James Shelley asks Is It Worth the Interruption?:
Before you post it, tweet it, or press that Submit button, ask yourself one simple question: Is it worth the interruption that it will cause others? Supposing the roles were reversed, would you desire that article of data you are publishing to invade your consciousness?
While I agree that it is my responsibility to publish useful content and send meaningful emails (when necessary), it is also the responsibility of the recipients to operate in ways that make sense for them.
As a consumer of information, I don't need to have email, twitter, RSS reader and other sources popping into my consciousness every time there is a new update. It is not the job of the tools to decide when I should pay attention. And it is not the job of the sender to decide when I should pay attention. It is my job as a knowledge worker in 2011.
I have suggested many times that this is something people should work out together. Talk to your team about how you want to use email, IM, the phone, etc. Don't just assume that everyone has the same habits (or needs) as you - make it an explicit part of the social contract of your work together.
Found via a tweet from Euan Semple
[Photo: "interrupted" by Frozen Coffee]