“Give a person a fish and you feed them for a day; teach that person to use the Internet and they won't bother you for weeks” ~Unknown

Sitting at your desk this morning, did you check your calendar? Did you check your inbox? Did you check your voicemails? Did you say "Hello" to co-workers (if you work for a firm or corporation)? Did you have your cup of coffee, tea, or 48 ounces of Diet Coke? Did you tell a few jokes? Did you linger in the bathroom or wander the halls? Did you cruise through YouTube to check out Susan Boyle's latest performance on Britain's Got Talent? Did you visit facebook or myspace to catch up with friends?

If you did any or all of these things, how much time did you waste? Virtual Loitering takes us away from the understanding that "Time is Money." How often we lose minutes and/or hours peeking into someone else's world or expanding our own? It depends upon how disciplined you are as you make your networking rounds. Many of these tasks may be a necessity in your work day but getting caught on the web may have the same effect as getting caught in a web.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave..." The distractions that take us away from specific job duties are many and tend to eclipse important job functions; easy when the reward is a quick www dot fix. Discipline is key and as sanctimonious as it may seem, it is imperative. Lack of order or control of one's activity can lead to bad habits, misconceptions, and the wrong kind of attention. With the continued occurrence of layoffs and threats of layoffs, on-the-job behavior is being closely monitored.


Many companies only provide an intranet, banning world wide web activity. While it is true that internet exploring is an important part of work in this day and age, it is also true that virtual loitering can have a significant impact on productivity. Draw yourself a line and stay behind it, restrict personal activity to reflect only necessary internet travel. Save facebook perusal for after work. Spend less time at the coffee maker. Save web surfing for non-work hours, unless it is part of your actual job description.

“The Internet is so big, so powerful and pointless that for some people it is a complete substitute for life” ~Andrew Brown

Big, powerful, and pointless, an apt description in most cases and far too shallow for others. The trick is to know when to say, "when."

by rayannethorn