Illustration: Christoph Niemann One of my coworkers, a rising star at the firm, is using unprescribed modafinil to work crazy hours. Our boss has started getting on my case for not being as productive. Should I tell him about my coworker's pharmaceutical enhancement? Or should I start taking modafinil, too?
Your workplace sounds pretty hostile as is, and snitching to the boss may make it even more hellish. If you rat out the pill popper, you're likely to earn a tattletale rep around the office. And don't assume your boss will take action if you alert him to the modafinil issue; there's a chance hewon't care as long as work is getting done. So unless company policy compels you to report behavior of this nature — check that employee handbook — resist the urge to squeal.
But Mr. Know-It-All understands your urge to do something, since your ambitious coworker is messing with your livelihood. You might start by approaching the modafinil user and airing your grievances mano a mano. "This is one of those places in life where the golden rule may be a pretty helpful guide," says Christopher Bauer, founder of Bauer Ethics Seminars and author of Better Ethics Now. "I'm sure you would rather someone talked to you directly than go to the boss." Make clear to your colleague that he's creating bad blood in the office, a situation that will ultimately leave him isolated and despised.
If the guy won't listen, you can try ratcheting up the pressure by employing some outside help. Ask the human resources department to circulate a memo reiterating the company's drug-use policy; that might make the cheater fear the jig is up. Or consider dropping some background information on modafinil in your boss's inbox; it might get him thinking about whether any of his employees are juicing without you having to do any straight-up snitchin'.
Then again, perhaps you should just accept that your drug-enhanced colleague has the upper hand in stamina, and focus your efforts on improving the quality of your own output. After all, raw energy isn't everything, and you should be careful not to let it psych you out. If your boss is halfway intelligent, he'll value excellence over sheer hours in the office.
You could, of course, just start taking modafinil yourself — something Mr. Know-It-All can't endorse unless you have a legitimate prescription. But before you hit the doctor's office, ask yourself: Do I really want to work for a company that makes me take powerful drugs just to keep my head above water? A career reevaluation may be in order.
I made an embarrassing factual error on my blog. Am I obligated to use strikethrough on the gaffe, thereby calling attention to my idiocy forever? Or can I just delete the offending sentence and pretend it never happened?
If you want your blog to be taken seriously, you'll have to take your lumps on this one. "If you publish something inaccurate on your blog, you owe it to your readers, yourself, and the victim of the inaccuracy to be up-front about it," says Jonathan Dube, president of the Online News Association. "That means not just correcting it but noting that the information was corrected." Using strikethrough is the simplest, most transparent way to accomplish this. But if your error was particularly egregious — and perhaps even libelous — you can remove the sentence entirely; just make sure you include a prominent note saying that something has been removed and apologizing for any inaccurate information you might have posted.
No one likes to eat humble pie, but you'll gain readers' trust and respect by being forthright. And keep in mind that an inadvertent error, no matter how foolish, isn't a hanging offense — if it were, every journalist would be dead.
Illustration: Christoph NiemannIs it rude to use my laptop on the bar at the local watering hole? My neighborhood pint-puller always shoots me the stinkeye when I open my MacBook by his taps.
As long as you're a good customer, you have every right to compute while getting buzzed. "If you're spending money and tipping well, and you want to check your email, I don't see why any bartender would have a problem with that," says Jeffrey Morgenthaler, a veteran barkeep in Eugene, Oregon, who blogs about bars and mixology.
Just don't be a jerk about it. Fitting in a little work while having an early-evening pint is one thing; chortling at YouTube videos while a crowded bar is trying to catch the NBA playoffs is another. Don't take up any more than your allotted 24 inches of counter space, and don't nurse the same beer for two hours. But most important, remember what the man said: Don't forget to tip. You'll be amazed how much goodwill a few extra bucks will buy.
Oh, one final don't: Don't blame the bartender or other patrons if your MacBook accidentally gets doused with Guinness — it's going to happen eventually.
Need help navigating life in the 21st century? Email us at mrknowitall@wiredmag.com.
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