Sawmill Creek At Work

[John Coloccia]

What did you do for a living anyway, Joe? For the vast majority of careers out there, buckling down and working until your fingers are raw will not get you to an early retirement at 41.

FWIW, I was an engineer until last August when I finally got fed up and quit. I may go back some day. I doubt it.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

You said...

I said...

You said...

It still amounts to a bunch of people here taking exception, like they'd been
accused of something, when regardless of these peoples personal
situations, more and more companies are denying internet access and
cell phone use while people are at work. Especially companies that can't
ship things overseas, i.e. hospitals, trucking companies, etc.

They must see the lost value of not stoping these practices. So you
have to believe that companies who can send it overseas have one more
excuse to do so.

I don't disgree with that but....

It's important to understand that in my profession, I was on salary plus overtime. There were years when the overtime I worked amounted to 1/3 my total income that year. I got paged out of my oldest son's graduation. Not all jobs are 9-5 in a cubicle. I often could work in a MR suite or CT suite in a hospital and not see another human being for hours or a couple days on end. If I left to get lunch or coffee, maybe see someone....but the point is that my accessing the internet was not effecting my customers or my employer.....that was and is my original argument

[Garrett Ellis]

What did you do for a living anyway, Joe? For the vast majority of careers out there, buckling down and working until your fingers are raw will not get you to an early retirement at 41.

FWIW, I was an engineer until last August when I finally got fed up and quit. I may go back some day. I doubt it.

I am curious about this too... I must be in the wrong career!

[Bill Edwards(2)]

I don't disgree with that but....

It's important to understand that in my profession, I was on salary plus overtime. There were years when I the overtime I worked amounted to 1/3 my total income that year. I got paged out of my oldest son's graduation. Not all jobs are 9-5 in a cubicle. I often could work in a MR suite or CT suite in a hospital and not see another human being for hours or a couple days on end. If I left to get lunch or coffee, maybe see someone....but the point is that my accessing the internet was not effecting my customers or my employer.....that was and is my original argument

But Ken, you keep talking about your experiences. You know the real world.
It usually doesn't have a lot to do with fair. People lose jobs because they complained
one too many times. Companies make "policy" on a whim. The guy in IT doesn't like you
and starts watching your activity, next thing you know... "Where's my resume?"
And your departure causes the company to re-address their policies.

Just sayin'

[Bill Edwards(2)]

I am curious about this too... I must be in the wrong career!

C'mon guys, think outside the box (I hate that expression)

I'll have to be scarped off this keyboard someday, but my BIL who does a little
better then me will retire young and well off because my sister invested well.

[Joe Angrisani]

John and Garrett.... I was a lowly mechanic. I ran my own Porsche-Audi repair shop for the better part of 20 years. Took a chance when I was young and could afford to lose it all, and it worked out. Saving 50% of everything I've made since I was 16 helped, too, but 12 and 16 hour days through the years didn't hurt. Learning how to invest my savings myself to MY best advantage was a major factor, too. I guess I had two secrets: 1) It's not what you make, it's what you want [as I like to say, "make more", or "want less"]. And 2) It's not what you make, but how you grow your savings.

[Bryan Morgan]

Bryan.... All along I was speaking about averages. There are certainly those who perform above and beyond, as you and others who defended themselves previously do. But the average has deteriorated, and hours and hours and hours are wasted every day by people "on the clock". I'm not talking just SMC. Any forum I've ever browsed shows FAR MORE posts during working hours, with lulls during non-work hours.

Keep in mind time zone differences, people on lunch or break, taking the day off, etc... They may not be posting when you think they are posting.

[Belinda Barfield]

John, I have to admit this thread has made me look at how I work differently now than in the past. At one point I worked from home as a subcontractor doing medical transcription. I was paid purely on production, by lines of type. It was not unusual for me to churn out 2000 to 2500 lines of type per day. I think my best year I topped out at $42,500. I worked as if I was in an office based setting from 8 to 5 or 5:30 as hard as I could go most days, no web surfing, no e-mail chats, etc. Now, I frequently find myself with time on my hands at work and that's when I hit the Creek. I have to be here but there's not much else I can do if I'm not researching new products or new markets. I do go out to the shop and help out if I can be of help.

[Brian Elfert]

Some companies are finding that college graduates simply won't come work for them if they block Facebook access. These are obviously career fields that are in high demand as many college graduates can't even find any work at all right now.

My employer does not block Facebook because there are employees who legitimately need access as part of their job.

[Dennis Peacock]

Just be aware that this thread is subject to being closed at any time. This thread has wandered far from the original topic as posted by the OP.

