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METAFORIX MAIL Volume 1, Issue 46 July 5, 2001 Sites and insights for the Information Age Was there (or is there) a July 4th weekend this year? That's a matter of debate. But whenever, or whether, you celebrated, we hope your day was sparkling. Thanks for reading. CONTENTS AT A GLANCE: ON
MY MIND: Setting Limits ON MY MIND [From the Editor] Technoboundaries In the last installment of the conversation Ilise Benun and I have been having about cell phones, I wrote about "conspicuous communicators," people whose cell phone conversations seem primarily to be a form of acting out -- or at least acting -- rather than a way to deliver substantive information. The column drew a response from Nina Kaufman, the attorney we profiled several weeks ago.Nina points out that "manners" have not changed as rapidly as technology and agrees that "conspicuous usually wins the day." She also likens cell phones to e-mails -- both "intrusions on our abiity to focus on a single task" -- and asks, "What does this really say about our ability to be productive?" The answer to that question depends on a number of factors, I think, notably personal work style and the degree of control an individual has over his or her work environment. Some people actually like multitasking, and may even do the sort of work that lends itself to completing small pieces of tasks in short bursts of attention. Others prefer to immerse themselves fully in a single task until it is completed, and perhaps do the kind of complex work that is handled most efficiently without interruptions. If you are fortunate enough to be in control of your physical work environment, you are able to control some of the factors that run counter to your personal work style. For example, a person who prefers to work uninterrupted, in a quiet place, is probably not most productive in a cube or an open floor plan. However, she may not have any choice in the matter. In addition, a significant strand of current management theory calls for open floor plans as an important tool for capturing and sharing organizational knowledge. With respect to phone and e-mail interruptions, anyone below the executive or managerial level is usually at the mercy of company policy or supervisory instructions. It has been repeatedly documented that the amount of time devoted to processing e-mail is increasing at a dramatic pace. One study released last year predicted that by 2002, "corporate staff will use over four hours each day just on e-mail." So if your boss or your company expects you to check your e-mail every ten minutes, you may have no choice. On the other hand, if you have the luxury of setting your own boundaries, I think it's worth asking yourself a few questions and then designing a "personal productivity policy" -- in your head or even on paper: - Do I need or like to have an "always on" e-mail policy? - If not, are there any circumstances when I need to be continuously available by e-mail? How do I define these circumstances? - When I don't need to be continuously available, how many times a day do I need to check my e-mail? How much time do I need to allow (or am I willing to allow) for reading and answering it? - Once I establish my e-mail policy, is there anyone who should be made aware of it? - What about my various telephone lines? How would I answer analogous questions to the ones about e-mail? This only scratches the surface of the issues Nina has raised. The only thing I feel certain about is this: To maintain our productivity -- whatever our personal styles and preferences -- will demand will demand that we increase our creativity.
Cordially, Lois C.
Ambash, Editor
INFORMATICON "Dead
Man Talking" According to Sherry Turkle, director of the Initiative on Technology and Self at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, "The message on the answering machine occupies a very particular status. This is technology in the flow of life. You've caught them in the act of living. It's very different than watching the video you took for the purpose of memory. It's a person reaching out -- to be in touch with the person receiving the message. It still has the feeling of the person as he or she participated in relationships. . . .These outgoing recordings sound like 'I'm dead, leave me a message.' . . . . "Electronic remains can be wrenching when they appear on e-mail, too, raising the question of whether we've technologically crossed a line in grieving."
MEDIA Just the Facts as reported in The New York Times, 7/5/01 Sixteen-year-old Robert Iler, who plays the son of mob boss Tony Soprano on "The Sopranos," was arrested with three other teenagers on New York's Upper East Side. According to the police, Iler and his friends took $40 from two sixteen-year olds in a "strong-arm robbery." Iler had marijuana and drug paraphenalia in his possession when he was arrested.The four suspects were arrested after the victims hailed a police car and accompanied the officers as they canvassed the area. The suspects were found sitting on a park bench a short distance away. Iler was released on $2500 bail after pleading not guilty. Comments: Iler's lawyer, Steven Mintz: My client had no role in any robbery and nothing in common with the character he plays on television. "Robert Iler is a good kid, he just plays a character. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Iler's mother, Helen Iler: My son has never been in trouble before. "This is the first, and it will be the last." Iler's neighbors: We're surprised. Robert "doesn't seem to be that kind of kid." Fame has not gone to his head. Police officials: Iler and his friends joked around and made light of the charges while in the precinct holding cell. When taken "downtown" for arraignment, Iler was placed in a cell by himself because he is a celebrity. Prosecutor Robert Wallach, speaking of Iler and the other two suspects charged as adults: "What we have here is three kids who thought it would be fun to go out and do a robbery." Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, a former prosecuter of organized crime figures and a fan of "The Sopranos": I am dismayed at the arrest. Iler is "a terrific actor" and a "young man with a great future. To have something like this happen to a young person is a shame. I feel very bad for him and his family, and I also feel bad for the people who apparently were victimized, which is also pretty rotten." HBO spokeswoman Tobe Becker: "No comment."
Access previous issues of Metaforix Mail by date by visiting our archives. Or use the search box on any page of the Metaforix site (www.metaforix.com) to search by keywords. Cyberspeak An Old Solution to a New Problem As
most people became aware during the Napster case, an MP3 file is a high
quality audio file that occupies very little space and can be transferred
very quickly from one computer to another. It strikes terror into the
hearts of music industry executives, who fear that MP3 spells a precipitous
drop in CD sales.
The
Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco's The images in this exhibit can be viewed as a "showcase" or in several thematic arrangements: era, historical context, and artistic elements. Or, if you find yourself in San Francisco, you can visit the Federal Reserve Bank at 101 Market Street and tour the exhibit in person. To see it on line, go to: www.frbsf.org/currency/index.html
Guest Columnists and Interviewees Wanted! Metaforix
Mail seeks your opinions on how information technologies are (or are not)
changing your world of work.
Please note that the links contained in Metaforix Mail are current as of the time of publication. Some of them may no longer be operative at the time you access past issues. To
Volume 1, Issue 45 June 22, 2001 |
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