We started as hunters who hunted when they were hungry. Then we started gathering the stuff, farming, rearing animals. And then we discovered this whole magical possibility of making stuff beyond fire – so, in came pots and baskets and so many other things.
Most of these things that we made were for ourselves. Then started barter and then finally we started exchanging goods for currency.
All this continued to happen up until that one day when the Gong of Industrialization sounded and was heard far and wide.
In came place of work, specialization on the assembly line, working shifts, time cards, punch cards, swipe cards and time sheets (we still do many of these regularly) and, many others which were aimed to triggering accountability. To give an answer to the question “What time did you come in today?” (“Why?”) “What did you do today?” (“Why?”).
While we were busy putting hours against people and appropriating money accordingly – we also started carrying devices of ‘superlative productivity’ viz. the Lap Top and the Pocket PC (or Smart phone). Now the work started roaming with us, at home, in the bus, on a plane – and many times (unfortunately) even while driving.
A steady movement from “home = work” to home and office as two separate entities and now finally office everywhere.
As we carry our work everywhere, as the knowledge worker makes physical space increasingly irrelevant, I am left wondering - how long we would continue to entertain the legacy of time keeping. With lines blurring all around us – it is increasingly theoretical to compartmentalize time for work and time for other stuff.
On a slightly philosophical note - the hunter gatherer era made us work any time, anywhere and even overtime - just to keep our bellies full, ironically the digital hunter gatherers seem to do just that, as they make or take that call or send/receive that mail just after lunch and dinner and breakfast too!
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Digital hunter gatherers?
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4 comments:
for once, i disagree..like the saying goes "there's always a choice"
You are right, there is always a choice and there would always be.
I am equally curious to observe how many of us choose to not go this way. If the deluge of texting, calling, pinging, Instant Messaging, Mail checking etc among the young is any indication of how things might shape in the future - I suspect it would be and interesting show to watch!
and while we carry work with us and get deeper and deeper into the digital world ultimately becoming a "Mobile Office" of sorts we parallelly see "DND" lists, getaway hotels who promote "No connectivity" etc. rising by the minute ... so we can kinda switch on and off whenever we want ... so i guess we do have choices.
Good to see your thoughts Sanjeev..it might be the right context to share another, somewhat related, observation with you. I see a lot of working people around me always ranting about lack of time and their busy schedules (the pinging, buzzing, texting, calling, deadlines so on and so forth are all a part of this ‘busy world’) however it is equally interesting to watch them in a virtual state of 'lack of purpose' on a long vacation or towards the Sunday evening over the weekend.
Essentially, they seem to have become so used to working, that when they actually get some time to slow down they feel a sense of void and lack of purpose. No essentially workholism but interesting none the less..
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