The pitfall of the computer (with a technology twist) (long)

Computers were touted as being the solution to many problems. The advertising pitch was "if only we could build a faster computer, we could get more work done in less time." The common saying at the dawn of the computer age is that they would give us more spare time and improve the quality of life. You still hear the occasional "If only we could have a faster computer, we could have been done earlier and had a break." Ahhh the blissful sounds of the misguided and delusional.

The inventions of computers has served to fuel the desires of the greedy and created more work. Rather than being content with global communication happening in a matter of seconds, it must be instantaneous. Rather than being content with having an inventory tracking system, it must be a real-time inventory tracking system. Along the way, with each step, the general thought is "if only I could do this, I'd be happy." However with each fulfillment of desire, desire increases further.

We have seen that computers have not erased jobs from the planet, as some feared. The invention of computers has created a myriad of jobs in the place of those it replaced. People are needed to design, manufacture, service, support computers, write software, etc. However they have had negative consequences as well.

Many people in jobs working with money cannot add or subtract well, or at all. The cash register and calculator have done it for them for so long they either never learned or no longer remember how. Blame it on the public education system, or blame it on the computer. Either way, the computer hasn't helped.

The average American works more hours now than ever before, even though we have computers that can open up our software and do our jobs faster than you can say farfrompuken or fawkingroovin. Rather than be performing jobs that may lend to our social or physical health, we have tossed ourselves in tiny cubicles of only artificial light where we sit all day and gaze at a radiating tube.

While these jobs may allow us to afford many comforts in life, you must ask yourself. Are you really happy? Anti-depressive drugs such as Prozac are proscribed in massive quantities throughout suburbia. Is that happiness? People struggle to enjoy their vacations because they are worried about work. Is that happiness? People cannot even take the time to raise their own children but rather pay someone else to do it in daycare. Is that happiness? If it is to you, so be it. But to me, it's misery.

Plug: look for an upcoming article on the proliferation of technology.

b

[94_AcCoRd_EX]

Did you write this b? Nice article, and I TOTALLY agree with people not being able to add. Not a problem with the people I work with, but when I look at the high school kids my bro hangs out with...

[pdiggitydogg]

its a gud thing that compwerters kan ficks speling airers 2
beecaws if they didnt weed al mak lots of mistaks

technology is the downfall of the common society...

[ebpda9]

the computer is the dumbest machine ever created. it can only get as smart as you

[KwikR6]

computers/fat/lazy hrm.
Hand in hand.

[MAXed Out]

Originally posted by hondaman-iac
the computer is the dumbest machine ever created. it can only get as smart as you

AMEN

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by Acura_86
AMEN

anmd i wonder why yours isn't working lol

Yeah I wrote it.

And pdiggitydogg.....no sh*t. The creation of the automatic spell checker in word processing programs has been a big detriment in the ability of people to spell.

Underlying principles: If people don't have to do it, they won't. If people don't do it, they won't know how to or will forget.

There was a day my brother went into some little shop and wanted to get a propane tank. It was $20 and there was a 5% tax at the time. The cash register was broken and the girl behind the counter couldn't figure out the math. He paid $20.01 instead of $21. It took the girl 5 minutes to figure out that 5% tax is only 1 cent.....hahahahahahaaaaaa. This was in Jawgia, quality public education at its finest.

b

[ebpda9]

indeed people rely too much on technology nowadays, because it is easier and saves a lot of time, but most of the time peopleare just waay too lazy to think for it. Sure technolgy is a great comodity and it today's world time and money are all that matter, nothing else. I've seen ppl that think they are great programmers (and they are) but they know squat about computers besides turning them on/off and getting to the IDE and compiler. I tend to think there won't be "well rounded people" anymore. i will continue to write later if i remeber about it

Ah the disappearence of the mystical Renaissance Man. I guess we need a definition of "well-rounded."

That's a difficult one to answer, I believe. To what degree must one be versed or familiar with something before it can be added to their repertoire? I know quite a few people who know a little about a lot, but are they well-rounded? They truly know little.

Could lacking certain skills or knowledge be a limiting factor to determine well-roundedness? For instance, if somebody plays an instrument, knows a couple foreign languages, and is a scientist for a job but totally lacks street smarts or an understanding of politics (unlikely, but entirely possible)....is that person well-rounded?

I don't know the answers to these questions, I just toss them out for exploratory reasons.

b

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by spoogenet
Ah the disappearence of the mystical Renaissance Man. I guess we need a definition of "well-rounded."

That's a difficult one to answer, I believe. To what degree must one be versed or familiar with something before it can be added to their repertoire? I know quite a few people who know a little about a lot, but are they well-rounded? They truly know little.

Could lacking certain skills or knowledge be a limiting factor to determine well-roundedness? For instance, if somebody plays an instrument, knows a couple foreign languages, and is a scientist for a job but totally lacks street smarts or an understanding of politics (unlikely, but entirely possible)....is that person well-rounded?

I don't know the answers to these questions, I just toss them out for exploratory reasons.

b

i trew that on just because i couldn't find a better term in english. probably i am done making anymore smart pants comments around here till my english vocabulary really imroves.

I didn't mean it as a questioning of why you said that. I feel that people are losing their roundedness everyday. At least the people I know. Many of them seem to be getting narrower and narrower as their lives go on rather than fully broadening their horizons.

Others try to broaden their horizons, hence my wondering just what would make a person well-rounded.

I truly don't know, hence my asking.

Maybe that's best reserved for a thread of its own.

b

[ebpda9]

Originally posted by spoogenet
I didn't mean it as a questioning of why you said that. I feel that people are losing their roundedness everyday. At least the people I know. Many of them seem to be getting narrower and narrower as their lives go on rather than fully broadening their horizons.

and i didn't answer that because you were "questioning". It was just an explanation that sometimes my posts might sound a bit ambigous because of my english. anyway i put my $.02 in the other thread you made few hrs back

[nonovurbizniz]

yeah....

