David McCandless, crafter of the buzz vs. bulge caffeine/calories axis we dug, examined his work days and found a kind of protocol for what was likely to pull him away from actual work. It's both smile inducing and thought provoking.
You'll chuckle once or twice reading through McCandless' examination of how certain things (hot strangers following on Twitter) are more likely to grab his attention than others (a Google AdSense summary). Then, possibly, you'll think about your own day and how certain things are absolutely irresistible, no matter how many times you tell your co-workers that you're in "crunch mode" or "keeping my head down." The idea that "device failure" is the ace attention-getter certainly holds true at Lifehacker East.
If you had to re-map the Hierarchy of Digital Distractions for your own life, what would take up the top few pyramid spots? Tell us your take in the comments, and seek therapy in our top 10 distraction stoppers.