Get your own
 diary at DiaryLand.com! contact me older entries newest entry

2000-03-31

My job is getting me down. I feel a lot of anger that I'm turning inward, or something. I don't know exactly what I want, but I think I'd like to do something more social. I was reading this book about usability testing, a subject I need to write about for work. The book is Usability Inspection Methods, edited by Nielsen and Mack, and this passage struck me:

There may be unintended consequences of the new system. For example, perhaps the user had to go upstairs to get a form signed by another work group. This afforded the user the opportunity to learn about company issues or talk about the weather or what others did over the weekend. This interaction connected the user to the company, creating good feelings and a positive outlook to the work day. If this process is automated, perhaps the user will not have the social contact anymore, and may become depressed and lonely as a result.

The way this is written is pretty stilted, pretty silly, but that last sentence, when I read it just hit me. I am really lonely at work. I spend the whole day in my windowless office. All communication is done through email. I find myself looking forward to the two standing meetings I have each week -- which are as dull and pointless as most meetings -- just because they break up the monotony.

Is this really what's bugging me or do I just think it is? It's hard to say but the way that line hit me tells me something.

previous - next

join my Notify List and get email when I update my site:
email:
Powered by NotifyList.com