Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!limbo!taylor
From: kcby@kong.Atlanta.NCR.Com (KC Burgess Yakemovic)
Newsgroups: comp.society
Subject: Re: The Leisure Society
Message-ID: <1049@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Date: 30 Jul 90 21:04:43 GMT
Sender: taylor@limbo.Intuitive.Com
Organization: NCR Human Interface Technology Center, Atlanta, Ga.
Lines: 41
Approved: taylor@Limbo.Intuitive.Com

I'll agree that many things we do with computer are much more fun
than trying to do the same thing without the computer.  The real
question is, do we _need_ to do these things?  

As an example, we used to (say 10 years ago) prepare for internal
presentations by handwriting a couple of pages of "highlights",
which we had made into transparancies.  Only if we were presenting
to a customer did we call in the graphics artist and have a "pretty"
presentation made. 

Now, for every presentation, internal or external, we sit down with
our page layout or presentation graphics software and play grahpics
artist.  And it's great fun. I love being "creative" (being that
sort of person anyway.) But am I productive?  I wonder.  I'm not
so sure that my results are any better than they were 10 years
ago, but now instead of spending 2 hours preparing for an internal
presentation I spend, say 4-6.  Pretty... fun... yes.  Productive?

> Excitingly, the process of communications between myself and those 
> with whom I correspond is also rapidly escalating, with the speed
> of turn-around time between communications by email being so quick!
> Is this just work or work-as-excitement or work-as-fun? 

Again, I agree with you regarding the enjoyment aspect.  I also 
correspond heavily using email.  I'm connected with the world this way.
I get a lot of good ideas from other people, and can even point at
some that might have had a bottom-line impact on my company.  But I also
notice that I do more strictly _fun_ conversing this way than I did
when limited to pen/paper.  (Which personally, I excuse since I don't
spend time standing around the water cooler discussing the latest
sports scores :-)   

Now, personally, I enjoy my work, so longer hours aren't a real problem... 
but it does wreck havoc with time for the family.  Thanks to technology's 
impact on society, I can't just say no.  My handwritten presentation is no 
longer accepted.  Even though it would be a "better" value for my company. 
And give me more "free" time.  I wonder if the "fun" we have doing work
for the company is a _good_ exchange for the fun we could have if the
time belonged to us?

K.C. Burgess Yakemovic