The human genome product... virus research and MILLIONS of other computation intensive tasks are better handled by a room full of people and a bunch of #2's with erasers...

Sorry just playing devils advocate...

Computers kick ass...

They make ENDLESS amounts of information that most people would NEVER have a chance to get exposed to readily available to ANYONE...

They allow visual media/entertainment to become truly interactive...

They've allowed our progress as a race to go from baby steps to rocket propelled mach speed...

They've not only created their own economy but improved the previous one not only in volume but in managability and access...

They've created jobs on soooo many levels it's quite literally like an ENTIRELY new world opening up...

They've made almost everyone's job not only easier (sure it gets irratating at times (nothing's perfect)) but more productive... both financially AND personally imo... the more you accomplish the better you feel.

Computer's are a pain in the tits... many have become dependent on them and are TOTALLY unaware of the security risks envolved with that on MANY levels...

But overall they've not only made work better but imo they've made relaxing better too...

What outlet would you have to pose these questions and get SOOO many varied responses if it wasn't for the internet?

Edit: Stefan, sorry, I misinterpretted what you meant.

While they do allow visual media/entertainment to become truly interactive, is that in any way necessary? Does it improve quality of life? Perhaps you believe it does. If you get great joy from the entertainment, then you can argue your quality of life has improved. My opinion is that it doesn't have such a positive impact on quality of life.

Have they really made everyone's job easier and more productive? That's part of my entire point. People are working MORE hours than ever before, stress levels and stress-related problems are MORE common. Do people feel better when they've accomplished something great but had to spend so much time at their jobs that they made large sacrifices in their private lives? Is that an increased quality of life? Is that an easier job? I think that really depends on perspective and what your job is, but I think on the average computers have had the exact opposite effect as they were intended.

Computers were meant to make us more productive so we could relax more, but rather they have fueled the flames of greed and caused us to work MORE, desire a more productive economy, require everything in real-time, etc etc etc.

For outlets....if there wasn't the internet, I'm sure Al would have invented something else.

b

[nonovurbizniz]

computers where designed/invented to solve math problems too difficult and lengthy do be done by hand...

They certainly made my last job MUCH easier and made it more flexable and contributed to my quality of life... as they do in EVERY job I've worked at.

Data-Entry/Receptionist...
Well the first part is self explanitory... I wouldn't be "entering datat" if it wasn't for computerization... Like I said right there it's created an ENTIRE job market (and that's only one of THOUSANDS).

My job was to enter "tonnage" into a database program that the brokers would use to see what ships were open where...

Not only did this make it so that AS SOON AS a message came in EVERY broker there had instant access to the important details and a link to the actual message it comes from so they can get more info if needed. It's integrated with the phone directory software so they can have the companies phone number up or send them an email with the integrated messaging software...

The way it USED to be done was people would send "telex's" (for those who don't know they are basically pre-fax faxes... you type in messages on one end and the other telex types them out on the other end. Not only did it take a LONG time to send a VERY small telex (probobly more time then it would take to email a 500pg document)... but AFTER they're recieved they need to be typed out... they're usually a page or two long... I used to have to go into the telex room EVERY 10 mins... and split apart the 4 layer carbon paper on THREE seperate machines... fold them... stack them and then WALK AROUND THE OFFICE... handing them to the brokers... they then need to read through 20-50 pages of VERY poorly inked paper Saving bits and pieces here and there... organize them... go to there rolodex find the company number... call them. I mean come on... That job used to SUCK... that was NOT productive use of ANYONE's time... the companies revinue DRASTICALLY increased in volume and efficiency since the switch...

Not even just at the office did it improve my life... I live FAR from there... and when traffic was nuts or I was sick I could SIT AT HOME and work from here...

Like that would be possible without computers...

And that's just some schlub job...

You didn't bother to address the fact that scientists are able to study things and create computer models that make solving things otherwise impossible, possible.

Computers both enrich and corrupt/complicate our lives but if you put it on scales... the benifits FAR FAR FAR out weigh any detriments.

People work and stress out more because they like money... it's capatalism that you should have a gripe with not computers.

People do work and stress out a lot because they are greedy and want more money, or somehow feel they "need" more money. In some cases I'm sure they do need it. It is an underlying principle of capitalism, however my point is that when computers were created they were touted as being a way to get more for less and have more time to relax. My point is that they have had the exact opposite effect.

They have contributed, both directly and indirectly, to the increasing "need" or desire to be more productive, to sell more, to have it real-time rather than having to wait. God forbid someone had to " WALK AROUND THE OFFICE" when they could have just sat in a chair and bombard themselves with more radiation while eating cheesy poofs to the tune of "Kyle's Mom is a Biznitch" in D-minor.

I believe it is obvious to every person of any reasonable adult mental competence that computers have definitely revolutionized the entire economy and the jobs in it. That is not the point at all. The point is that they have fallen short of many of the original intentions of their uses through their contribution to aforementioned problems.

I didn't bother addressing the uses of computers in research and to solve otherwise impossible problems because it's immaterial to my point. My point is of the negative effects of computers and the irony of the time-saving tool being a large contributor to people having less time.

Whether the benefits outweigh the detriments is entirely a matter of perspective and opinion. If you feel they help, then they help you. If you are happier now than you used to be, then you are happier. If you feel your quality of life has improved, then your quality of life HAS improved.

But that is not to say that they have improved the quality of life. To say that, we'd all have to agree on what quality of life really means and how it is impacted by the computer. In my opinion, when I look around me, I think the quality of life in America has been slowly eroding, an erosion much assisted by the proliferation of computers.

b