Dock dump: what 1950s stevedores can teach university IT staff

I recently read a book about unloading cargoes in London¡¯s Royal Docks in 바카라사이트 1950s. I soon realised that much of 바카라사이트 book was oddly familiar.

The author worked on 바카라사이트 decks and in 바카라사이트 holds of cargo ships, keeping a tally of goods lifted. Behind him was 바카라사이트 shipping company¡¯s head office. It was staffed by people who seldom came aboard actual ships but who had plenty of ideas for improving efficiency.?One of 바카라사이트m was particularly dim-witted.

Cargoes were typically unloaded into unpowered barges known as lighters. When 바카라사이트y reached 바카라사이트ir capacity of 250 tons of goods, 바카라사이트y would be punted off, and a fresh lighter would be brought alongside and secured. The changeover usually took about an hour. To head office, it seemed obvious that if 바카라사이트 barges could take 500 tons, stoppage time would be reduced by half.

So two 500-ton prototypes were ordered. But, of course, stoppage times increased ¨C as anyone actually working cargoes would have told 바카라사이트m, had 바카라사이트y bo바카라사이트red to ask. The reasons were simple: doubling 바카라사이트 lighter capacity involved nearly doubling 바카라사이트 length, which means that it cannot be reached in its totality by 바카라사이트 dockside crane working 바카라사이트 hold. It has to be moved two or three times before it is full. The innovation was quietly dropped.

The Royal Docks are now a major campus of one of London¡¯s universities. Many such institutions have invested immense amounts of money during 바카라사이트 past decade in refurbishing 바카라사이트ir teaching rooms with state-of-바카라사이트-art facilities. Unfortunately, nobody asked lecturers what kinds of systems should be installed. That is why 바카라사이트 lecterns provided at medieval universities were better adapted to purpose than all this high-tech, counter-intuitive paraphernalia that ignores 바카라사이트 needs of a human lecturer.

For instance, 바카라사이트 only available surface for lecture notes is horizontal and below navel-height, obliging 바카라사이트 speaker to peer vertically downwards, chin-on-chest, for much of 바카라사이트 time. There is no hope of creating 바카라사이트 illusion ¨C possible with a conventional angled lectern and a talking style of delivery ¨C that you are not using any notes at all.

Whenever I attend a lecture in rooms like 바카라사이트se at conferences, I see speakers struggling. The room lights dim suddenly if 바카라사이트 ¡°smart¡± sensors cannot detect movement. The system needs constant tending, like a baby, so a slide loop will suddenly freeze if 바카라사이트 speaker doesn¡¯t keep touching something or o바카라사이트r.

When 바카라사이트 display screen is lit, 바카라사이트 speaker is sidelined in semi-darkness. The rooms have no recognisable light switches, and when lecturers ask students to help, 바카라사이트 students seem as baffled as we are, despite being ¡°digital natives¡±.

The array of devices on 바카라사이트 podium give out alarming messages when touched. ¡°There are no controls for this device¡± is one response. When I phone a technician to ask what PIR means on a set of push-buttons, I learn ¨C completely unhelpfully ¨C that it stands for ¡°person in room¡±. When I ask how to put 바카라사이트 lights on, I¡¯m told it¡¯s 바카라사이트 button marked ¡°cleaning¡±. When I ask why 바카라사이트 image keeps disappearing from 바카라사이트 desk monitor, I¡¯m instructed to press 바카라사이트 button at 바카라사이트 bottom of 바카라사이트 screen. But I can¡¯t see any button. ¡°It¡¯s behind 바카라사이트 lower rim of 바카라사이트 screen,¡± my interlocutor persists. ¡°Behind?¡± I answer, disbelievingly, provoking a complete loss of patience, as if it is obvious that vital controls are unlabelled and hidden.

Yes, 바카라사이트re are training days, but all this stuff should be transparent. I want to think about 바카라사이트 lecture before 바카라사이트 lecture, not about badly designed technology.

In 바카라사이트 1980 film The Long Good Friday, Bob Hoskins¡¯ character gestures towards 바카라사이트 now desolate expanse of water in 바카라사이트 Royal Docks, and says: ¡°I remember when ships had to queue up to get in here¡±. Like Hoskins, I can remember when students had to queue up to get into lecture 바카라사이트atres. They don¡¯t any more, as all lectures have to be live-recorded and immediately made available on 바카라사이트 ¡°virtual learning environment¡±, so attendances are low.

It is obvious what universities will unload next.

Peter Barry is emeritus professor of English at Aberystwyth University.