to the person who asked

“how do computers make life easier?” and found this blog, I’m sorry to say that I’m not convinced they do.

Well, I suppose on some levels it’s easier working in software support than it was working in social services, but on some days it’s still pretty stressful. Today is one of them. I have a remote desktop session to my work computer in another window and I’m reading log files. Always a giggle.

Still, I suppose being able to play scrabulous with six friends from round the country via facebook is easier than driving to each of their houses to play my moves, but is it really socialising? It feels like it, but are we just making it easier to get to the state of one of the Asimov Robot books (can’t remember which one namewise, but the one where they all live on their own and never see anybody)?

Apparently they are making education easier. There’s a fabulous review of a $100 laptop on the bbc today and I have to say if they were available in this country, having read that, I’d be doing like Christina this year. But they aren’t available in this country yet. (Bah, humbug).

They make shopping easier. (To whoever it was that used my amazon link for their order, thanks, and most of it appears to have shipped now 🙂 ) I’ve got a parcel in the hall just now from thebookpeople, and that was certainly easier than going out to M’hell, wasn’t it Kris? But to the head honcho at tesco who appears to be trying to use technology and computers to do away with staff, stop it. Your personless checkouts don’t allow us to use our own bags without beeping as if we’re trying to walk off with the shop in the pocket, and re-siting the receipt bit so that we can tear off our own receipts at the ordinary checkouts just means that there is next to no room for the checkout person to help us with packing.

Do computers really make life easier? Good question. I keep telling ppl that they do though, it usually raises a laugh, and that’s pretty good going when you’re working in support.