On Mon, 29 Dec 1997, Louis Proyect wrote:
> * * * I have to confess that the discussion about "technology" sort
> of baffles me since it seems detached from the broader question of how
> society is organized.
>
> There is no question that automation of blue-collar and white-collar work
> has led to increased misery under capitalism.
And not just amongst the workers who are hired to do the work. Now
technology is making us all do the work -- unpaid at that. Last night while
calling to check on some flight details, the automated phone system first
put me through trying to figure out whether I fell into the "press or say
1" or "press or say 2" category as we went through the menu (and I knew I
did need to speak to a real person), I was put on hold because there
weren't nearly enough people working to handle the customers (thanks
probably to "right sizing"). I couldn't even mark exams while on hold -
something I am avoiding at this second - because I had to be a captive
audience for their ads.
And this is not the only place in which we all are doing unpaid work for
corporations as they use technology to turn us all into their virtual staffs.
Ellen J. Dannin
California Western School of Law
225 Cedar Street
San Diego, CA 92101
