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Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

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Re: Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

#11

Post by GTP »

rbanffy wrote: post #8
eru wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, Stallman ain't perceived positively, either. The author clearly has an axe to grind. I haven't read enough yet to decide whether they have valid point.

I couldn’t decide whether they had a valid point or whether they were engaging in some form of parody. Seems like an extreme case of Poe’s Law.

I think that if you filter-out the exaggerations in the article, the general message is still worth to reflect on. Some process doesn't get more efficient just by virtue of using a computer, and many tools we have now are more about good-looking interfaces than actual productivity.

Re: Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

#12

Post by jijijijij »

drewcoo wrote: post #10
TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #4

What's with a lot of the mentions of “computer” using what looks like a portmanteau with “retard”?! I know some famous people like Stallman do this, but I don't think it's perceived positively.

[flagged]

> computard

Maybe next time read the article before getting all worked up. It's in the very first sentence.

Re: Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

#14

Post by doubloon »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #4

What's with a lot of the mentions of “computer” using what looks like a portmanteau with “retard”?! I know some famous people like Stallman do this, but I don't think it's perceived positively.

A lack of consideration for others feelings.

Re: Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

#15

Post by sourcepluck »

TazeTSchnitzel wrote: post #4

What's with a lot of the mentions of “computer” using what looks like a portmanteau with “retard”?! I know some famous people like Stallman do this, but I don't think it's perceived positively.

Provide a link to Stallman using that term then please? Otherwise, I'm calling nonsense. I'd be 95+% sure you're making that up, or confused in this case.

Re: Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

#16

Post by pydry »

geysersam wrote: post #6

Nobody can convince me computerization has not improved efficiency in industrial manufacturing. But computerization has probably lead to fewer people working in manufacturing. Did overall efficiency decrease or increase?

Offshoring did 90% of that, not computers.

The effect of computerization was just to keep some industrial production at home - mostly the unique kind of manufacturing where labor costs weren't dominant.

I think the US is in for an epic shock in few years time when they realize just how much getting cut off from Chinese factories will hurt.

Either demand for labor to substitute those Chinese factories will spike or the US will economically spiral as inflation takes off like a rocket and US elites try yet again to shift the burden onto the politically impotent working classes.

Re: Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

#17

Post by virtue3 »

I think this article is drastically downplaying how dramatically more complicated designs and things are now than they were before.

I don't believe it's computers that are to blame; I believe it's complexity nightmare problem.

We have much tighter tolerances for everything now; everything "does more" and relies on my components.

Back when we used pen and paper to create military vehicles it was mostly JUST about performance and completing the objective. There wasn't thousands upon thousands of other requirements and features (whether or not this is a good thing is debatable).

Re: Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

#18

Post by onthecanposting »

flavaz wrote: post #7

A classic example of this would be how some roles require endless spreadsheets, or individual updates to a CRM tool like Pipedrive. CRM tools add a lot of overhead to what should be a simple process- letting your manager know what you’re up to.

If that bookkeeping overhead is fed into analysis and process mining to drive improvement, it might be a net gain. More often though, I see yet-another-spreadhseet applied as panacea, then it's forgotten in a few months and the process repeats over many years.

Re: Computers Reduce Efficiency: Case Studies of the Solow Paradox (2023)

#20

Post by datavirtue »

GTP wrote: post #11
rbanffy wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I couldn’t decide whether they had a valid point or whether they were engaging in some form of parody. Seems like an extreme case of Poe’s Law.

I think that if you filter-out the exaggerations in the article, the general message is still worth to reflect on. Some process doesn't get more efficient just by virtue of using a computer, and many tools we have now are more about good-looking interfaces than actual productivity.

This.
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