Great entry. I loved the history of correspondence, especially since ours is one that has undergone the changes in medium you describe. I hope they get the tools you need into your hands and that you are able to get broadband access at the apartment after the holidays.
I would feel downright claustrophobic if my online environment was as restricted as yours is at the moment. My sympathies. On the thankfully few occasions when our Internet connection has gone down at work, I've been so restless and bored. I miss my colleagues, friends, and family being gathered virtually around me. Without instant messenger I can't see at a glance if my boss is still in her office upstairs, I can't see if my husband has arrived home from work, my Mom can't give me weather updates and make plans to meet me at the gym after work, I can't chat with you if you're online. I sometimes wonder if I tend towards having a short attention span because I always have a million windows and programs open at once. I think the ability to move between tasks keeps me from getting bored. Things get a little slower in the library between Thanksgiving and Christmas so it is a good time (if there is one) for a little slacking in between required duties.
I think what employers forget, in their logical attempts to protect customer privacy, intellectual property and equipment by building a restricted online workspace is that society has evolved. You have people working states or countries away from loved ones, more mothers in the workplace, people working overtime because others have been laid off. By trying to prevent the inevitable overlaps between personal time and company time, at least technologically, they are breeding discontent. If Joe can't follow the Yankee game online while finishing up that deliverable, maybe he'll put in less time at work. He's already put in his eight hours; he'll head to the sports bar with buddies, or home to his recliner. If Susy can't order toys and books for her child's birthday while eating her lunch at her desk, she'll have to leave right at 5:00 so she can accomplish her shopping while her daughter is at dance class rather than stay the extra half hour to polish that document. I guess what I'm saying is that, while there are certainly exceptions, many times employers benefit by allowing some multitasking -- doing a quick email check to rest one's brain from proofreading, etc.
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branchandroot
Communion
Date: 2003-12-12 02:43 am (UTC)I would feel downright claustrophobic if my online environment was as restricted as yours is at the moment. My sympathies. On the thankfully few occasions when our Internet connection has gone down at work, I've been so restless and bored. I miss my colleagues, friends, and family being gathered virtually around me. Without instant messenger I can't see at a glance if my boss is still in her office upstairs, I can't see if my husband has arrived home from work, my Mom can't give me weather updates and make plans to meet me at the gym after work, I can't chat with you if you're online. I sometimes wonder if I tend towards having a short attention span because I always have a million windows and programs open at once. I think the ability to move between tasks keeps me from getting bored. Things get a little slower in the library between Thanksgiving and Christmas so it is a good time (if there is one) for a little slacking in between required duties.
I think what employers forget, in their logical attempts to protect customer privacy, intellectual property and equipment by building a restricted online workspace is that society has evolved. You have people working states or countries away from loved ones, more mothers in the workplace, people working overtime because others have been laid off. By trying to prevent the inevitable overlaps between personal time and company time, at least technologically, they are breeding discontent. If Joe can't follow the Yankee game online while finishing up that deliverable, maybe he'll put in less time at work. He's already put in his eight hours; he'll head to the sports bar with buddies, or home to his recliner. If Susy can't order toys and books for her child's birthday while eating her lunch at her desk, she'll have to leave right at 5:00 so she can accomplish her shopping while her daughter is at dance class rather than stay the extra half hour to polish that document. I guess what I'm saying is that, while there are certainly exceptions, many times employers benefit by allowing some multitasking -- doing a quick email check to rest one's brain from proofreading, etc.