Top 5 Sites to Help You Stray from Productivity at Work
Productivity is overrated.
If, over the course of the workday, you find yourself surfing the web for some brief entertainment, you may come up against several problems: Some sites can suck you in and take you away from your work for too long, while others are difficult to sift through; some sites are too intellectual, while others are overly silly; and some sites are just pointless (see: BaconOrBeerCan.com where you try to discern the difference between a pronunciation of “bacon” and “beer can”).
So, for the times you want some quick and rejuvenating office entertainment, here’s a list of five websites that aren’t too distracting and might even make you a more productive worker:
Gizmodo.com
Gizmodo is the consummate tech blog. It offers the latest and greatest in the weird world of technology and science. The nexus of pop culture and geek culture, Gizmodo is sleek and accessible, and is chock-full of current articles that cover topics ranging from reviews of designer 3-D glasses to how-to’s on freeing up email space or archiving important messages for easy accessibility. With an eye towards the everyday applicability of new and exciting technology, Gizmodo can simultaneously give you a break from your day and teach you something new about how to use technology to boost your productivity.
EatYourSerial.com
If you love to read and have found that hiding a novel under your desk is inconvenient (or too obvious), EatYourSerial is the site for you. The site releases stories serially, in installments delivered weekly. Each day between Monday and Friday, one chapter from one story is released. If you read a chapter a day, you’ll eventually find yourself immersed in five or six storylines at a time. And your boss will never know. Reading a chapter takes only ten or 15 minutes, but can sate your appetite for something creative and entertaining amidst a long business day. Also, EatYourSerial features mainly up and coming writers, giving you something new and current (not to mention intellectual) to talk about around the water cooler.
NOTCOT.org
Sometimes, after spending hours fiddling with numbers or scanning words on the screen, your eyes simply need to be reinvigorated. The surprising designs and masterful creations hosted on NOTCOT can give you that much needed boost. NOTCOT is a network of design sites that allows designers (from architects to engineers) and artists (from painters to documentary filmmakers) around the world to show off their stuff. After only a few scrolls, you are likely to find something you’ll the forward to your office buddies under the heading: “You have to see this!”
Instructables.com
Like NOTCOT, you are liable to be astonished by some of the things you will find on Instructables. The site combines innovation and instruction by presenting members’ amazing creations along with DIY instructions. Whether it’s how to make homemade candy bars or innovative ways to wear your mustache, Instructables has what you’re looking for and can even tell you how to make it. So if your mind is wandering as you work on your presentation and you get the hankering to know how to make your own sparkly playdough when you get home, Instructables is the place for you.
Cracked.com
Whether you’re the office “funny guy” looking for material or just a regular worker bee searching for something that will make you smile, Cracked offers an extensive and varied database of laughables. Unlike other comedy sites that rely heavily on video content, Cracked is not too distracting and is easy to set aside once you need to get back to work. The site’s “photoplasty” section offers some of its most clever and witty material, like “If Classic Movies had Made the Worst Possible Casting Decisions” that features Woody Allen as a Sith Lord in Star Wars, or “If Famous Photographs were Off by a Second” that shows Abraham Lincoln with cross-eyes licking his nose in his iconic black and white portrait. Most often, Cracked will make you smile and giggle, but beware of the intermittent guffaw.
