How We Work 2015: Eric Ravencraft: Gear and Performance Tips
Every week we ask famous people how they work. My turn. I am Eric, and the court ordered me to inform you that this is what I am seeking.
Venue: Atlanta. Current talk: I write about sticks, as well as news and stuff for Lifehacker. One word that best describes how you work: not right. Current mobile device: Moto X (2014) Current PC: Some desktop Windows, which I have built.
What apps / programs / tools can’t you live without?
I don’t like repeating what I wrote last year if nothing has changed. However, I have added a few new instruments to my repertoire! Plex has become my permanent media center manager. It took me too long to get into this app. All my copies of movies and TV shows are available on almost every device I own. It’s like my personal Netflix.
We also switched to Slack inside Gawker. Everyone who makes a living from publishing talks about it all the time. This is fine. The plugins are handy and certainly help you organize your conversations. You can mark messages for later, which is really handy in a group chat app. Otherwise, this is a fairly standard rate, but useful for getting the job done.
I also started using Inbox from Gmail and it completely changed my approach to email. I’m usually a curmudgeon when it comes to changing my email habits, but the app treats emails like it’s the right thing to do, which it usually does. Because I can snooze emails, view the reminders set on my watch or phone, and mark large groups of related emails complete, checking emails becomes less of a chore and more like I’m actually doing tasks.
How is your workplace arranged?
I continue to use the L-table with a dual monitor setup. Sometimes I have a movie or TV show on my second monitor that I can listen to while I work. Other times I use it to track analytics for our traffic on Lifehacker. I also use gaming peripherals to monitor my desktop system resources and control any media I play. The volume wheel on my keyboard is especially adorable.
What’s your best time-saving shortcut / life hack?
This is already a cliché, but a slow cooker . I have other favorite tricks, but I find it difficult to think of anything else in my life that would save as much time. I can make a decent roast in less time than mashed potatoes in the microwave. As for the fried in a pot, I just throw in some broth, a packet of spices and a large piece of meat, wait six hours, and it’s done. But what about a pack of mashed potatoes ? Well, I need to boil the water, pour the whole bag into the water, and then stir . Stir the food! Like some kind of savage.
In fact, both of these things take about the same amount of time, but they are delicious in the amount of effort put into them.
What’s your favorite to-do list manager?
My girlfriend. This is also an internal tracker that Adam Duchis made for us at Lifehacker. The latter handles everything I need to remember at work, while the former keeps up with everything I need to remember outside of it. I can’t stress enough how a significant other can increase your productivity. I highly recommend purchasing it.
What device, besides a phone and a computer, can you not live without and why?
My Moto 360. No, I didn’t expect smartwatches to become an integral part of my life, but it happened. It’s pretty handy for clearing notifications when I’m on the go. The key difference is that I don’t just scan when I’m bored, but just look when my phone vibrates. Like Inbox, it changes the way you think about the device rather than introducing any standalone feature.
It also serves to unlock my phone. I used to only use slide unlocking, possibly upgraded to a template if I ever felt like I would find myself in an insecure situation (I work from home so my phone can rarely even get lost, let alone hit the wrong one Ruki’s situation). I now use password unlock which is more difficult to get by looking over my shoulder. However, as long as my watch is within the Bluetooth range of my phone, it bypasses the password. I can stay safe until I lose my watch and phone, and I don’t have to worry about additional inconveniences.
What are some of your best everyday activities?
Rationale for unnecessary purchases of gadgets. See above.
What do you listen to while you work?
A lot of CinemaSins have come out lately . It’s less funny out loud and more funny like “My inner cynical asshole feeds on a parade of irrelevant and pedantic criticism and uses the energy consumed to fuel the hate machines that keep me going.” Besides, this voice is soft as silk. If NPR’s voice was the before girl in one of thosemakeupmovies , CinemaSins would be the after girl.
What are you reading now?
Jonathan Hickman’s Fantastic Four series. I just finished catching up with the Avengers / New Avengers leading up to Secret Wars, and I’m not quietly hoping that an interdimensional collision that will cause several parallel universes to collide with each other will also spill over into the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Earth-199999), because that I’m a big nerd.
Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?
Yes.
What is your sleep pattern?
This question presupposes a “routine”. I usually go to bed six to eight hours before I have to work the next day, no matter what time it is. When it’s the weekend, it means that I can stay awake many, many hours later than usual. I have terrible sleep habits and every article I’ve ever written about sleep makes me a hypocrite. However, if I had already solved all my problems, I wouldn’t be writing for Lifehacker. I would write for Lifesolved.
Fill in the blank: I would like _________ to answer these same questions.
It’s still Louis C.K. He seems like a successful guy who still has as many problems as me. I want to know more about what it is like to be super successful and popular, but still worthless .
What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
“If you want to be a writer, write.” But not because I’m a writer. I mean, yes, that’s good advice for writers. But it’s also good advice for everything else. If you want to do something, do it. If you’ve spent six months making something happen but haven’t taken any practical steps to achieve it, either start doing it or stop wanting it.
Is there anything else you would like to add that might be of interest to your readers / fans?
You are all wonderful, wonderful, delightful people. Except for the assholes. You know who you are.