Fast Talk Response -

Ben Tremblay — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 20:06:53 -0500

"Cubicle-style" is too vague; there are cube farms that are in reality just pigeon-holes. But cubicles can be arrayed in a way that doesn't isolate. I know because I've worked in such an environment; close quarters with two others (only one of which was directly in my group) and found it a real help.

How many millions of dollars have been spent on research concerning layout of retail space? I can't believe that office space justifies less effort.

Fast Talk Response -

Ben Tremblay — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:59:49 -0500

Journalism and community; by introducing the vaguely French term rapporteur into my thinking 30+ years ago (UN's 7th Special Session, on the "New International Economic Order" ... the groundwork for what we now call "globalization") I came to an appreciation that I've been trying to share since.

Zero-sum games do not predispose folk to grok, so our techniques and methodologies are market-oriented, while computing for the public good is more about insight; "you can lead a person to grok, but you can't make them" is essentially false. Socrates showed that (Phaedrus?).

Comment on Node ant

Ben Tremblay — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:50:01 -0500

no preview, no edit ... case in point: it's about how a person relates to the world they share with others. or not

bdt

Comment on Node ant

Ben Tremblay — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:48:32 -0500

Imagine that we had a problem with common sense. Imagine that good hard-workin' hot needed cautions on coffee cups such as "Contents are hot" and on hair-dryers such as "Do not use while in bath or shower".
Now we're at ground zero.

"Nut warnings" is one specific that arise from that ground. Or, rather more precisely, arise from the lack of that ground.

Identity

Ben Tremblay — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 19:03:26 -0500

*croons, in a Neil Young sorta way, "Getting to knooooooow you | getting to knoooow aaall abouuuuuuut you!*

Fast Talk Response -

Ben Tremblay — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 18:16:08 -0500

FlexHours can work, but there's no inevitability here. If someone else's task is waiting on your output, then that coupling needs to be managed. Which brings me to my point: any shortcoming in management will be exacerbated by this flexibility. Which is to say that shortcomings come to light (a good thing) by having their consequences amplified (to be avoided). Work that can be flexed w/o backlash is either trivial or being done by conscientious individuals.