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I don't have to cope with it, my field is engineering and I am currently a programmer. The more complex the technology, the better my long term employment prospect.
The only problem is that there's a segment that makes things complicated just because they can. We refer to this jokingly as "overcomplexification." What happens is that people pick the more complex approach mostly to show off, even if it is more expensive, cumbersome and less practical than the simple fix.
Here's an example of how it was for myself and my peers:
22 years ago we were writing code on paper, then waiting for our turn to go into a computing center to type our code into a VAX mini, then hit compile and go for a cup of coffee while the program ran. Just two years later, we were programming in individual computers, and results were nearly instantaneous.
5 years or so later we were building applications by drawing them on the screen, then clicking on parts of it and assigning much smaller bits of code to make them work. Then the internet became popular and most of us switched from writing code that ran on one machine at a time to writing code that runs on a web server and can be accessed with a mundane web browser.
22 years later and we do almost everything online. Banking, travel arrangements, shopping, etc. is all driven by this web programming model. On top of that, we don't even go to the office to work, instead most of us work from our homes. In my case I even have an office phone connected to my home internet connection, setup as if I am sitting at work (customers usually can't tell the difference). Comcast charges me about $53 for an internet connection that is at least 20 times faster than the multi-thousand dollar (per month!) connection used by my college over 20 years ago.
It's mindblowing change, but it was gradual. Had we made this shift overnight I would had probably gone crazy just from the sensory overload.
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In considering all of this, I think the big take away is this... Technology dissolves boundaries (between distance, age, sex, class, etc) but in this case between my "free time" and my "work time"
In light of this fact, it makes it all that more important to do work that you genuinely enjoy doing all the time. This will become more and more true as the boundaries continue to dissolve week by week.
So to directly answer your question.. if you like your job before, you'll probably like it even more as a result of the new technologies.. Conversely, a job you didn't enjoy before, is probably all that more unemployable. So how to cope? Simple.. find something you're genuinely passionate about.
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Also, cell phones, gps, and laptops along with wide-spread wifi service available, allows me to both keep in touch, work more efficiently, and quickly access the information that I need.
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Technology is good when it works. However, if you find yourself spending more time trying to get the technology to work than working with the technology, it has failed. That's why I hate my school for using OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office.
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Answered Question
M$5
December 15, 2008 01:46 AM
Is your job better or worse since all that technology came out? How do you cope with it all?
There has been an explosion in knowledge, technology, and skills needed to do your job well. Do you find that this has been a benefit or not? As for me, I find myself spending a lot of time learning on websites like this Mahalo Answer one and http://www.mahalo.com . What do you do?
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Best Answer Chosen by Asker
| December 15, 2008 05:38 PM |
The only problem is that there's a segment that makes things complicated just because they can. We refer to this jokingly as "overcomplexification." What happens is that people pick the more complex approach mostly to show off, even if it is more expensive, cumbersome and less practical than the simple fix.
Here's an example of how it was for myself and my peers:
22 years ago we were writing code on paper, then waiting for our turn to go into a computing center to type our code into a VAX mini, then hit compile and go for a cup of coffee while the program ran. Just two years later, we were programming in individual computers, and results were nearly instantaneous.
5 years or so later we were building applications by drawing them on the screen, then clicking on parts of it and assigning much smaller bits of code to make them work. Then the internet became popular and most of us switched from writing code that ran on one machine at a time to writing code that runs on a web server and can be accessed with a mundane web browser.
22 years later and we do almost everything online. Banking, travel arrangements, shopping, etc. is all driven by this web programming model. On top of that, we don't even go to the office to work, instead most of us work from our homes. In my case I even have an office phone connected to my home internet connection, setup as if I am sitting at work (customers usually can't tell the difference). Comcast charges me about $53 for an internet connection that is at least 20 times faster than the multi-thousand dollar (per month!) connection used by my college over 20 years ago.
It's mindblowing change, but it was gradual. Had we made this shift overnight I would had probably gone crazy just from the sensory overload.
| Asker's Rating: |
• I thought the other answers were very good also and it was difficult to decide. However, I found this answer to be special because it showed not only a story but also a progression over time that really painted a complete picture of how technology affected this person over their career. Thank you!
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Other Answers (8)
December 15, 2008 02:02 AM
I like to consider the fact that I'm writing this from a laptop at Starbucks, while at the same time my girlfriend works on her essays, and I'm also writing a press release for Mahalo Answers that is a shared document so other people in my office can make additions and changes as well. In considering all of this, I think the big take away is this... Technology dissolves boundaries (between distance, age, sex, class, etc) but in this case between my "free time" and my "work time"
In light of this fact, it makes it all that more important to do work that you genuinely enjoy doing all the time. This will become more and more true as the boundaries continue to dissolve week by week.
So to directly answer your question.. if you like your job before, you'll probably like it even more as a result of the new technologies.. Conversely, a job you didn't enjoy before, is probably all that more unemployable. So how to cope? Simple.. find something you're genuinely passionate about.
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December 15, 2008 09:56 AM
It depends on how you use it, it can be a real time hogger, but if you use it for what you need (visit technology websites for latest tech info) and then can base an article on it its great. A big problem though is "Do I trust this site?" and even the bigger sites like News.com are making more mistakes then ever, which can be very annoying. You have to visit the post a couple of times a day just to see if you have the latest version of it.
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December 15, 2008 05:00 PM
As a long haul trucker I have to say it's definitely much better with technology. Modern truck engines are electronically controlled which translates to much better fuel economy as well as a wealth of data being displayed to keep me informed about the performance of the vehicle. Also, cell phones, gps, and laptops along with wide-spread wifi service available, allows me to both keep in touch, work more efficiently, and quickly access the information that I need.
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December 15, 2008 06:48 PM
I'm a Systems Administrator so without technology I wouldn't have a job. There is a learning curve associated with a new technology. I think the issues with technology are that there is a huge learning curve for people that have never used technology in their jobs before and are suddenly pushed into it. Eventually new technologies will become common-place and people will forget how we ever lived without them.
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December 15, 2008 09:45 PM
My opinion is that good technology is good, and bad technology is bad. Technology is good when it works. However, if you find yourself spending more time trying to get the technology to work than working with the technology, it has failed. That's why I hate my school for using OpenOffice instead of Microsoft Office.
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December 17, 2008 04:03 AM
Knowledge becomes a calculator and kids won't have to memorize history lessons anymore that is what. We are entering a decade where we learn what innovation really means, which is inventing things that don't exist yet, i.e., instead of Mahalo Answers, Mahalo Predictions, so my job is better because I am a psychic. It is sometimes hard to cope with what I know will take place like the financial crisis. I cope by building good things in advance and being ready when they happen.
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