Why You Shouldn't Interrupt a Programmer
I liken programmers to extremely expensive equipment for manufacturing software.<p>When a company invests in expensive equipment like that, it is very important to keep it producing output.  So by sending programmers to meetings, your expensive equipment is sitting idle, offline, producing nothing.<p>Interruptions are like shutting down an entire assembly line.  When you turn it in again, it will take time to be running smoothly again.<p>So to the managers and executives, it is your choice how to utilize this highly specialized, very expensive equipment.  You can try to keep it running at full capacity, or frequently start it up and shut it down, take it offline, and leave it sitting idle.