I was really impressed and schoked by the "Hazards of leaving out the users." Several thoughts crossed my mind while I was reading this piece. First, how the technology can harm people. And we are not talking about heavy trucks, or some other heavy equipment, but about simple things, like our computer which we use everyday. I wonder if there is any research on the harm of the laptops. The industry clearly exploited this idea of comfort and being able to carry your favorite comp everywhere. we don't need to have a desk to use a laptop, it was designed to be used on out lap, it is a laptop :))) But I guess all of us could assume that probably there is some kind of radiation coming from it, and how it might affect us - I wonder if there are any medical studies on that.
The same thing with the cell phones, adn hand free cell phones, a person just has a small thing attached to the ear and doesn not need to hold the phone. I think I saw some articles about health hazards of such cell phones, potential brain damage, if used excessively....
So, it is becoming more and more evident that we do rely on the technology so much, that now it almost comes back to us, like a boomerang, and we are going to experience all bad things of technology as well as good ones. There are trade-offs.... and usually it is our own health.
In terms of the organization of the workstations, I remember how in the Soviet Union schoolchildren were taught how to sit proparly at the desk, how to hold the arms and position the back so you do not become a disabled by the time you graduate.... I think that even the desks especialy for elemenatry kids were with a special angle, so it makes it easy for them to sit during a class. I don't know if this practice is still there.
Reading the article, I got an impression that we are almost trapped in the world of machinery and computers, I can hardly think of any day when I spend without working on the computer. It has become your second nature, and as a result, eye problems and all other things mentioned by the author.
The author talks a little bit about Eastern Europe. There was no such advanced technology to spy on people, but we did have similar thiings, for exmpample some of the factories had so called punch cards. So when a person came to work in the morning - he punched his card, when he left - he did the same. But i guess this system can hardly compete with computers spying on the workers. Software calculating how many minutes you worked, were away from your desk, etc. That's sounds like not a very nice place to work, without any trust or care to the employees.
In this light the Japaness companies, those which provide life term employment is a completely different case. Part of our everyday stress comes from the notion that we can lose a job any time, there is no so called job secutiry. I believe that is a huge contributing part of stress in western society.
The author talks about getting user in the process. I don't think that it is the place to start. First, management has to change its attitude to their workers, I begin to sound like neo Marxist :))) But in some cases we see how companies exploit their workers and only economic incentives will persuade them that they have to take care of their users (employees), because if they are happy - it is good for bottom line.
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3 comments:
I like your insights. It is difficult sometimes and step back and realize how much we are interwined with technology. Whenever I have a back ache or a sore neck or headache, I never think of technology as the problem. Usually other people have to ask "did you sit at the computer all day?" It seems so innocuous, looking at a screen all day. It's scary that I don't even think twice about it.
I think you're right about fear of losing one's job as a primary stressor here. People are used to being treated as "its," and as disposable "its" at that. That is the primary stressor, I believe. However, that philosophy, of treating your employees as things, is the reason why technology isn't adapted for the ease of the users. Things don't get uncomfortable, only people.
People really do seem to value technology. Many value it so much that they will place their absolute trust in it (and some might argue that this is no longer optional). Talking about "laptops," I was reminded of Apple's introduction of the original MacBook in the summer of 2006. This was a machine than ran really hot all the time - and especially hot if you really started to use it hard, playing newer games on it or something. Well, some people got burned pretty badly and sued, but what was Apple's response? They found all occurrences of the word "laptop" on their website and changed them to "notebook." :)
I was also interested in the connection you made (that I failed to make) about Japanese companies providing life term employment. Actually, this is a very sad thing; I was told by one of my Japanese instructors that this kind of thing began to be eliminated during the economic downtown of the late 1990s, and is mostly gone now (I'm sure the latest economic downturn, which has hit Japan far harder than it hit us - so far - isn't helping, either). But it's another great example of how culture affects everything.
Great insights! See you in class!
Svetlana-
Sorry for the delayed response, but I really liked your original posting.
Here’s another drawback to laptop technology. I carry a laptop around with me all the time. I recently downsized the laptop, in part, to reduce the weight of my carrying case. In the ‘old’ days, it was heavy books in the backpack. Today, it’s technology, and heavy books, in the backpack.
The biggest technology trade-off that I can think of is automobiles. We trade potential accidental death, at any time, for the convenience of getting somewhere.
You mentioned the Japanese attitude, and I agree with Nath. That attitude is a relic of the past, in part, because younger workers are not willing to donate their lives for job security. Years ago, Japanese workers traded their souls for jobs. They even gave up vacation time to demonstrate dedication to the company. Younger Japanese are not willing to make this sacrifice.
I believe that management is changing their attitudes. In years past, work was geared towards building something, like factory workers. Today, information is the primary work activity, as well as service. (Although I work for the federal government, my position is a combination of service and information technology.) Management can’t function without workers, and they are starting to recognize this new world. I believe that my bosses have actually improved their people skills over the years, which is good for all of us.
Rob
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