Countless prison-based films (Shawshank Redemption, Cool Hand Luke etc) feature a "hole" for solitary confinement. The characters talk about how you have to focus on something to retain your sanity while inside this dark, tiny cell.

This got me thinking that maybe this focus could be used constructively. Things that require a lot of sitting around and thinking, like software development, writing novels, coming up with HB ideas etc, could perhaps benefit from being performed while inside a hole.

Boss: "Steven, how long do you think this component's going to take you?"

Steven: "Er, dunno, 2 months?"

Boss: "2 months huh? You've just earned yourself 4 weeks in the hole."

Steven: "But..."

Boss: "Make that 6 weeks!"

When their time is up, the employee would emerge filthy, bearded and temporarily blind, bearing a perfectly-constructed piece of software or a glittering final chapter to their novel.

Optionally, your boss could come in every couple of days and give you a good shoeing, just to keep your mind sharp.
-- sild, Sep 10 2002

Case in point. https://www.youtube...watch?v=P5_Msrdg3Hk
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Jul 01 2019]

Reason #483 to "retire" and go into business for your elf.
-- Marassa, Sep 10 2002


We have this already, it's called "ISO 9002 Quality Training".
-- 8th of 7, Sep 10 2002


Sounds like a cubicle with a ceiling.
-- FarmerJohn, Sep 10 2002


This idea really made me giggle.
-- kaz, Sep 10 2002


Think of the corporate efficiency which might result from the requirement that all management meetings be held in the hole. But I'm not sure I wouldn't rather go into business for Marassa's elf.
-- Leighzy, Sep 11 2002


"I'm not having an elf shoe me..nah way"
-- skinflaps, Sep 11 2002


In case you get rabbit in your blood, and you decide to take off for home, you get some bonus time and leg chains to slow you down.
-- thumbwax, Sep 11 2002


I almost expected this to be from blissmiss, almost
-- barnzenen, Sep 11 2002


I'm sure most bosses would be more than happy to lock you in a cupboard for the next month, if you ask them nicely. My old boss favoured this approach, although at least he brought us pizza occasionally.
-- pottedstu, Sep 12 2002


Combined with hotdesking, how much office/desk space could this save???
-- CasaLoco, Sep 13 2002


But how much work will get done with 2/3 of Microsoft in solitary?
-- whatrock, Jun 17 2019


How are you going to get much work done on something concrete if you don't have access to the thing you're supposed to be working on? I can't necessarily keep a whole <given amount of code> in my mind while I'm thinking about what code to write next, for example. I'd need a computer in there.
-- notexactly, Jul 01 2019



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