[Phil Thien]

John and Garrett.... I was a lowly mechanic. I ran my own Porsche-Audi repair shop for the better part of 20 years. Took a chance when I was young and could afford to lose it all, and it worked out. Saving 50% of everything I've made since I was 16 helped, too, but 12 and 16 hour days through the years didn't hurt. Learning how to invest my savings myself to MY best advantage was a major factor, too. I guess I had two secrets: 1) It's not what you make, it's what you want [as I like to say, "make more", or "want less"]. And 2) It's not what you make, but how you grow your savings.

My dad used to collect Porsches when I was just a kid. One of my fondest memories is of him taking me up north to Door County (northern Wisconsin) in a 356C into which he had just installed a new engine (he did all this work himself). I was about ten, and well aware that we were substantially exceeding the speed limit most of the way there. But once we got about 20 miles away from the cottage, on back roads he was familiar with, he really opened it up. Better than a roller coaster.

He sold those cars before my brothers and I started to drive, so I never got to experience one from behind the wheel. I had always thought those cars were similar to VW's, but in later years my dad told me that particular car had a 175-HP (I think) engine it it, which is a lot of HP for a car that size, I suppose.

So you started your own Porsche repair shop when you were 20? Wow! Is it still around (did you sell it when you retired)?

[Martin Boekers]

Now if you are talking about the "Off Topic" forum I can understand that, but I feel
some of the others areas enhance how I work.

I have found many answers to problems I encounter during the day that have helped in
making deadlines. Just as others have helped me, I in turn try to help when I can.

If it wasn't for monitoring the Engraving forum I would be quite a bit farther behind today.

I don't feel it's a waste of my employers time, and consider how many hours I put in
on my own time they don't think it's a waste either.

I encourage my co-workers to monitor the Engraving forum when they have time to fit it
in as I feel it is indispensible.

[Keith Outten]

Some may be surprised to find out that there are Architectural firms that use SawMill Creek as a source for information concerning all things woodworking, particularly finishing. You might also be surprised at how many professionals visit The Creek every day searching for information relevant to their business. Add to these visits the people who represent machine manufacturers and suppliers who visit often to find out more about your interests, wish list items and dislikes.

Possibly you don't pay attention to the numbers here, you can view who is online at the bottom of the main forum page. Often you will see 300 registered Members logged in and at the same time 600 visitors. There are over eleven thousand active Members here who represent only a small percentage of over 20 million page views we received last month.

Because we archive threads and posts the information shared here has become a valuable resource, not to mention over 128,000 pictures and other file attachments. Wake up and smell the coffee folks the world is watching and reading everything you post here. If your goal is to share your knowledge with others you couldn't pick a better place to do it than right here.

There are currently 454 users online. 96 members and 358 guests at 1:55 am here in Virginia.
.

[Dan Hintz]

Possibly you don't pay attention to the numbers here, you can view who is online at the bottom of the main forum page. Often you will see 300 registered Members logged in and at the same time 600 visitors. There are over eleven thousand active Members here who represent only a small percentage of over 20 million page views we received last month.

I think I contributed about 1 million of those page views myself

[Van Huskey]

Interesting subject. I am 43 and kinda sorta not really retired, I actually hate the term. I built and sold two businesses and I am piddling with a third. I got extremely lucky in that I cashed out most of my stocks just before the tech bubble burst and then again just before the recent implosion. No far sightedness on my part it was to start my second and third businesses.

I work when I want to and post when I want to, so far my new endeavor is just me so I don't effect anyone's life by goofing off other than my own. My first business had 40-50 office staff at anyone time, the internet wasn't what it is now but at any one time probably 7-8 of them were playing solitaire and another 7-8 were probably chatting with their co-workers. They all had a job to do and I knew if it didn't get done. They also knew if they didn't get their jobs done they were gone. None of my employees hated to see me coming and didn't even bother to close the game window when I walked up. I could however count on every single one of them to work like bees if I had a deadline. They were very productive and though they did not do a job that could be outsourced I never would have had a reason to consider it were it possible and in vogue at the time.

In the end I don't think unofficial use of the internet actually make us less productive as a whole, there has always been things at work to distract people and give them an excuse to waste time. In my opinion the transfer of jobs outside the country is a simple matter of consumers wanting more (as in quantity) for less money. An example close to home is you can equip an entire hobby shop with machines and tools that are built right here in the US or for our northern neighbors built in Canada. If anyone here has one of those (all bought new) I am unaware of it but with all the members there is bound to be a couple.