I am an electrical engineer for a moderately large company.
My work is quite challenging and usually I am at work for 10 hours per day, sometimes more. The real question here is: how do you define "productivity"?
It is easier to quantify when dealing with such things as factory or production work: in those cases, the goal is to produce A Thingy every X number of minutes. When it comes to the design and development side of engineering, the value of time spent cannot be quantified in the same manner as it can for more assembly-line type situations where tasks and outcomes are clearly defined and standardized.
Much of the work I do requires thought. If I am examining a particular design for electromagnetic compatability, or attempting to discern the operation of a particular system by looking at the schematic, etc., I cannot simply stare at various pieces of paper and hope to absorb the necessary information by osmosis. In order to really learn something, or design something, I need to examine an idea or product description and process the information I receive. Processing does not occur instantaneously. Perhaps it does for some lucky few, but despite my ability to come to eventual deep understanding of various electronic devices and concepts, my processing speed is at the mercy of the way my brain works.
Sometimes, the best way to figure out how something works (or design a way to make it work better) is to step back and let the information you have taken in over the past few hours settle and shift in your mind. I try to stay off the Internet while working but I will not say I spend 10 hours every day doing absolutely nothing but observable "work". Sometimes it is necessary to pause and let ideas mingle and process them without putting pressure on yourself to come to an immediate solution or conclusion.
There have been times when I've spent hours staring at a piece of code, trying different tactics to get it to work, and coming up with nothing. Sometimes I will think of the solution after only a few minutes of "Internet break time": while reading an article about cryonics or neuroscience or something else that is interesting to me but not necessarily work-related. If I was not reading these articles I would just be staring into space, so I figure that the time is well spent as long as I produce something for my employers in a timely manner.
It is similar to the situation in which "sleeping on" a decision results in a more satisfying solution. Allowing the brain to put the problem on its background-processing circuits is often a very important and valid tactic for solving complex problems. If I never read articles online at all I would most certainly be a less productive, unhappier employee and I don't think my bosses want that.
And in case anyone is wondering, I am not posting this from work. I generally try to reserve longer comments for the home environment.
My boyfriend noted to me that I seem very Aspergerish, but that he is just "geeky".
Asperger's is not just about being introverted and prone to strong, focused interests. I have serious issues with coordination, sensory overload, distinguishing between left and right, recognizing faces, understanding conversational pragmatics, and dealing with changes in routine. I am also extremely literal and prone to verbosity. My listening skills and auditory processing abilities are slightly warped, and I have strange mannerisms that caused people to call me "retarded" when I was little.
My boyfriend is extremely intelligent, somewhat socially avoidant, and prone to obsessing over technical interests and video games. However, he is also highly empathic and quite good at reading the subtle expressions and moods of others. He is a true geek but he does NOT have Asperger's.
In summary, there is some overlap between geeks and Aspies, and there are plenty of Aspie geeks, but not all geeks are Aspies.
This is EXACTLY what Montag's ditzy wife Mildred in Farenheit 451 was addicted to, for those of you that have read that particular book. The full-screen televisions mounted on the parlor walls beamed in images of people referred to as "relatives", and the viewers could vote on what these virtual people would do in each episode.
My experience as a female employed as an electrical engineer leads me to believe that companies are more likely to be concerned with performance than with gender, race, or any other arbitrary factor.
At my company, the bottom line is meeting customer requirements correctly and on-time. It is a sink-or-swim atmosphere: if you can't hack it, you're "let go", and if you CAN, then you are likely to enjoy some measure of job security. I have seen no evidence of sexism in my workplace whatsoever. Perhaps mine is the exception, but I can't help thinking that quite a few barriers perceived by many women are imaginary. If you make yourself vital to a company, the company will keep you.
I have never in my life cared about fitting in or being a certain way because someone thinks I should be. I am an engineer because I love engineering and science, and I find it rewarding. My (mostly male) co-workers, if you'll excuse the expression, treat me like one of the guys.
When it comes to hiring, I am fairly certain that my employers look for a certain personality type: the workaholic.
As for geek women who turn down their dreams because of social pressure, I can't really feel THAT sorry for them. Caring about social acceptance, or gender role fulfillment, is a choice. In elementary school someone wrote in my yearbook: "Dear Anne. I hope you get over Star Wars and start to like New Kids on the Block."
Rather than thinking, "Gee, I'd better stop being interested in the stuff I REALLY like because if I don't, the other girls in my class won't sit with me at lunch!", I laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of my classmate's "well-wishing". I chose my interests in science fiction and science fact over an active social life in grade school, with no later detriment to my ability to make friends. The friends I eventually made were (and are) genuine. Yes, I was osctracized and picked on for years prior to finding my niche in the geek world, but all the while I knew that something better awaited me as long as I was true to myself.
I don't know where I got this notion from: a book, or my grandmother, or my dad. But wherever it came from, it was strong enough to drown out all the "conform! conform!" commands piped through the media to kids all over the world.
Bottom line: every person has the inherent potential to choose what he or she wants to do with his or her life and mindset. Perhaps we need classes in elementary schools that encourage individuality, and things like more media examples of little girls playing with toy trucks and little boys playing house. Anything to put that spark into a kid's mind that tells them, "You can be whatever you want."
