When computers get in the way

Wow! Two posts in two days! It's a miracle!

Well, not really, but it may seem like one!

Anyone who knows me at all KNOWS that I think the technology that's available to us today is remarkable, EXTREMELY useful, and a wonderful contribution to society far more often than it is a detractor.

That said, it IS a detractor at times and it is for us, the users of said technology, to figure out when it gets in the way of progress and avoid those applications!

To wit: Once upon a time, in my previous career, my department occasionally had to write up accident reports. Sometimes, legal wheels would begin turning before the mess was fully cleaned up and people from Corporate would immediately start pressuring us for our report. WAY in the early days of computer usage in business when we had ONE to share for our entire department, we typically wrote such reports by hand, gave them to the department secretary to type up, proofread them for corrections, mistakes, or other changes, sent them back for a final copy, signed it and sent it up the chain of command. On one occasion, just such an accident had taken place and, as the guy on call, I had to get the investigation done and issue the report. It was a case of "legal wheels turning," because I had scarcely returned to the office when the phone was ringing, looking for the report. I wrote it up as quickly as I could, told the secretary that it was a "needed it yesterday" report, and asked that she drop pretty much everything and get to it right away. She acknowledged me and, ostensibly, got to work. I went to work on something else and, after what I considered to be a reasonable time, went to get the report.

But she hadn't even started it yet!

When I asked her what was taking so long (even with my HORRENDOUS skill on a typewriter I could have written it about ten times already!!!), she said that she was trying to learn a new computer program and was having difficulty with some of the commands (an old DOS-based program).

I probably wasn't very diplomatic, but I instructed her to write it up on the typewriter and learn her program when it was a little more convenient to the flow of work through the office!

Sheesh!

Anyway, I said all of that to say this: computers STILL get in the way at times and when we reinvent the way we do things JUST to make sure we include technology JUST for the sake of using technology, we're missing sight of the what we're trying to produce (the product) in favor of HOW it's produced. If the old way produces just as good a product in LESS time with LESS hassle, I say keep with it until the application of technology catches up!

Sheesh!