# What do you do when you are not here? Or when you ARE here?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [June 20, 2000, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974 "2000-06-20T13:32:05Z")
**Posts on this page:** 13
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@KimKatt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KimKatt)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/1 "2000-06-20T13:32:05Z")
I’m curious… how is that we all have as much time as we do to spend on this site?
I’m a Network Engineer. I am only on this site during the workday, usually. My job is to monitor the network when things are going smoothly, and to fix the network when things are not so smooth. So, as I do my best to keep things running smoothly, I end up with a lot of free time while I work - that is why I’m here.
And you?
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### Author:  [@CanadianSue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanadianSue)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/2 "2000-06-20T13:39:54Z")
When I’m on at home, I’m usually doing school work, laundry, yakking on icq, once in a while in the sd chat. At work I don’t post much, especially at this time of year, but I always check in for a quick read now and then or when someone emails me to read something.
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### Author:  [@Nika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nika)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/3 "2000-06-20T13:42:44Z")
I usually work afternoons and so I am on in the morning as I am SLOWLY waking up. It is a good way to slowly get the juices going. At one of my jobs I can be on, and then I am all the time because I do nothing at work!! But my other jobs keep me way too busy to get on.
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### Author:  [@Sledman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sledman)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/4 "2000-06-20T13:48:27Z")
When not here I am usually playing volleyball or hunting or fishing depending on the season. Actually a lot of gardening this year too.
When here…which coincides with work, I am testing software for our company. Some processes take a while to run thus allowing me some time to surf.
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### Author:  [@rubes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rubes)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/5 "2000-06-20T13:48:55Z")
I work as an email admin, and when I get free time, I’m here.
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### Author:  [@NothingMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NothingMan)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/6 "2000-06-20T13:48:57Z")
Strangely enough, I post most to this sight when I am at work. 😉
When not at work I enjoy reading (in the midst of a fantastic novel on alternative Civil War history), watching sports on TV (baseball especially), golfing (I suck, but with time I will only suck a little), playing video games (proud owner of both PS and DreamCast), and cooking (anything that starts with Ragu or HamburgerHelper is a plus). I did enjoy my girlfriend until she turned out to be the anti-Christ (thats another thread, really it is).
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### Author:  [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/7 "2000-06-20T14:25:44Z")
I do the majority of reading and posting at work. A lot of my job deals with keeping things running smoothly in a couple of different systems, as well as doing some reporting queries. So, I tend to end up with some free time while my computer churns in the background. I rarely post at home because I am usually outside or doing stuff around the house.
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### Author:  [@Crunchy\_Frog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crunchy_Frog)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/8 "2000-06-20T14:33:40Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*\*
> I’m a Network Engineer. I am only on this site during the workday, usually. My job is to monitor the network when things are going smoothly, and to fix the network when things are not so smooth. So, as I do my best to keep things running smoothly, I end up with a lot of free time while I work - that is why I’m here.
> \*\*
I do pretty much the same thing, except I’m a tech for a long distance phone company. As long as nothing’s broke, I can post here all day.
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### Author:  [@little\_bit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/little_bit)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/9 "2000-06-20T14:45:48Z")
I make commercials (post-production). The actual work is pretty spotty. You’re either running around pulling your hair out, or you’re bored out of your mind.
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### Author:  [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/10 "2000-06-20T14:49:52Z")
I dig the pits for pit toilets. When my partner, Bubba, is driving our utility truck, I connect on the road with my laptop and cellular modem. Back at the shack(home) we don’t have electricity or phone lines so…
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/11 "2000-06-20T14:59:46Z")
I do the next-best thing to “digging pits for pit toilets.” I’m a copy editor. So when I’m not busy (between-issues slump), I can goof off a bit. When I AM busy, I need my Dope to relax and wind down—so I’ll edit two or three articles, spend five minutes on the board, and do another two or three articles.
I’m “unplugged” at home, which is why you never hear from me evenings and weekends . . .
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### Author:  [@ultress](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultress)
#### Post date: [June 20, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/12 "2000-06-20T16:17:57Z")
I post at work and home. Usually I run in for a few minutes in the morning, again at lunch, then a few minutes maybe at night when at home. I don’t spend a lot of time on my computer at home during the summer because I’m usually outside doing something.
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### Author:  [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)
#### Post date: [June 21, 2000, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-do-when-you-are-not-here-or-when-you-are-here/22974/13 "2000-06-21T05:01:00Z")
Lately? I’m here.