Modern Measures of 'Productivity' Boil Down to Time Wasting and Misguided Measurements/Yardsticks
HOURS ago we published "The Cyber Show Explains What CCTV is About". I've since then listened to more of it and it's a generally pleasing overview that covers almost all the key points.
The cameras in our home are all attached to laptops and they are covered unless in use. Having finished all the videos just hours earlier (we published 8 videos in a day), my cameras are disconnected or covered again. Yes, all our machines run GNU/Linux, but some of the hardware is proprietary and the router is not trustworthy (even if it runs Linux).
One thing I've found (when recording 8 videos in a row) is that keeping the mind straight after 1-2 hours is hard because there is erosion of sorts (in the head, especially if no breaks are taken). "It's hard to keep intense focus like that for such a long time," a friend told me, "especially without moving around and walking etc. College courses are 45 minutes for that reason, or at least they used to be."
Now the collages are about "apps" or "screen time" or "engagement!"
Engagement, yes!
"Never usability or efficiency!" my friend said. "Yay for flicking at the screen for a long time instead of just getting the job done quickly."
As I recently explained (just earlier this month), the real phone is a fast interface when the other side has a well trained person and access to many systems, colleagues, supervisors etc. Mouths and ears are very good but "expensive" (an HR perspective) interfaces. They're still vastly superior because one can correct an error at the shop/counter quickly (consulting an actual person, colleague, supervisor and so on).
If done online, expect weeks of work and a "journey" through loads of different people. Sure, it does cost them in 'HR' too (staff), but my friend reminds me that "HR is a scam. It's about ass-covering for the business against the interests of the employees."
At the staff-robbing Sirius Open Source we moved to some "webapp" for HR. It sucked. Then there's the attempt to distribute "smartphones" to all the staff. We resigned over it as it was the last straw (we had antagonised that for weeks). Today's "smartphones" are spying devices with several cameras and a microphone. They don't help productivity in any way, they're mostly a waste of time and money. A company that was robbing its own staff wanted to waste money on spying gadgets. No, thanks!
"I've seen people move their fingers quickly but when I watch over the shoulder it is lots of useless movement without result. It keeps them feeling busy without getting stuff done," my friend said. █