[iamdave]

It feels weird jumping to someone's defense here, but it's been equally weird watching so many people completely mischaracterize what the grandparent (great-grandparent, I think?) comment said:

S/he is not the one asking for help. He is the one being asked for help. Their attention and focus is the one being interrupted (or at least that's what their first comment said, that they receive numerous requests from help from someone who sits directly behind them via chat). And on that note, I actually find myself taking his or her side on this. They are being asked for help by someone who sits close enough away that they can quickly provide an answer verbally and return to their chores/duties.

That seems more efficient than hammering at the keyboard given the recipient can very likely hear the sound of one's voice with the response to the inquiry for assistance.

Why are so many comments to this problem being presented as if this person is the one who needs their behavior rectified, when they are not the source of the interruption, but the recipient of?

[sbov]

I know what the original comment asked, which is why I did not answer that original comment. But this most recent comment did not ask that:

> I'm a bit confused by this. It is selfish, in the workplace to ask a colleague for help who sits an arm's length away?

> Be it via Slack or shoulder tap, you're breaking their concentration regardless. Whatever task they were doing, is now being stopped because of the ask for help.

I was responding to this. They are now asking from the point of view of the person doing the interrupting. The statement about Slack vs shoulder tap is not true for me, and I would guess it is not true for a lot of people. Someone asking a question via Slack does not break my concentration.