Coworker watches content on his phone all day












4















I work at a software company. I have a coworker who props up his phone most of the day, watching stuff while he works such as video game streamers, or cooking shows, or whatever. He's trying to give the appearance that he's working while having the content on in the background, but a lot of times, its hard to tell if he's working or just watching stuff. He would be a great employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours (unpaid overtime), though my impression is that the total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours (or less).



Should I approach him about this behavior? I'm one of the leads on the team, though not his direct boss, but I am one of the ones who is asked to give feedback on his performance occasionally. I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot.










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  • 4





    "I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot." - You also just said that this person is a good employee (i.e.: delivers) and works a lot of hours... I am confused on how you can't give feedback if you say he is a good employee and hard worker.

    – DarkCygnus
    4 hours ago






  • 2





    Are there any issues with his performance or him hitting deadlines?

    – Shadowzee
    4 hours ago











  • He does deliver work, and when there are real deadlines he generally meets them. But there are also cases where we don't have deadlines, just taking tasks as needed. And sometimes I get the impression that he is moving slower on those things than expected, even with additional hours worked.

    – pauld
    4 hours ago











  • Does he get paid for hours / overtime worked or does he have a fixed salary?

    – Dukeling
    4 hours ago











  • @Dukeling Fixed salary

    – pauld
    4 hours ago
















4















I work at a software company. I have a coworker who props up his phone most of the day, watching stuff while he works such as video game streamers, or cooking shows, or whatever. He's trying to give the appearance that he's working while having the content on in the background, but a lot of times, its hard to tell if he's working or just watching stuff. He would be a great employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours (unpaid overtime), though my impression is that the total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours (or less).



Should I approach him about this behavior? I'm one of the leads on the team, though not his direct boss, but I am one of the ones who is asked to give feedback on his performance occasionally. I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot.










share|improve this question









New contributor




pauld is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
















  • 4





    "I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot." - You also just said that this person is a good employee (i.e.: delivers) and works a lot of hours... I am confused on how you can't give feedback if you say he is a good employee and hard worker.

    – DarkCygnus
    4 hours ago






  • 2





    Are there any issues with his performance or him hitting deadlines?

    – Shadowzee
    4 hours ago











  • He does deliver work, and when there are real deadlines he generally meets them. But there are also cases where we don't have deadlines, just taking tasks as needed. And sometimes I get the impression that he is moving slower on those things than expected, even with additional hours worked.

    – pauld
    4 hours ago











  • Does he get paid for hours / overtime worked or does he have a fixed salary?

    – Dukeling
    4 hours ago











  • @Dukeling Fixed salary

    – pauld
    4 hours ago














4












4








4








I work at a software company. I have a coworker who props up his phone most of the day, watching stuff while he works such as video game streamers, or cooking shows, or whatever. He's trying to give the appearance that he's working while having the content on in the background, but a lot of times, its hard to tell if he's working or just watching stuff. He would be a great employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours (unpaid overtime), though my impression is that the total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours (or less).



Should I approach him about this behavior? I'm one of the leads on the team, though not his direct boss, but I am one of the ones who is asked to give feedback on his performance occasionally. I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot.










share|improve this question









New contributor




pauld is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.












I work at a software company. I have a coworker who props up his phone most of the day, watching stuff while he works such as video game streamers, or cooking shows, or whatever. He's trying to give the appearance that he's working while having the content on in the background, but a lot of times, its hard to tell if he's working or just watching stuff. He would be a great employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours (unpaid overtime), though my impression is that the total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours (or less).



Should I approach him about this behavior? I'm one of the leads on the team, though not his direct boss, but I am one of the ones who is asked to give feedback on his performance occasionally. I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot.







colleagues time-management feedback






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share|improve this question









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share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 4 hours ago







pauld













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asked 5 hours ago









pauldpauld

1213




1213




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pauld is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.






pauld is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.








  • 4





    "I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot." - You also just said that this person is a good employee (i.e.: delivers) and works a lot of hours... I am confused on how you can't give feedback if you say he is a good employee and hard worker.

    – DarkCygnus
    4 hours ago






  • 2





    Are there any issues with his performance or him hitting deadlines?

    – Shadowzee
    4 hours ago











  • He does deliver work, and when there are real deadlines he generally meets them. But there are also cases where we don't have deadlines, just taking tasks as needed. And sometimes I get the impression that he is moving slower on those things than expected, even with additional hours worked.

    – pauld
    4 hours ago











  • Does he get paid for hours / overtime worked or does he have a fixed salary?

