Stumbled across these two articles which summarize the way I've been feeling lately about technology. The first is Mobile workers unite .
Excuse me, but I thought the dream of office automation was a shorter work week? You know, more time for the family? But of course, no one has ever left the office even five minutes early since the introduction of the PC.The second article is Eroding Personal Time.McDowell extols the use of technology because, he says, "[I have] less and less time to do my work." Not true. He has the same amount of time he's always had. He is just required to do more work. And that's the crux of the matter.
It's one of my pet peeves that productivity is required to increase every month to indicate a healthy economy. In fact, increased productivity often comes at the expense of the family life so beloved by pro-business politicians. In the blue-collar world, increased productivity means a faster pace (and thus more accidents or decreased quality) or illegal off-the-clock hours. It rarely means more money.White-color workers of all stripes are expected to spend ever-more downtime hours working so their days start when they wake and check email, extend through the commute into the office, and follow them home and over weekends.To quote a popular phrase at Amazon.com after my time there: you can work long, hard, or smart; pick any three.