Twitter 'costs British economy £1.38bn'

[snopes]

Social networking websites such as Twitter are costing British businesses £1.38 billion a year in wasted time, a survey claims.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolog...my-1.38bn.html

[Jahungo]

And of course these otherwise studious employees wouldn't have wasted any of this time in discussion by the water cooler or anything like that.

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Jahungo

And of course these otherwise studious employees wouldn't have wasted any of this time in discussion by the water cooler or anything like that.

Errm, we generally don't have water coolers in our offices and where we do, it's not a gathering/gossiping place. Where I work there are water coolers (introduced a few years ago due to a very hot summer), but they are located in places where people just get a cone of water and leave, they aren't in areas conducive to gathering and chatting.

Where I work we have small galleys on each floor with a boiling water dispenser for making tea and coffee (and other things that require boiling water) and even there you don't get people gathering and chatting.

[AnglRdr]

"Water cooler" is more a metaphor than an actual place anymore.

But Jahungo's point is good; there is more than one way to be "nonproductive" while at work, so it's silly to blame it on social networking sites.

As I recall, there have also been studies done that show that people who can take short mental vacations during the work day are more productive overall. Or that could be a very elaborate justification of my workday activities.

[llewtrah]

Where I work, computer services have blocked Twitter, blogging sites, Facebook, Flickr, Yahoogroups, numerous forums and messageboards etc. Being a defence organisation, mobile phone use is prohibited so none of those can be accessed by text or WAP either (you'd have to go offsite to use personal mobiles and that means going through security points so it is noticeable).

(Not having a water cooler culture here, the water cooler metaphor didn't click)

[Tarquin Farquart]

Originally Posted by llewtrah

(Not having a water cooler culture here, the water cooler metaphor didn't click)

We certainly have inane chats about last night's TV etc., but not near a large water dispenser. (which we DO have)

Our "galleys" are known as "tea points".