The Gang of Five

Beyond the Mysterious Beyond => The Fridge => Topic started by: Saft on August 30, 2010, 09:00:20 AM

Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Saft on August 30, 2010, 09:00:20 AM
I am terrible with multi-tasking.  There is too much to concentrate on that I often shut down.
I prefer to focus on one thing at a time...

What about you?
Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Mumbling on August 30, 2010, 10:22:47 AM
I voted yes, I'm pretty good at multitasking.

I can't really give any useful examples, though :p
Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Malte279 on August 30, 2010, 10:33:12 AM
I think I am "relatively" good at multi-tasking. Studying history and Anglistics along with some different fields from the so called "optional fields" (which are absolutely obligatory to take) I often had to balance a number of tasks at the same time.
If we are talking literally about doing two things at the exact same moment this depends very much on the nature of things. When I work on the computer I almost always listen to audio plays, audio books, audio documentaries etc. and I often do this also while I'm doing other stuff than computer work. While I chat I often listen or even watch documentaries too at the same time (my laptop being my TV is tempting in that respect). However, the quality of the multitasking with regard to hearing something while I work on something else is somewhat variable. The quality of or my interest in the stuff I hear while doing something else certainly influences how much I maintain from it. Sometimes I really note almost everything that is said, sometimes I get the basic ideas but might be hard pressed if I was later questioned about details or characters names, and sometimes I just turn it of after all when I notice that I really can't concentrate on it at all.
The last is most likely to happen when I am writing or reading stuff. This is the most attention demanding task and while I read an article or write something I am usually no good paying attention to spoken words over different matters entirely (that's where music may come in that is not as demanding on ones deliberate attention). When I draw, paint, embroider or do any such creative rather than intellectual work my mind is totally free and I have absolutely no difficulty listening to an audio play while doing some creative stuff. It may change again when I am listening for example to how a computer program works. While trying to figure out some hitherto unknown functions of photoshop or the like my attention for whatever I am listening to will drop.
One tricky thing is listening to audio books while playing computer games. The results there can very quite a bit. Of course games demand some attention but nevertheless I sometimes still take up most of the content of what I am listening too while at other times the game would get the better of the attention. I suppose here much depends in the interest of the one or the other.
The last two things I heard while doing totally other stuff at the same time where Friedrich Schiller's plays "Wallenstein" and "Maria Stuart" I understood the basic framework, context and conflicts of the plays but would be hard pressed if someone wanted me to go into details about them.
Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Drake on August 30, 2010, 08:37:27 PM
I voted "yes." Mostly based on my work at the computer. I almost always have some song blasting in my ears when I write, chat, or just surf. I'll also watch shows while chatting and I manage to keep up with both tasks pretty well. As for life outside the internet, my mind is usually formulating story ideas for something if I can spare the concentration.
Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Mirumoto_Kenjiro on August 30, 2010, 11:46:11 PM
For computer work, I have no problem multi-tasking.  Anything else is another story.
Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Littlefoot1616 on September 01, 2010, 07:05:46 AM
Depends what I'm doing. I mean, I can breathe and blink at the same time... does that count?  :p  :lol
Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Blitz on September 04, 2010, 10:42:35 PM
I'm exceptionally good at multitasking. I can listen to music on my new Acer laptop, browse the Internet, post in forums, and play my video games at one time. Sometimes I cut one of the tasks I'm doing in order to do another one (pausing whatever game I'm playing so I can post in this forum as well as a few others, play videos on Youtube, or browse the Web).
Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Spyro on September 14, 2010, 07:18:08 AM
Hmmm that is a tough one I did vote sometimes however. But I am usually good at Multi-tasking, this is most likely as I am a generation y member, as gen y grew up in the most advanced world of techology and we seem to know how to cope with it then the older generations (generation X and the Baby Boomers).

lol what we are learning in English this term, just had to say all that hehe.
Title: Multi-tasking?
Post by: Petrie. on September 15, 2010, 06:58:22 AM
Anyone who has ever chatted with me knows I cannot multitask....one thing at a time or nothing gets done. :p