Shades of Mediocrity

Ringtone abuse

Wow, a whole article about how annoying personalized cell phone ringtones can be in the office. I don't disagree that these can drive you up the wall, but is this seriously newsworthy? I love the whole "news you can use" spin on this, though -- as if this is advice that people need in order to realize that they're behaving like insensitive clods. Who are these people who think it's appropriate to have their cell phones ring during work meetings? And is this really the deciding factor in whether you make a good or a bad impression on your colleagues and managers? Seems to me that someone clueless enough to have their cellphone playing hit song du jour at full volume during work isn't too likely to be bowling co-workers over with their savvy and personal charisma, anyway.

I think inappropriate ringtones are among the least of our worries. How about the person in the next cubicle who leaves their cell phone at their desk while they go to lunch, and it rings repeatedly, even though they never pick up? Or people who for some reason find it necessary to talk louder on their cell phone than they do on their land line? Or the cluster of cell phone users near the window (where they can get reception), all chattering away with a finger jammed in their non-phone ear? Hmm...is this a bigger deal than I thought? Maybe this should be the first article in a series on cell phone abuse in the workplace, since this is clearly one of the burning issues of our time.