    – Dukeling
    4 hours ago











  • @Dukeling Fixed salary

    – pauld
    4 hours ago














  • 4





    "I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot." - You also just said that this person is a good employee (i.e.: delivers) and works a lot of hours... I am confused on how you can't give feedback if you say he is a good employee and hard worker.

    – DarkCygnus
    4 hours ago






  • 2





    Are there any issues with his performance or him hitting deadlines?

    – Shadowzee
    4 hours ago











  • He does deliver work, and when there are real deadlines he generally meets them. But there are also cases where we don't have deadlines, just taking tasks as needed. And sometimes I get the impression that he is moving slower on those things than expected, even with additional hours worked.

    – pauld
    4 hours ago











  • Does he get paid for hours / overtime worked or does he have a fixed salary?

    – Dukeling
    4 hours ago











  • @Dukeling Fixed salary

    – pauld
    4 hours ago








4




4





"I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot." - You also just said that this person is a good employee (i.e.: delivers) and works a lot of hours... I am confused on how you can't give feedback if you say he is a good employee and hard worker.

– DarkCygnus
4 hours ago





"I'm concerned he isn't operating as efficiently as he could be, so when I'm asked to give feedback on him, it puts me in a tough spot." - You also just said that this person is a good employee (i.e.: delivers) and works a lot of hours... I am confused on how you can't give feedback if you say he is a good employee and hard worker.

– DarkCygnus
4 hours ago




2




2





Are there any issues with his performance or him hitting deadlines?

– Shadowzee
4 hours ago





Are there any issues with his performance or him hitting deadlines?

– Shadowzee
4 hours ago













He does deliver work, and when there are real deadlines he generally meets them. But there are also cases where we don't have deadlines, just taking tasks as needed. And sometimes I get the impression that he is moving slower on those things than expected, even with additional hours worked.

– pauld
4 hours ago





He does deliver work, and when there are real deadlines he generally meets them. But there are also cases where we don't have deadlines, just taking tasks as needed. And sometimes I get the impression that he is moving slower on those things than expected, even with additional hours worked.

– pauld
4 hours ago













Does he get paid for hours / overtime worked or does he have a fixed salary?

– Dukeling
4 hours ago





Does he get paid for hours / overtime worked or does he have a fixed salary?

– Dukeling
4 hours ago













@Dukeling Fixed salary

– pauld
4 hours ago





@Dukeling Fixed salary

– pauld
4 hours ago










3 Answers
3






active

oldest

votes


















7















Should I approach him about this behavior?




I would only do this if this person is falling behind on their tasks, or their work quality worsens.



You just said that this person is a "good employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours", so I take it that this person actually works hard and delivers their tasks on time. If this is true, I see no reason why to approach him right now.



I must say that it seems you are assuming what this coworker is doing on their phone, when it could well be that he is chatting with some client, or reading IM or emails on their phone (not necessarily idling).



If you still decide to approach this person, try to understand what they are doing on their phone first, before taking for granted that they are idling or losing their time (this person may get offended if you "accuse" them of idling before finding out what's the truth).






share|improve this answer



















  • 2





    They could also be looking up some technical references or documentation online, like most of us would probably instead do on our computer (although I have to say this seems unlikely, unless the office internet is restricted).

    – Dukeling
    4 hours ago













  • that could also be the case. The thing is that there are many work-related things this person may be looking in their phone, most likely related to IM or emails (clients, their boss, some work chat group, etc.). If ever approaching them it's best not to assume what they are doing.

    – DarkCygnus
    4 hours ago











  • I'll update the question, but the coworker is watching stuff like cooking shows or watching online game streamers. Its very obvious and he even talks about what he's watching sometimes.

    – pauld
    4 hours ago






  • 1





    Don't forget that coding is a creative job and that taking time to disconnect from a problem you're stuck on and letting your brain focus on something else for a few minutes actually makes you more productive.

    – Draco18s
    2 hours ago



















4














I don't know the psychological term for this but when I was in university studying computer science I developed a bad habit of always playing random repetitive games on my phone or laptop while listening to lectures, things like minesweeper or tetris. The lecture had my full attention and I found without this I would feel jittery and not be able to concentrate.



I carried this on into the workplace and although I don't watch lectures anymore I do like to divide my attention to other things while my code is compiling or if my brain "overheats".



To a casual observer I'm barely working, often on my phone.



But my work output is more than two of my peers put together.



There's another guy on the floor who looks like he's playing flash games on his laptop a lot. He's one of the brightest guys who does excellent work.



If he's working well leave him alone, concentrate on his productivity rather than how he achieves it.






share|improve this answer































    1














    Unless this person is noticeably underperforming relative to the prevailing standards and norms of the team, no, I would not bring it up.



