Here is the complete Wall Street Journal article ...
Automation Makes Us Dumb
Automation Makes Us Dumb
This post is dedicated to some of the ideas and messages highlighted by that article ... intermingled with reasons why we feel our Kipware® software is such a great option to combat the "dumbing down" of America.
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| Have you "drank the CAD/CAM kool aid"? ... or in this case embalming fluid? ( You knew a DUMB and DUMBER reference would be here somewhere !! ) |
"Dazzled by our new machines ... we've been rushing to hand them all sorts of sophisticated jobs that we used to do ourselves. But our growing reliance on computer automation may be exacting a high price. Worrisome evidence suggest that our own intelligence is withering as we become more and more dependent on the artificial variety. Rather than lifting us up, smart software seems to be dumbing us down."
When CNC machinery first came along, it was celebrated for it's ability to make the machining of complex shapes ... take an arc for instance ... possible. Creating the G code to machine that arc was still in the hands of the artisan. By keeping it in the hands of the artisan, it lent itself to the human interaction ... which more often lent itself to new and innovative shapes ... more things could be done with that arc. As CAD/CAM has striven to replace ALL human interaction ... it has also removed more and more of that "human factor". More and more, these new and more powerful software are leaving users only with the drab, mindless, less demanding tasks ... and the human innovation and human creativity has been removed with the "skill" being built into the computer.
"Yesterdays machine operators are today's computer operators."
Why is Kipware® Different ?
Our software design philosophy and our Kipware® titles reflect a certain feature ... that software plays an essential role but is actually secondary to the human operator. It takes over routine functions that a human operator has already mastered. Kipware® becomes the users partner ... not the users replacement. Kipware® often relies on the users strengths and interaction ... allowing them to bring their ideas and experience to the process ... and allows them to enhance the results with the use of the skills and experience. The simple act of knowing how to save a file on the computer ... for example ... can oftentimes be a stepping stone to bigger and better things. I often hear the question ... when I save a file where does it go? With Kipware® ... it goes where you tell it to go ... not where the software decides it should go with automation that keeps you out of the process. You have to think ... act ... understand ... process. All our Kipware® titles are guides ... sure they can automate tedious tasks ... but they can also be expanded by the human operator and can take them both to places they could only go with an interactive partnership.
Everyone in manufacturing is in awe at the power and scope of the computer software available that will do the various manufacturing tasks ... and we should be. And there certainly is a place for the complex CAD/CAM applications in the manufacturing environment. But our marketing slogan ... "Not every job requires CAD/CAM." ... rings true here. We believe that putting every job ... even the simplest ... through a CAD/CAM system ... as outlined here ... is making your shop dumber. We should not ... and must not ... underestimate the value of our own talents when partnered together with technology. Even the smartest software lacks the ability to replicate the human insight gained through years of real world experience and hard work. "If we let our own skills fade by relying on automation, we are going to render ourselves less capable, less resilient and more subservient to our machines."
Kenney Skonieczny - President
Kentech Inc.
