Subj : RE: multi vs single tasking and whether you are on the spectrum
To   : hyjinx
From : k9zw
Date : Wed Aug 06 2025 13:22:34

On 04 May 2025, hyjinx said the following...
 
 hy> itself to being on BBSes a lot more. The problem with BBSing on a modern
 hy> PC is that modern OS's are multi-tasking. There are so many
 hy> pop-ups/notifications, other shit on the screen that vie for my
 hy> attention. I'm growing more and more aware that I might be at least a
 hy> bit ADHD or something on the spectrum and staying focussed on looking at
 hy> an MRC chat with other things vying for my attention is quite hard. But
 hy> on a DOS machine, it's single tasking pretty much, which makes me stop
 hy> and pay attention. I love it!- Let me know if you have similar feels
 hy> about multi vs single tasking and whether you are on the spectrum or
 hy> not. I'd genuinely love to hear from you.

Hey Hyjinx - it benefits to have a single-thread to one's engagement, but a lot of what you are seeing is common and natural.

Seems that everyone is on the spectrum, whether slightly or something more noticed.  

Tolerance for distraction definitely changes for a person over time.

Similarly the capabilities to multi-task change, often for the simpler, over one's life.

A way you can simulate this is to compare your personal effectiveness between a state of well rested and well fed/watered contrasting with a greater than 95% spent moment while hungry and thirsty.  

When in the highly challenged mode you will have a highly different effectiveness compared to the times when you are "up on all measures."

We also see this when people are unwell.  Their world gets smaller and they perhaps deal with a single task, rather than their usual.

Afraid Age also does some of this to us.

And I also think we mentally give up on wasting so much energy multi-tasking at low efficiency, maybe barely on some of the task-threads and develop a preference to do less tasks but to do them well.

Some say the cumulative accumulation of life toxins plays a role too.

All good stuff to know!

.... How do I set my laser printer to stun?

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2023/04/30 (Linux/64)
 * Origin: thE qUAntUm wOrmhOlE, rAmsgAtE, uK. bbs.erb.pw (1337:1/101)

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