Always interesting to see how technology is perceived by academics (I recognise many of these complaints)… and this is just the tech section!
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1309469
Describing a recent lecture, another diarist writes: “The room is quite small, claustrophobic and very hot. It didn’t start well – the room was locked when I arrived and it took 10 minutes for someone from customer services to come and unlock it.
“Then the data projector took five minutes to load and then the semi-automated lighting dimmer switch decided to play games.”
The tyranny of technology is a recurring theme. One academic recounts the arrival of a new computer, allocated as part of a “five-year rolling plan”.
“It is nice and fast. It also removes the word “I” from every email I send. Not sure if I should ask for it to be fixed, or if that will take another five years,” the diarist says.
Others express their dissatisfaction with technology used to deliver online courses (“you can’t have two windows open at the same time – come on, it’s not 1995!”), and the discovery that video equipment in a classroom had no sound (“although our brilliant learning technology service always records videos with subtitles for those with hearing difficulties, I didn’t expect the whole group to have to rely on them”).
One of the most common gripes, however, is about dealing with emails. “Tried to clear some of my email backlog – when it gets to triple figures, I know things are starting to fall apart,” says one. “On holiday for once. In Ireland – very nice. Still doing emails,” says another.
