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Isn't a lot of that productivity exactly because of all those technologies (and more)? Then how does it make sense to stop using all of those things in order to

by Dewie 13y ago

Isn't a lot of that productivity exactly because of all those technologies (and more)? Then how does it make sense to stop using all of those things in order to work less? The Internet helps a knowledge worker to be productive (also enables some procrastination, but oh well). Is canceling your Internet subscription and consulting your 20 volume, 10 year old encyclopedia a benefit? Same goes for cell phones and cars. And when you have all those things, also using them at home makes sense.

raldi 13y ago
From the article: > We ought to be able to make ends meet perfectly well with [...] a 40 hour week for 48 weeks a year for a ten year working lifetime. And my point is that we (well, most Hacker News readers, at least) can do that -- if, at the end of that 10-year span, we live like it's 1930.
ctdonath 13y ago
Because maintaining and advancing those things takes work. If you work less, you won't be able to afford that Internet subscription and $1000 in hardware to access it, you won't afford the $3.30/gal gas for commuting, you won't afford the iPhone with data plan, etc. Your employer will have to extend deadlines and cancel projects because you (along with everyone else thinking less work is a great idea) just aren't producing 4x your new relaxed hours, and thus tech won't be advancing nearly as fast and may not even keep up with the stresses of growing population. Doctors cut back their hours, and people consequently die in the ER. Lacking the now-deceased cell tower maintenance guy, your cheap cell phone doesn't work any more, and the reduced-hours landline installer for your area is booked for the next 2 years. Wanting to find a clever solution, you realize you can't access Wikipedia for a simple but very relevant factoid, and have to go to a local garage sale to pick up a 20 volume 10 year old encyclopedia - and carry it back, because you can't afford to repair the car. The Red Queen was right: sometimes you have to run (work) hard just to stay where you are; slow down, and you'll go backwards.
- Dewie 13y ago
  Well, yeah, exactly. I doesn't make sense to live technologically as if we're in the 30's, because modern technology is the reason for our productivity.

by Dewie 13y ago

raldi 13y ago

From the article: > We ought to be able to make ends meet perfectly well with [...] a 40 hour week for 48 weeks a year for a ten year working lifetime. And my point is that we (well, most Hacker News readers, at least) can do that -- if, at the end of that 10-year span, we live like it's 1930.

ctdonath 13y ago

Because maintaining and advancing those things takes work. If you work less, you won't be able to afford that Internet subscription and $1000 in hardware to access it, you won't afford the $3.30/gal gas for commuting, you won't afford the iPhone with data plan, etc. Your employer will have to extend deadlines and cancel projects because you (along with everyone else thinking less work is a great idea) just aren't producing 4x your new relaxed hours, and thus tech won't be advancing nearly as fast and may not even keep up with the stresses of growing population. Doctors cut back their hours, and people consequently die in the ER. Lacking the now-deceased cell tower maintenance guy, your cheap cell phone doesn't work any more, and the reduced-hours landline installer for your area is booked for the next 2 years. Wanting to find a clever solution, you realize you can't access Wikipedia for a simple but very relevant factoid, and have to go to a local garage sale to pick up a 20 volume 10 year old encyclopedia - and carry it back, because you can't afford to repair the car. The Red Queen was right: sometimes you have to run (work) hard just to stay where you are; slow down, and you'll go backwards.

Dewie 13y ago
Well, yeah, exactly. I doesn't make sense to live technologically as if we're in the 30's, because modern technology is the reason for our productivity.