Are you busy @ work ,, or are you pretending... ???

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Disclaimer ::: The content written in this post are not meant to contradict any person or individual. The person in picture is none other than me. I have no hard or harsh feelings against any particular individual, (IT Guy or non IT Guy to be more specific). All the views expressed here are from my point of view.
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Frankly speaking, as a programmer, I spend almost 9 hrs in front of the computer @ my workplace. I still have one question which haunts me.

" If a software engineer says he is busy, I wonder, whether
> is he really busy or
> is he just pretending to avoid people
> or may be he's just passing time as he may be on bench (no assignments)" .

Its very difficult for me to have a convincing answer for this question, frankly speaking, I do not have answer, nor want an answer, coz, I myself have been in one of the three situations one or many times.

But let's take the a non software engineer's point of view.

Assume if I was a mechanic, if I would be repairing cars (which I would love to have done if not IT), and if I say I am busy, people around me could clearly make out that I am busy, coz I am performing some mechanical task.

But consider me as a software engineer now. If a person unaware of software / IT, asks me, are you busy and I stay " yes ", he believes it.

I am not tightening any screws but at the same time I may not be doing anything productive as well. But how does the poor chap come to know (that I am actually not busy). What if another software engineer asks me the same question without peeping into the monitor or what if I do not lift my head for 8 hrs and keep on typing something ?

People really think I am totally busy, with a donkey's workload.

But how do they know what the truth is, I may be
> Playing Solitaire
> Investing in shares via online trading / telephone trading.
> Chatting with friends over a messenger.
> Checking / Forwarding personal mails.
> Listening to songs (this one is visible.. )
> Browsing the internet for no reasons.
> .. and many more.

What made me write this post ?? No idea..
But I just wanted to bring out the IT guy's idea of being busy when seen through the eyes of a non IT guy.
[Finally a non IT guy like a electrical maintenance guy would always feel I am busy, since I am peeping into my monitor and typing or reading something. I wish they too could find out how busy we actually are.]

PS:: IT Guy tells another IT Guy " I am busy, with work / in a meeting " .. I would appreciate if you could peep into the monitor and look as to what he is busy with or ask for MOM (Minutes of Meeting).