I thought this was a really interesting article about modern communication: Patrick Rhone: Thoughts on "The Pleasures of Uninterrupted Communication" (and managing expectations), referencing a Cory Doctorow article, The Pleasures of Uninterrupted Communication.

Now, all of this has changed around. Now, because there are so many ways for people to place the responsibility of follow-up upon us, even while we are “not available”, it adds up to increased workload and stress placed upon us. I think one of the many dangers of our growing “always connected” society is the idea that license is given to others to always have a way to interrupt others at anytime. The expectation has already been set by the sheer existence of tools that provide ever increasing ways to get our attention. People naturally assume that everyone treats these tools as they do. If they prefer (or are conditioned to) jumping on their email, mobile phone, “crackberry” every time it buzzes or blinks, then they, somewhat naturally, assume the same of you. The onus is therefore upon each us to manage those expectations to fit our needs.

Recently, to save my sanity, I stopped checking my work email at home in the evenings and on weekends. I used to think that people would be impressed with my work ethic -- every once in awhile someone would notice that I'd answered an email at midnight, and would mention it in their reply -- "Wow, you're working late!" And I'd also feel like it gave me an edge in that I had advance knowledge if something was blowing up, or something needed handling.

But unlike a fire fighter or a doctor on call, I'm not on duty 24/7, and I've decided not to act as if I am. The emails will be there on Monday morning, probably several hundred of them. Sure, I could get a head start by accessing them now and deleting the spam, forwarding the ones that need someone else's attention, responding to the ones I can, but why? When I come home, I want to truly be at home, not treating my home as an adjunct office.

I need a break from the office, and if I actually have a weekend, and especially a long weekend, I have to think that I will be more productive when I go back. But even if I'm not, by taking that physical and mental break, I'm giving myself some much needed peace.