WhatPulse Encyclopedia
A reference for computer activity, productivity metrics, and digital habits. Each page is written as a lasting explanation rather than a news item, with definitions first and opinions last.
The WhatPulse Encyclopedia is a long-term knowledge base focused on how people use their computers: the metrics that describe that usage, the habits that shape it, and the patterns that emerge over time. The articles are organised into three sections.
Productivity metrics
The measures that describe how time is spent on the computer.
Active time
How long the computer is being used with direct keyboard or mouse input.
Focus time
Continuous active time on a single application or task, free of switching.
Uptime
How long the computer has been powered on, regardless of input.
Keystrokes
Individual key presses, the rawest signal of typing activity.
Mouse clicks
Pointer-button activations and what they reveal about navigation.
Session length
The duration of a single continuous period of active use.
Application usage
Time spent in each application, sliced by day, week, or project.
Network usage
Inbound and outbound bytes, attributed to apps and time of day.
Productivity metrics
The broader family of measures used to describe how time is spent.
Input activity
The raw stream of keyboard and mouse events that drives every other metric.
Computer usage glossary
The vocabulary of activity, applications, and inputs.
Keyboard heatmap
A visual map of which keys are used most over time.
Mouse heatmap
A visual map of where the cursor and clicks accumulate on screen.
Foreground application
The window currently receiving input, against which time is attributed.
Idle time
The complement of active time, accumulated after an inactivity threshold.
Activity tracking
The general practice of recording how a computer is used.
Usage analytics
Aggregating raw activity into trends, comparisons, and breakdowns.
Application switching
How often the foreground app changes, a proxy for fragmentation.
Input intensity
Density of input events per unit of active time.
Activity trends
How daily and weekly activity changes over months and years.
Usage distribution
How time is spread across applications, categories, and hours of day.
Digital habits
The behavioural patterns that shape modern computer use.
Context switching
The cognitive cost of jumping between tasks or applications.
Deep work
Extended focus on a single cognitively demanding task.
Attention residue
The lingering pull of a previous task on the current one.
Doomscrolling
Compulsive consumption of negative content via endless scroll.
Notification fatigue
Desensitisation and exhaustion from constant interruptions.
Tab hoarding
The habit of keeping dozens or hundreds of browser tabs open.
Digital overload
The cumulative strain of too many tools, channels, and inputs.
Screen fatigue
Physical and cognitive tiredness from prolonged display use.
Focus fragmentation
When focus periods are short and broken up across the day.
Workday fragmentation
When the working day is split into many small, scattered pieces.