Slashdot Mirror
I am an electrical engineer for a moderately large company.
My work is quite challenging and usually I am at work for 10 hours per day, sometimes more. The real question here is: how do you define "productivity"?
It is easier to quantify when dealing with such things as factory or production work: in those cases, the goal is to produce A Thingy every X number of minutes. When it comes to the design and development side of engineering, the value of time spent cannot be quantified in the same manner as it can for more assembly-line type situations where tasks and outcomes are clearly defined and standardized.
Much of the work I do requires thought. If I am examining a particular design for electromagnetic compatability, or attempting to discern the operation of a particular system by looking at the schematic, etc., I cannot simply stare at various pieces of paper and hope to absorb the necessary information by osmosis. In order to really learn something, or design something, I need to examine an idea or product description and process the information I receive. Processing does not occur instantaneously. Perhaps it does for some lucky few, but despite my ability to come to eventual deep understanding of various electronic devices and concepts, my processing speed is at the mercy of the way my brain works.
Sometimes, the best way to figure out how something works (or design a way to make it work better) is to step back and let the information you have taken in over the past few hours settle and shift in your mind. I try to stay off the Internet while working but I will not say I spend 10 hours every day doing absolutely nothing but observable "work". Sometimes it is necessary to pause and let ideas mingle and process them without putting pressure on yourself to come to an immediate solution or conclusion.
There have been times when I've spent hours staring at a piece of code, trying different tactics to get it to work, and coming up with nothing. Sometimes I will think of the solution after only a few minutes of "Internet break time": while reading an article about cryonics or neuroscience or something else that is interesting to me but not necessarily work-related. If I was not reading these articles I would just be staring into space, so I figure that the time is well spent as long as I produce something for my employers in a timely manner.
It is similar to the situation in which "sleeping on" a decision results in a more satisfying solution. Allowing the brain to put the problem on its background-processing circuits is often a very important and valid tactic for solving complex problems. If I never read articles online at all I would most certainly be a less productive, unhappier employee and I don't think my bosses want that.
And in case anyone is wondering, I am not posting this from work. I generally try to reserve longer comments for the home environment.
My boyfriend noted to me that I seem very Aspergerish, but that he is just "geeky". Asperger's is not just about being introverted and prone to strong, focused interests. I have serious issues with coordination, sensory overload, distinguishing between left and right, recognizing faces, understanding conversational pragmatics, and dealing with changes in routine. I am also extremely literal and prone to verbosity. My listening skills and auditory processing abilities are slightly warped, and I have strange mannerisms that caused people to call me "retarded" when I was little. My boyfriend is extremely intelligent, somewhat socially avoidant, and prone to obsessing over technical interests and video games. However, he is also highly empathic and quite good at reading the subtle expressions and moods of others. He is a true geek but he does NOT have Asperger's. In summary, there is some overlap between geeks and Aspies, and there are plenty of Aspie geeks, but not all geeks are Aspies.
This is EXACTLY what Montag's ditzy wife Mildred in Farenheit 451 was addicted to, for those of you that have read that particular book. The full-screen televisions mounted on the parlor walls beamed in images of people referred to as "relatives", and the viewers could vote on what these virtual people would do in each episode.
My experience as a female employed as an electrical engineer leads me to believe that companies are more likely to be concerned with performance than with gender, race, or any other arbitrary factor.
At my company, the bottom line is meeting customer requirements correctly and on-time. It is a sink-or-swim atmosphere: if you can't hack it, you're "let go", and if you CAN, then you are likely to enjoy some measure of job security. I have seen no evidence of sexism in my workplace whatsoever. Perhaps mine is the exception, but I can't help thinking that quite a few barriers perceived by many women are imaginary. If you make yourself vital to a company, the company will keep you.
I have never in my life cared about fitting in or being a certain way because someone thinks I should be. I am an engineer because I love engineering and science, and I find it rewarding. My (mostly male) co-workers, if you'll excuse the expression, treat me like one of the guys.
When it comes to hiring, I am fairly certain that my employers look for a certain personality type: the workaholic.
As for geek women who turn down their dreams because of social pressure, I can't really feel THAT sorry for them. Caring about social acceptance, or gender role fulfillment, is a choice. In elementary school someone wrote in my yearbook: "Dear Anne. I hope you get over Star Wars and start to like New Kids on the Block."
Rather than thinking, "Gee, I'd better stop being interested in the stuff I REALLY like because if I don't, the other girls in my class won't sit with me at lunch!", I laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of my classmate's "well-wishing". I chose my interests in science fiction and science fact over an active social life in grade school, with no later detriment to my ability to make friends. The friends I eventually made were (and are) genuine. Yes, I was osctracized and picked on for years prior to finding my niche in the geek world, but all the while I knew that something better awaited me as long as I was true to myself.
I don't know where I got this notion from: a book, or my grandmother, or my dad. But wherever it came from, it was strong enough to drown out all the "conform! conform!" commands piped through the media to kids all over the world.
Bottom line: every person has the inherent potential to choose what he or she wants to do with his or her life and mindset. Perhaps we need classes in elementary schools that encourage individuality, and things like more media examples of little girls playing with toy trucks and little boys playing house. Anything to put that spark into a kid's mind that tells them, "You can be whatever you want."