E51:Eventually computers will allow people to work from home. Is this desirable?

The answer is that computers already allow some people to work from home, though clearly this cannot apply to more than a limited number of people and a limited number of occupations. As to whether this is desirable, the answer is philosophical as well as practical.

Computers, both analog and digital, have developed out of all recognition since the Second World War, when they were large, mechanical, and limited in use. They were then used in conjunction with radar for missile guidance and also for code breaking and a small range of mathematical functions. Most of these functions are now available in a child's pocket calculator. The application of electronics in the 50s followed by the use of the silicon chip and pre-printed circuits widened the computer's function out of all recognition, permitting a myriad series of voltage controls. The computer today is powerful, compact and relatively small. It combines readily with word-processing, faxing, and the electronic creation of screen graphics, which can be modified either by keyboard control or by electronic pen. The analog computer rapidly solves

differential equations for civil and mechanical engineering problems. The digital computer with its card-punching function permits access to data banks, and allows the processing of records and all the kinds of work connected with bills, orders, wages, VAT, etc. The computer today is integral in the world of business, commerce, design, word-processing and industry in general. Any organization from the small business upwards keeps a computer to which remote terminals may be linked, giving access at a distance to all its functions and information.
The need for all white-collar workers to do a nine-to-five job in the office has disappeared. Today, it is obviously possible for all workers down to lower- management level to work from home, and as computers continue to develop, it is likely that firms will find it convenient to let an increasing number do so. Whether this is a desirable change is a moot point.


Read the whole essay
Source: www.englishdaily626.com