From: Caolan McNamara (cmc at domain stardivision.de)
Date: Fri 18 Feb 2000 - 13:12:39 GMT
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 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.
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