Xref: utzoo comp.cog-eng:461 comp.software-eng:181 comp.edu:870
Path: utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!roberts
From: roberts@cognos.uucp (Robert Stanley)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng,comp.software-eng,comp.edu
Subject: Re: Offices versus Cubicles
Message-ID: <2231@cognos.UUCP>
Date: 7 Feb 88 20:49:45 GMT
Article-I.D.: cognos.2231
Posted: Sun Feb  7 15:49:45 1988
References: <2701@sfsup.UUCP>
Reply-To: roberts@cognos.UUCP (Robert Stanley)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 30
Summary: Saying something about how we work

In article <2701@sfsup.UUCP> dwd@/guest2/dwdUUCP (45421-D.W.Dougherty) writes:

>I'd really like to know what this discussion (offices vs. cubicles) has
>to do with education!!  Could the conversation be taken elsewhere?
>PLEASE??!??

It may not have a lot to do with education, but it says some revealing
things about working conditions.  One of the very clear issues in the world
of computer systems is the necessity for building user interfaces which
allow users to feel comfortable using an application.  We cannot build
interfaces which fit this bill unless we have some understanding of what
makes people comfortable as they work.

Although the current discussion of physical work space has not yet moved
across to a discussion of metaphorical workspaces, much of what has already
been said is germane to such a discussion.  Characteristics of the work-
stations of the '90s (at least those which will see widespread commercial
use) are what is available now.  The technology is visible now, and is
epitomized by HDTV-equivalent physical displays, X, NeWS, the Mac toolkit,
and the OS/2 Presentation Manager.  What we build with these tools is the
issue.  It is not clear that what has been built with such tools thus far
in any way represents a satisfactory, or even an acceptable, approach to
providing a comfortable electronic working environment.

Robert_S
-- 
Robert Stanley           Cognos Incorporated     S-mail: P.O. Box 9707
Voice: (613) 738-1440 (Research: there are 2!)           3755 Riverside Drive 
  FAX: (613) 738-0002    Compuserve: 76174,3024          Ottawa, Ontario 
 uucp: decvax!utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!roberts          CANADA  K1G 3Z4