    It's up to your management, and perhaps you, to judge what he produces, not how he produces it.



    It is not at all uncommon for people, especially in a technical field, to use an audio/visual distraction to block everything else.



    Additionally, if you enforce this with him, you have to be prepared to include the entire team and all forms of audio/visual content. Meaning, if Joe can't watch YouTube, Jamie can't listen to Spotify.



    From your Answer, this is where you should draw your conclusion:




    "total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours"




    If that's the case, I don't see an actual problem here.






    share|improve this answer























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      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes








      3 Answers
      3






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

      votes






      active

      oldest

      votes









      7















      Should I approach him about this behavior?




      I would only do this if this person is falling behind on their tasks, or their work quality worsens.



      You just said that this person is a "good employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours", so I take it that this person actually works hard and delivers their tasks on time. If this is true, I see no reason why to approach him right now.



      I must say that it seems you are assuming what this coworker is doing on their phone, when it could well be that he is chatting with some client, or reading IM or emails on their phone (not necessarily idling).



      If you still decide to approach this person, try to understand what they are doing on their phone first, before taking for granted that they are idling or losing their time (this person may get offended if you "accuse" them of idling before finding out what's the truth).






      share|improve this answer



















      • 2





        They could also be looking up some technical references or documentation online, like most of us would probably instead do on our computer (although I have to say this seems unlikely, unless the office internet is restricted).

        – Dukeling
        4 hours ago













      • that could also be the case. The thing is that there are many work-related things this person may be looking in their phone, most likely related to IM or emails (clients, their boss, some work chat group, etc.). If ever approaching them it's best not to assume what they are doing.

        – DarkCygnus
        4 hours ago











      • I'll update the question, but the coworker is watching stuff like cooking shows or watching online game streamers. Its very obvious and he even talks about what he's watching sometimes.

        – pauld
        4 hours ago






      • 1





        Don't forget that coding is a creative job and that taking time to disconnect from a problem you're stuck on and letting your brain focus on something else for a few minutes actually makes you more productive.

        – Draco18s
        2 hours ago
















      7















      Should I approach him about this behavior?




      I would only do this if this person is falling behind on their tasks, or their work quality worsens.



      You just said that this person is a "good employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours", so I take it that this person actually works hard and delivers their tasks on time. If this is true, I see no reason why to approach him right now.



      I must say that it seems you are assuming what this coworker is doing on their phone, when it could well be that he is chatting with some client, or reading IM or emails on their phone (not necessarily idling).



      If you still decide to approach this person, try to understand what they are doing on their phone first, before taking for granted that they are idling or losing their time (this person may get offended if you "accuse" them of idling before finding out what's the truth).






      share|improve this answer



















      • 2





        They could also be looking up some technical references or documentation online, like most of us would probably instead do on our computer (although I have to say this seems unlikely, unless the office internet is restricted).

        – Dukeling
        4 hours ago













      • that could also be the case. The thing is that there are many work-related things this person may be looking in their phone, most likely related to IM or emails (clients, their boss, some work chat group, etc.). If ever approaching them it's best not to assume what they are doing.

        – DarkCygnus
        4 hours ago











      • I'll update the question, but the coworker is watching stuff like cooking shows or watching online game streamers. Its very obvious and he even talks about what he's watching sometimes.

        – pauld
        4 hours ago






      • 1





        Don't forget that coding is a creative job and that taking time to disconnect from a problem you're stuck on and letting your brain focus on something else for a few minutes actually makes you more productive.

        – Draco18s
        2 hours ago














      7












      7








      7








      Should I approach him about this behavior?




      I would only do this if this person is falling behind on their tasks, or their work quality worsens.



      You just said that this person is a "good employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours", so I take it that this person actually works hard and delivers their tasks on time. If this is true, I see no reason why to approach him right now.



      I must say that it seems you are assuming what this coworker is doing on their phone, when it could well be that he is chatting with some client, or reading IM or emails on their phone (not necessarily idling).



      If you still decide to approach this person, try to understand what they are doing on their phone first, before taking for granted that they are idling or losing their time (this person may get offended if you "accuse" them of idling before finding out what's the truth).






      share|improve this answer














      Should I approach him about this behavior?




      I would only do this if this person is falling behind on their tasks, or their work quality worsens.



      You just said that this person is a "good employee otherwise, and he works a lot of hours", so I take it that this person actually works hard and delivers their tasks on time. If this is true, I see no reason why to approach him right now.



      I must say that it seems you are assuming what this coworker is doing on their phone, when it could well be that he is chatting with some client, or reading IM or emails on their phone (not necessarily idling).



