I realized that people who stand around the window watching the construction workers are not actually doing anything useful
That's an interesting point of view. Certainly in office situations some of the most useful and enlightening conversations I have happen in a "water cooler" type setting. Cigarette break perhaps. Indeed, when I gave up smoking, I changed to chewing gum in the smoking area. The people who meet in random places spark new ideas, bring parts of a business (or community) together who ordinarily would have no reason to meet.
I certainly hear your point about addictiveness of comment ratings, but I think the value of randomly mediated conversation is huge. (As an aside, I started putting together a business presentation on how watching who talks to each other on a smoke break, water cooler run, etc. has valuable lessons for where communication lines may be missing in your organisation. Not always, sure, but there's hints there)
That's an interesting point of view. Certainly in office situations some of the most useful and enlightening conversations I have happen in a "water cooler" type setting. Cigarette break perhaps. Indeed, when I gave up smoking, I changed to chewing gum in the smoking area. The people who meet in random places spark new ideas, bring parts of a business (or community) together who ordinarily would have no reason to meet.
I certainly hear your point about addictiveness of comment ratings, but I think the value of randomly mediated conversation is huge. (As an aside, I started putting together a business presentation on how watching who talks to each other on a smoke break, water cooler run, etc. has valuable lessons for where communication lines may be missing in your organisation. Not always, sure, but there's hints there)