Recently I received an offer for a new personal productivity application called “RescueTime” that claims to help me better manage my time by tracking my everyday activities, at work and in my personal life, thus making me a more productive person.
I’m all for self-improvement but this seems a little invasive, like self-imposed Big Brotherhood, looking over my shoulder at everything I’m doing.
For example, if I’m sitting at my computer and my mouse doesn’t move for more than two minutes a window pops up asking what I’m doing and directing me to check one of several options to explain my little downtime — in a meeting, on phone call, doing offline work or off to a bathroom break. It also monitors what computer programs I’m using and which websites I’ve visited.
At the end of each week I get an email with a productivity report including a detailed summary of my daily activities, with nice charts and graphs and all.
According to the company, also called RescueTime, it’s a web-based time management tool that doesn’t require data entry. All we have to do is install a “doohickey” (I hate it when they use technical terms) and the application tracks my computer. I can even assign a point value to different activities if I want.
Company co-founder Tony Wright, who according to his bio spends “a mess of time speaking about productivity,” refers to it as “the time management equivalent of a cholesterol test; we can tell you you’re not quite healthy but we can’t do anything to help you.”
Well if it can’t help manage my time and can only tell me when I’m wasting it, it’s not really a time management tool is it Tony? And in spite of its name the tool can’t really rescue the time I am wasting. Having invested the time to review their short demo (five minutes) I conclude it’s not a particularly useful application; in fact, it’s the last thing I want in my life. I’ve got better things to spend my money on.
Oh, it’s free. Well, I’m thinking that once installed on my computer I’d happily pay to have it removed. As ineffective as I may be, I’ll keep track of my own time thank you.
BTW — it took me 45 minutes to research and write this blog.
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