Session 4 - Technology Out of Isolation

This week I spent a lot of time thinking about developments in technology, integration into existing systems and the impact of that integration on existing bodies of rules and regulations. For example, based on a great discussion posting by a classmate, I began to think about the effects of technological innovations on the physical organization of workplaces. For example, workers are becoming more mobile by using Blackberrys, notebook computers and WLANs to connect with their offices from a variety of internal and external locations. This increased mobility, however, has not been well-translated into a mobile workstation. I remember hearing once about a platform for the passenger seat of your car that turned your car into a mobile office. This is a great idea for workers who work on the road, but how would this translate into an office environment where workers move about the building to complete various portions of their daily tasks?

The next time someone suggests a technological improvement, I will definitely try to imagine how that piece of technology fits into the larger process of daily interactions and activities.