Human v. Machine Article

I don't know if anyone else felt this way, but this article was a bit heavy. What I think it was saying was that we are not using technology the right way. Technology should conform to the people, not people to technology, and we should change the way systems work in order to promote user-friendliness. Computers master certain tasks and humans master others, and we should combine these "skills" to form a "true symbiosis of people and machines." Therefore, making the whole relationship between humans and machines more effective, and in turn, advancing society in infinitesimal ways. SO, my question is: instead of blaming myself for not mastering Adobe Photoshop in the five or so years I've been using it, should I really blame the program for not being as human-centric as it should be?

I think I got this all wrong, but hey I tried.

Peace: No More Love-Hate PLEASE!

Here we go with another story about the Love-Hate relationship with technology. Norman concludes in the end that new technologies have made us more comfortable. I believe that in turn, we should give them our affection, be a little more positive and relish in their benefits.

They've made life more manageable and tolerable. We no longer have to use our precious energy to turn a can opener-- we have electric can openers. We no longer have to brave the heat of the summer-- we have the beautiful commodity that is A.C. We no longer have to watch fuzzy beetles on PBS-- we have the nature channel in High Definition. On a big enough TV, those beetles look like they could fly off the screen and into my cereal.

I do not regularly hate technology. It has done great things for me. However, my philosophy regarding the tech-world is unique-- maybe. I own a Macbook, an Ipod, Bose Speakers, an Apple mini DVI to Video cable, a Sony camera, a Samsung 19 inch tube TV, a DVD player and a crappy AT&T Nokia $60 phone. Oh, and an HP printer that blackens my heart everytime I use it (an example of my frustration.) Excluding the AC unit in my apartment and kitchen appliances, that is all the technology I own.

I live on a need-based technology diet, and maybe this accounts for my lack of frustration with it. All of my appliances work together because I make sure I buy things that are compatible with Macs or whatever appliance I want them to work with. I'm not trying to keep up with those trying to show off their newest piece of equipment, I'm simply trying to make my life easier, and if technology will help me manage my time more efficiently etc. I will make an investment.

I will NOT let the expanse of available gadgets, the potential inventions that might improve my life, overwhelm me; Life itself overwhelms me enough.

Procrastination vs. Muti tasking

I find that my attention span is increasingly becoming an issue. When I am on the phone with friends I often begin babbling like a lunatic or just loose track of what I am saying. This is especially an issue whenever I am trying to do more than one thing at a time. Sometimes my boyfriend even teases me for not being the best multi tasker. I admit that at times it takes me a little more time to complete something versus someone who can do a million things at once. However this article makes me think about that. I wonder how much the average person who always multi tasks gets done, how many assignments and pieces of information get completed. Furthermore, it would be interesting to know how many people can complete a piece of work and actually be proud of it, or remember what they did. I am not a multi tasker in essence, but I am definitely a procrastinator. I will wait until the last minuet to do anything. No matter how hard I try to change it, it is who I am. However in waiting until the last minuet to do something like a project or paper, I find that I am much more enthralled vs. if I tried to do it early on. Sometimes I think on my feet a little better, with a little extra pressure. Sometimes it’s when I am on that deadline that something great is born. I find that I focus much better. Maybe it sounds like I am trying to defend being a procrastinator, but in my opinion I am just someone who enjoys a little more focus and fewer distractions.

Attention Please:

The first thing I thought of when I read the business article was Google. Our beloved Google Inc. is the perfect example of a business that recognized the attention problem and used it to its advantage. We've talked in class before about the Google search engine's minimalist design. No flashing ads or pop-up windows. Just the Google logo, a text box, some buttons - but mostly blank space. It's refreshing to go to a Web page that isn't cluttered with a mass of ads, all competing for your attention.

As I progressed further in the reading, it occurred to me that I have developed an attention deficit problem. Ever since I got my iPhone, I've been feeling more and more overwhelmed at times. On a few particularly e-mail/voicemail-filled days, I've had to turn my phone off, shut down my laptop and take a few deep breaths. Multitasking makes me crazy, no matter how skilled I am at doing it.

My attention span has been notably shot. I have to re-read paragraphs because I lose my train of thought or start thinking about something else while reading. I've been embarrassed to admit it, but the readings for this class have shed some light on what seems to be a common problem.

As for finding "Better ways to manage attention," I agree with Davenport, T.H. & Beck that solutions must be found, but disagree with the fact that new technology couldn't potentially help ease the problem. Seeing as how the Internet isn't going to go away anytime soon, perhaps there will be a solution in Web 2.0 technologies, many of which allow users to customize and filter out what information they receive. The business article says that "the payoff for allocating my attention in a specific direction can be great - I can learn something, change something for the better, fix what's broken, or gratify another human being." As long as that list can include being able to sit down and read a book, the Web 2.0 concept seems like a plausible solution in being able to manage the bombardment of information.

I think also that this attention problem is closely linked to American culture. We are pressured to work hard, make our own lives and keep up with what's going on around us. After studying abroad in Europe for a semester, it seems to me that Europeans are far less concerned with remaining constantly in the information loop than Americans are. And it would be far more acceptable in Europe to turn off your Blackberry and miss a few business calls to spend time with your family. In fact, it might be taboo to leave it on.

This idea is represented perfectly in the Maggie Jackson quotation in the CJR article, which says that "multitasking is part of a wider value system that venerates speed, frenetic activity, hyper-mobility, etcetera, as the paths to success. That’s why we’re willing to drive like drunks or work in frenzied ways, although it literally might kill us.” And if Davenport, T.H., & Beck are correct, the attention battle is leading us away from success, rather than helping us attain it.