[lg policy] Is it ok to sit and use a laptop during... - please vote!

Sat Jun 7 23:38:55 UTC 2014

Although some qualifying comments were added below the poll options, the poll itself didn’t address *how* the devices might be being used in those various circumstances, which makes a very significant difference for me.  I find that many people are indeed able to attentively take notes on a computer as they follow a presentation or meeting (in fact, sometimes better with touch typing than with notes by hand) *without* distracting others because, in a very real sense, they aren’t distracted themselves; they are very present.  When I am in an audience or participating in a meeting, I am not distracted by others who are taking notes with computers.

However, as an audience member or meeting participant, I do tend to be distracted by those doing e-mail, messaging, and other tasks not directly related to the event at hand.  Their inattentiveness somehow draws attention.  It’s worse the closer I am to them, and I sometimes find myself having to relocate in some instances.

-RJS
===========================
Richard J. Senghas, Ph.D.
Chair of the Faculty
Professor, Anthropology
Sonoma State University
1801 East Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928-3609
Richard.Senghas[at]sonoma.edu<http://sonoma.edu>
707-664-3920 (fax)

[cid:434DEF48-42B8-447E-9E7B-7B43C590AFCA at sonoma.edu]

On 7Jun, 2014, at 1:49 PM, Joyce Milambiling <joyce.milambiling at uni.edu<mailto:joyce.milambiling at uni.edu>> wrote:

I didn't get a chance to respond about the laptop, but I definitely have strong opinions about tweeting during presentations.

I gave a talk in Europe last year and right before I started they announced that some of the audience would be tweeting to each other during my talk.

It was awful--it was hard to make eye contact and who knows what they were saying to each other. Also, I have no idea if their private conversations contributed anything to the open question and answer period afterward.

I think that listening, really listening, is a valuable skill and that constantly being engaged with technology is interfering with developing and sustaining good listening habits in faculty and students alike.

On Saturday, June 7, 2014, Dave Sayers <dave.sayers at cantab.net<mailto:dave.sayers at cantab.net>> wrote:
> Ok the responses are beginning to level off now, and with 105 responses so far, some trends seem clear:
>
> Pretty well level-pegging with 72 (68.6%) and 71 (67.6%), respectively, are laptop usage during a public guest lecture (say 50-150 attendees), and during a plenary / keynote talk in a conference. Slightly lower, but probably not significantly lower, with 64 votes (61%), is laptop usage during a regular conference presentation.
>
> With 47 votes (44.8%) and 36 votes (34.3%), respectively, are using one's laptop during a departmental seminar (say with around 30 attendees) and in a departmental meeting (say around 15 participants).
>
> Only two people (1.9%) thought it was acceptable to use a laptop during a family dinner, while twice as many people (3.8%) saw it as acceptable during sex (I suppose it depends whether you're participating or just watching). The same percentage, 3.8%, thought it acceptable to tap away during dinner with colleagues. Make of that what you will.
>
> So there we are: a quantification of laptop etiquette. If we go by democracy / tyranny of the majority, then it is now Officially Acceptable to use a laptop during conference presentations and conference plenaries. Nudging up against Official Acceptability is laptop use during talks within the usual university schedule. Other settings remains largely off limits.
>
> Needless to say, this limited sample provides only a small snapshot of opinion, and must be followed up with a larger scale handsomely funded research project. Any takers?
>
> Dave
>
> --
> Dr. Dave Sayers
> Senior Lecturer, Dept Humanities, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
> Honorary Research Fellow, Arts & Humanities, Swansea University, UK
> dave.sayers at cantab.net<mailto:dave.sayers at cantab.net> | http://swansea.academia.edu/DaveSayers
>
>
>
>
> On 04/06/2014 15:00, Dave Sayers wrote:
>>
>> Conference season is upon us. This brings up the important etiquette question of
>> whether it's ok to use your laptop during the talks. But this is also a question
>> that's relevant year-round in other settings. I thought I'd set up a poll to
>> establish the answer. Please vote!
>>
>> http://doodle.com/a78wgz577xypf8ce (click 'Show all 8 options' on that page)
>>
>> I'll email back at some stage to flag up the results.
>>
>> And yes, I am typing this during a conference presentation, which I'm finding very
>> interesting and managing to pay attention to :)
>>
>> (Please pass this around to interested other folks; it applies across all disciplines.)
>>
>> Dave
>>
>> --
>> Dr. Dave Sayers
>> Senior Lecturer, Dept Humanities, Sheffield Hallam University, UK
>> Honorary Research Fellow, Arts & Humanities, Swansea University, UK
>> dave.sayers at cantab.net<mailto:dave.sayers at cantab.net> | http://swansea.academia.edu/DaveSayers
>
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--
Associate Professor
TESOL M.A. Program Coordinator
University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614-0502

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