With the plethora of communication methods available to co-workers, how do you manage to keep distractions at bay for a large enough block of time to accomplish some focused programming?
Do you quit or close all communications, have you informed people that an away message really means you are a way, or something else?
My e-mail is on a separate computer from my coding machine at work so that helps. Most other diversions are blocked. Besides that all I have to distract me is the phone and coworkers walking by.
StackOverflow isn't blocked, though, and that's becoming an increasing distraction. ;)