[ILUG] Re: hehe

[Caolan McNamara]

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Original Message <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
> Next thing you
> know, they'll be citing crashes as a step to prevent RSI...
>       Paul.

When doing HCI and related topics the question of hidden behavior 
cropped up again and again. Basically the things that people do in an 
organization which are vital for the functioning of that organization, 
but are not codified, or often even allowed. 

a) nurses are not allow prescribe drugs or treatment, but nonetheless 
for obvious cases when the doctors are not available or the issue is 
very trivial they will. 

b) one company banned workers from taking breaks from work and 
congregating at the coffee machines. Productivity dropped and trouble 
shooting hotline costs soared as it became apparent that people took 
coffee breaks when the got stuck and would bitch about their problem 
to whoever was at the machine, and often swap solutions to problems.

c) and you guessed it.... more reliable machines and software is not a 
desired goal of many white collar and secretarial workers. Despite the 
complaining they might do a crash gives two advantages to such a 
worker. That of a workbreak while the machine reboots, and two a handy 
excuse for uncompleted work. "the machine crashed, my mail program ate 
it", etc etc. These compaints become believable when the system does 
on a fairly regular occasion throw a wobbly.


C.