On Fri, Sep 20, 2013 at 02:43:27PM +1000, Russell Coker wrote:
Smokers have traditionally had lots of breaks throughout the day when non- smokers didn't.
No, smokers have *not* traditionally had more breaks. Smokers, like non-smokers, occasionally take small breaks that they are not technically entitled to (e.g. to chat, to smoke, to buy a chocolate or snack from a vendine machine, to go visit someone down the hall, etc) and some managers feel that harassing people over trivial offences causes more harm than good so let it slide.
For example on one occasion some smokers were outside the door of the small office where I worked telling jokes, they seemed to be having fun so all the non-smokers joined them. Then the manager went out and told everyone to get back to work. Smokers having some time off was apparently OK but when the non-smokers do so too it's an issue of lost productivity.
and the same thing happens whenever the number of slackers in any activity exceeds the manager's tolerance threshold. a small number of people crapping on about football or telling a joke or quoting last night's TV at each other will probably be tolerated for a short while but if half the office joins in, it will be shut down quickly.
On Fri, 20 Sep 2013, Rick Moen <rick@linuxmafia.com> wrote:
Quoting Craig Sanders (cas@taz.net.au):
actually, what you're talking about is NOT democracy. it's tyranny of the majority. or *a* majority.
Actually I'm surprised that the Libertarians never weigh in on such issues. Surely the right to have others not violate your air space is something that Libertarians should approve of.
WTF knows or cares what loony libertarians think? most of them would probably think "if it harms none, then do what you will". more likely, they'd think "if no-one's being coerced with a gun pointed at their head because that's the only kind of coercion that counts, then do what you like". more importantly, it's not the black and white issue you think it is.
It's not as if smokers are being prevented from smoking, they are merely prevented from smoking too close to other people.
yeah, it's not as if gays are prevented from being gay, they're merely being prevented from being gay too close to other people. craig -- craig sanders <cas@taz.net.au>