The dominion of the monitor

“There's a book on hold for me,” I say to the student librarian at our university science library. She is blonde and pale and stiff, and seems untrained and unskilled and unwilling. “I'm moving to another computer; I don't want to reboot,” and she walks away with my card, returns with two books. “There's another on hold at the arts library,” she reads from the monitor. “Thank you; it's here,” I say. “No, it's at arts.” “It's here – there is a sign on the arts door that they are closed and all their holds are here.” “It says arts.” “It's here.” “But the screen says arts; I wouldn't know how to find it … “ “Maybe try looking on the hold shelves …. ?” I am firm and insistent. She returns with the book I know was there, mystified that something tangible has contradicted what the screen shows. I too am befuddled, wondering at the dominion of the software.

Tech Hubris

The health care industry is excited about electronics, electronic health records, savings, coordination. They’ve decided to use robot phone calls to customers and patients. I am expectant when the phone rings, between rings wondering who might be calling, kindly reaching out to me. When I hear the robot, instant rage covers my disappointment. I scheme about how to turn off the phone, turn off the ring, never ever answer, never ever hope.

I use TiVo to record chosen television programs, and watch a day or several days later. The first few minutes of a program I just watched was an emergency alert interruption, local flood evacuations, site of shelters, ... But it had no date, only times, evacuate now it commanded in a red trailer and command voice. Do you think there is no message developer at the National Weather Service who thinks that some of the audience time shifts?

As I experience each of these technology innovations, I feel less and less an individual, more a bit in a marketing audience.