      If you still decide to approach this person, try to understand what they are doing on their phone first, before taking for granted that they are idling or losing their time (this person may get offended if you "accuse" them of idling before finding out what's the truth).







      share|improve this answer












      share|improve this answer



      share|improve this answer










      answered 4 hours ago









      DarkCygnusDarkCygnus

      34.1k1567145




      34.1k1567145








      • 2





        They could also be looking up some technical references or documentation online, like most of us would probably instead do on our computer (although I have to say this seems unlikely, unless the office internet is restricted).

        – Dukeling
        4 hours ago













      • that could also be the case. The thing is that there are many work-related things this person may be looking in their phone, most likely related to IM or emails (clients, their boss, some work chat group, etc.). If ever approaching them it's best not to assume what they are doing.

        – DarkCygnus
        4 hours ago











      • I'll update the question, but the coworker is watching stuff like cooking shows or watching online game streamers. Its very obvious and he even talks about what he's watching sometimes.

        – pauld
        4 hours ago






      • 1





        Don't forget that coding is a creative job and that taking time to disconnect from a problem you're stuck on and letting your brain focus on something else for a few minutes actually makes you more productive.

        – Draco18s
        2 hours ago














      • 2





        They could also be looking up some technical references or documentation online, like most of us would probably instead do on our computer (although I have to say this seems unlikely, unless the office internet is restricted).

        – Dukeling
        4 hours ago













      • that could also be the case. The thing is that there are many work-related things this person may be looking in their phone, most likely related to IM or emails (clients, their boss, some work chat group, etc.). If ever approaching them it's best not to assume what they are doing.

        – DarkCygnus
        4 hours ago











      • I'll update the question, but the coworker is watching stuff like cooking shows or watching online game streamers. Its very obvious and he even talks about what he's watching sometimes.

        – pauld
        4 hours ago






      • 1





        Don't forget that coding is a creative job and that taking time to disconnect from a problem you're stuck on and letting your brain focus on something else for a few minutes actually makes you more productive.

        – Draco18s
        2 hours ago








      2




      2





      They could also be looking up some technical references or documentation online, like most of us would probably instead do on our computer (although I have to say this seems unlikely, unless the office internet is restricted).

      – Dukeling
      4 hours ago







      They could also be looking up some technical references or documentation online, like most of us would probably instead do on our computer (although I have to say this seems unlikely, unless the office internet is restricted).

      – Dukeling
      4 hours ago















      that could also be the case. The thing is that there are many work-related things this person may be looking in their phone, most likely related to IM or emails (clients, their boss, some work chat group, etc.). If ever approaching them it's best not to assume what they are doing.

      – DarkCygnus
      4 hours ago





      that could also be the case. The thing is that there are many work-related things this person may be looking in their phone, most likely related to IM or emails (clients, their boss, some work chat group, etc.). If ever approaching them it's best not to assume what they are doing.

      – DarkCygnus
      4 hours ago













      I'll update the question, but the coworker is watching stuff like cooking shows or watching online game streamers. Its very obvious and he even talks about what he's watching sometimes.

      – pauld
      4 hours ago





      I'll update the question, but the coworker is watching stuff like cooking shows or watching online game streamers. Its very obvious and he even talks about what he's watching sometimes.

      – pauld
      4 hours ago




      1




      1





      Don't forget that coding is a creative job and that taking time to disconnect from a problem you're stuck on and letting your brain focus on something else for a few minutes actually makes you more productive.

      – Draco18s
      2 hours ago





      Don't forget that coding is a creative job and that taking time to disconnect from a problem you're stuck on and letting your brain focus on something else for a few minutes actually makes you more productive.

      – Draco18s
      2 hours ago













      4














      I don't know the psychological term for this but when I was in university studying computer science I developed a bad habit of always playing random repetitive games on my phone or laptop while listening to lectures, things like minesweeper or tetris. The lecture had my full attention and I found without this I would feel jittery and not be able to concentrate.



      I carried this on into the workplace and although I don't watch lectures anymore I do like to divide my attention to other things while my code is compiling or if my brain "overheats".



      To a casual observer I'm barely working, often on my phone.



      But my work output is more than two of my peers put together.



      There's another guy on the floor who looks like he's playing flash games on his laptop a lot. He's one of the brightest guys who does excellent work.



      If he's working well leave him alone, concentrate on his productivity rather than how he achieves it.






      share|improve this answer




























        4














        I don't know the psychological term for this but when I was in university studying computer science I developed a bad habit of always playing random repetitive games on my phone or laptop while listening to lectures, things like minesweeper or tetris. The lecture had my full attention and I found without this I would feel jittery and not be able to concentrate.



