirty Trix... LOL....
  • mal1964, on 03/31/2008, -0/+2I typed it, thanks.
  • slvrbullet87, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3note this... trees grow back
  • SilentRamble42, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2Kill.
  • inactive, on 03/31/2008, -1/+3Just kill them.


    Just kidding, talk to them about your problem and resolve the conflict peacefully.
  • inactive, on 03/31/2008, -0/+2Well, it could be about the inconsiderate boobs that always take a call from their cell phone during a meeting.
  • bstory, on 03/31/2008, -0/+2what no pictures?
  • PhilLesh69, on 04/01/2008, -0/+2honestly.

    There's got to be an update to the old saying "Those that can, do, those that can't, teach, and those that can't teach, consult."

    The people that call the most meetings are the ones least competent in their jobs, who are trying to impress their bosses and their boss's bosses.
  • wbeavis, on 03/31/2008, -0/+2You need to attend a few corporate meetings.
  • Pitstopper, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1hmmm....got a new buzzword - T.O.P.L.E.S.S. I am gonna use this word in my next meeting
  • sterni, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1yeah. I really have when you are trying to have a discussion and everyone is checking their email on their PDA/blackberry's.
  • mal1964, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1I made a mental note, Thanks
  • dupswapdrop, on 03/31/2008, -2/+3Well I did try to get nude Mondays going at my company!
  • PhilLesh69, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1I will agree that any meeting more than 15 minutes is a waste of vital productive time.

    The people who call all those meetings are the people who cannot do their jobs effectively.
  • PhilLesh69, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Come on, man. Are you that slow? That dull?

    I got the gist of the article from the headline, and then reading the synopsis made it ultra clear to me.

    I have a feeling you reacted with a perverse need to see topless women, and failed to use your intellectual ability to figure out innuendo and word-play.
  • PhilLesh69, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1KILLS THE EARTH?

    Really?

    Really?

    Do you understand how large this planet is? I don't think we're going to "kill" it.

    Lay off on the hyperbole.
  • Ringwurm, on 04/01/2008, -0/+1Pics or it didn't happen.
  • x0rcist, on 03/31/2008, -1/+1Buried for title inaccuracies.
  • jaytea90, on 03/31/2008, -1/+1Note this, using a computer uses electricity which requires power plants which requires a form of fuel, the by-product kills the earth.

    Earth > Trees
  • threelions66, on 03/31/2008, -2/+2 Old school corporate powerbroker types hate it when they are not the center of attention during their dog and pony shows. You can take all that stuff away and half of them will still spend the meeting daydreaming about their stock options.
  • garthkoyle, on 04/03/2008, -0/+0A company is lame if they can't conduct a meeting with technology in the room...embrace it and use it to keep people involved.
  • PhilLesh69, on 04/01/2008, -1/+1Do you mean those computer classes that have a computer on the desk in front of each student?
  • hokie47, on 03/31/2008, -3/+3Professors should do this too. I found in many classes, even some computer programing classes, that laptops just get in the away.
  • triassic911, on 04/01/2008, -0/+0awww man......
    I wanted to see some *****!
  • ehal256, on 03/31/2008, -1/+1Crappy article with an alluring title. nice. :/
  • inactive, on 03/31/2008, -1/+0hott
  • stonklit, on 04/01/2008, -1/+0Buried for inaccuracy.
  • boydrew, on 03/31/2008, -6/+0best nude office scene i've ever watched http://video.yahoo.com/watch/651156/3025838

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