Social and Economic Technology - 6.1. Economic Impacts
With what types of Work could Secotek help?
A high number, if not the majority of jobs that are on offer today could equally well be performed in the rural countryside, in the same way as the sales assistant work described above. Work that does not involve actually touching goods beyond paper, telephones, and computers are the obvious candidates, and it makes no difference that some employees in the business may need to be physically adjacent, it is very rare they all have to be. In actual fact almost any work not involving heavy manufacturing could be adapted to be performed using the technology to keep the company together. The way the system naturally lends itself to video could make doctors home visits and surgery almost a thing of the past, and eliminate the health risk of being in a Doctor's surgery! Light manufacturing should not be ruled out, even if it does not adapt itself as well as some other forms of employment. The part manufactured goods would have to be transported rather than the workers, which overall is actually more economic. The importance of the "in touchness" of the people on the production line would be the overall important thing, and that Secotek could offer.
Several years ago all the above was promised as a direct consequence of breakthroughs in computing that were being made at the time. However, it has not materialized, indeed it now seems more far off and far fetched than years ago. This is not because the promises were wild, or that computing has not progressed since. It is simply that those in the computing industry have seen more profit in developing other aspects of computing, and given an unnecessary impression that computers are complicated to operate, unreliable to achieve a particular objective, and expensive to maintain with a constant need for upgrading. This web site explains that hardware at present being thrown into skips is quite capable of achieving an economic revival of rural areas if used properly. Furthermore, the software tools are now not only available, but freely available. What is needed is to organize things that are already around us into a reliable communication system that is easily understood by the non technical. To do this could easily be achieved without digging too deeply into budgets already allocated for rural revival. However, very few seem to realize these statements are true and the practicality of what is proposed on this Web site. When it becomes common knowledge those in charge of budgets will be moved to achieve it.
Have no fear of the social consequences of large scale "teleworking". Correctly handled there are only massive benefits. However, social issues must be correctly and properly handled as an integral part of the project.
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