        I carried this on into the workplace and although I don't watch lectures anymore I do like to divide my attention to other things while my code is compiling or if my brain "overheats".



        To a casual observer I'm barely working, often on my phone.



        But my work output is more than two of my peers put together.



        There's another guy on the floor who looks like he's playing flash games on his laptop a lot. He's one of the brightest guys who does excellent work.



        If he's working well leave him alone, concentrate on his productivity rather than how he achieves it.






        share|improve this answer


























          4












          4








          4







          I don't know the psychological term for this but when I was in university studying computer science I developed a bad habit of always playing random repetitive games on my phone or laptop while listening to lectures, things like minesweeper or tetris. The lecture had my full attention and I found without this I would feel jittery and not be able to concentrate.



          I carried this on into the workplace and although I don't watch lectures anymore I do like to divide my attention to other things while my code is compiling or if my brain "overheats".



          To a casual observer I'm barely working, often on my phone.



          But my work output is more than two of my peers put together.



          There's another guy on the floor who looks like he's playing flash games on his laptop a lot. He's one of the brightest guys who does excellent work.



          If he's working well leave him alone, concentrate on his productivity rather than how he achieves it.






          share|improve this answer













          I don't know the psychological term for this but when I was in university studying computer science I developed a bad habit of always playing random repetitive games on my phone or laptop while listening to lectures, things like minesweeper or tetris. The lecture had my full attention and I found without this I would feel jittery and not be able to concentrate.



          I carried this on into the workplace and although I don't watch lectures anymore I do like to divide my attention to other things while my code is compiling or if my brain "overheats".



          To a casual observer I'm barely working, often on my phone.



          But my work output is more than two of my peers put together.



          There's another guy on the floor who looks like he's playing flash games on his laptop a lot. He's one of the brightest guys who does excellent work.



          If he's working well leave him alone, concentrate on his productivity rather than how he achieves it.







          share|improve this answer












          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer










          answered 4 hours ago









          solarflaresolarflare

          6,51131437




          6,51131437























              1














              Unless this person is noticeably underperforming relative to the prevailing standards and norms of the team, no, I would not bring it up.



              It's up to your management, and perhaps you, to judge what he produces, not how he produces it.



              It is not at all uncommon for people, especially in a technical field, to use an audio/visual distraction to block everything else.



              Additionally, if you enforce this with him, you have to be prepared to include the entire team and all forms of audio/visual content. Meaning, if Joe can't watch YouTube, Jamie can't listen to Spotify.



              From your Answer, this is where you should draw your conclusion:




              "total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours"




              If that's the case, I don't see an actual problem here.






              share|improve this answer




























                1














                Unless this person is noticeably underperforming relative to the prevailing standards and norms of the team, no, I would not bring it up.



                It's up to your management, and perhaps you, to judge what he produces, not how he produces it.



                It is not at all uncommon for people, especially in a technical field, to use an audio/visual distraction to block everything else.



                Additionally, if you enforce this with him, you have to be prepared to include the entire team and all forms of audio/visual content. Meaning, if Joe can't watch YouTube, Jamie can't listen to Spotify.



                From your Answer, this is where you should draw your conclusion:




                "total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours"




                If that's the case, I don't see an actual problem here.






                share|improve this answer


























                  1












                  1








                  1







                  Unless this person is noticeably underperforming relative to the prevailing standards and norms of the team, no, I would not bring it up.



                  It's up to your management, and perhaps you, to judge what he produces, not how he produces it.



                  It is not at all uncommon for people, especially in a technical field, to use an audio/visual distraction to block everything else.



                  Additionally, if you enforce this with him, you have to be prepared to include the entire team and all forms of audio/visual content. Meaning, if Joe can't watch YouTube, Jamie can't listen to Spotify.



                  From your Answer, this is where you should draw your conclusion:




                  "total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours"




                  If that's the case, I don't see an actual problem here.






                  share|improve this answer













                  Unless this person is noticeably underperforming relative to the prevailing standards and norms of the team, no, I would not bring it up.



                  It's up to your management, and perhaps you, to judge what he produces, not how he produces it.



                  It is not at all uncommon for people, especially in a technical field, to use an audio/visual distraction to block everything else.



                  Additionally, if you enforce this with him, you have to be prepared to include the entire team and all forms of audio/visual content. Meaning, if Joe can't watch YouTube, Jamie can't listen to Spotify.



                  From your Answer, this is where you should draw your conclusion:




                  "total hours he "effectively" works is probably close to regular hours"




                  If that's the case, I don't see an actual problem here.







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 4 hours ago









                  Johns-305Johns-305

                  1,71439




                  1,71439






















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