Elective 8
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Forum: Silicon Snake Oil |
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Date: |
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Author: Thomen, Tina <thethomens@adelphia.net> |
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Subject Snake Oil: Isolation & Counterproductive Systems |
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In response to
Clifford Stoll's issues, I found myself agreeing with some concerns and
questioning other ideas. One of the first considerations is whether the
Internet brings people together or isolates them. Both possibilities
exist and I feel that I have experienced both sides of this spectrum.
In a corporate environment, I would filter through 40-50 emails per
day. Many emails came from colleagues who held offices literally right
next door. In this sense, co-workers shut their doors and isolated
themselves. The inefficiency of this email barrage was
exhausting. One of my beliefs was that I could accomplish more; I could
move a project forward quicker, by means of conversations conducted in
hallways, break areas and bathrooms. I felt tied to the email commands
until I learned to assert control over what emails I chose to open on a given
day. Not all emails are urgent. Although some co-workers liked
email as "documentation" that a conversation occurred, not all the
details of life require it. As for
the other side of the email spectrum, this communication tool has brought my
family together. We chat more often and keep in touch more
frequently. The ease of writing two sentences as opposed to calling
someone and risking an hour-long conversation when I only have 10 minutes
helps me touch base more often. Furthermore, I feel closer to some
of my in-laws because of email. One aunt who has always been extremely
shy turns out to be a beautifully creative writer with a huge heart.
She's not always the chatty one at reunions but she's very comfortable with
the written word. As far as isolation vs. togetherness
goes, I use the physical conditions as a barometer. If someone is
next door or five feet away, I prefer face-to-face. But to maintain
contact with a geographically broad network of scattered relatives and
friends, email connects us together and breaks our isolation. One other
main issue posed by Stoll also caught my eye in regards to businesses and
other institutions spending excessive amounts of money for
counterproductive computer systems. Although times may have changed
since I left the financial industry 10 months ago, employee and customers
alike often felt challenged by systems that would not "talk" to
each other. Depending on certain account types that utilized various
technologies, customers could not link their entire banking relationship
on one Web platform. For employees, we would input data onto customer
management systems, only to rekey information for certain functions. In
summary, this counter productivity seems to cause additional work rather than
streamlining efficiency at times. I feel this to be the primary
challenge facing institutions right now as parties attempt to integrate
systems to maximize productivity. Tina Thomen |
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Forum: Silicon Snake Oil |
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Date: |
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Author: Thomen, Tina <thethomens@adelphia.net> |
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Subject Re: Silicon Snake Oil Response |
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Becky, I agree with
you that most of Stoll's fears seem outdated and a bit of "crying
wolf." As you pointed out in regards to the newspaper industry,
Stoll may have confirmed this one prediction. I wonder how much more
circulation numbers will decline before even more papers close up shop.
An old ad agency that I used to work with on projects downtown came up with
the Sun's "Light for All" campaign - trying to appeal to everyone,
especially that 18-35 target group. I'm not sure it affected
readership much though. Now The Sun has redesigned its format, notably
using colors for each section. I wonder aloud what these changes have
done to their operating costs. As circulation number decline, they are
really increasing their printing costs. Notice how the new pages mimic
a web page? This may be one area that Stoll gets right, although I
still love my Sunday paper..... Tina. |
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