greg hughes - dot net

Sean Gallagher writes at eWeek online. In his column, Root Access, he asks, "How connected is *too* connected?"

Do I have OCD? (Obsessive Connectivity Disorder) Do you?? My results are noted below, in-line... Damn Blackberries...

Gallagher: "I think that I've allowed myself to actually accumulate too much connectivity. As a remote employee of a highly-distributed organization, it's important for me to be as wired in as possible. But sometimes that may go a bit too far. As I sat in my car at a stop light responding to an instant message on my cell phone, I pondered exactly where I crossed the line into connectivity stupidity.

"Here's a simple test to determine if you have what I've come to call "obsessive connectivity disorder." The symptoms are listed in order from least to most severe; if you get more than halfway down the list, then you probably have OCD."

E-mail connectivity :

• You have more than one e-mail account that you check from work. YES
• You have more than one e-mail client running on your PC. YES
• You have more than one e-mail account that you check from a mobile device. YES
• You move information from one device to another by e-mailing it to yourself. YES
• You have read e-mail while at a sporting event. YES
• You have read e-mail while coaching a sporting event. NO
• You have read e-mail while participating in a sporting event. NO
• You have read an email while driving. YES
• You have responded to an e-mail while driving. YES
• You have responded to an email while home, in bed. YES :-(
• You have sent an e-mail from your phone to your Blackberry just to find it in your drawer. YES :-(

Instant messaging:

• You have more than one instant-messaging client running on your desktop PC. YES
• You have an instant messaging client running on your mobile phone. YES (in the past)
• You frequently see the AOL Instant Messenger alert, "Your screen name is now signed into AOL(R) Instant Messenger (TM) in 3 locations." And all of those locations are you. NO (AIM Sux0rz)
• You have more than two instant messaging clients running on your mobile device. And they're both active. NO
• You have instant-messaged yourself a reminder at your desktop from a mobile device. YES
• You IM your children to tell them to take out the trash. While you're at home. Uh - NO
• You have responded to an instant message while driving. On your cell phone. And it was more than just, "OK." YES