[p2p-research] Fwd: [Pen-l] The Logic of Monitoring Workers

[j.martin.pedersen]

Are computers getting smarter, or merely faster? - are humans getting
smarter at using them, but for ever more repressive purposes? - as human
society and existence is becoming ever more embedded in the logics of
computers (and technologies as such), does it make more sense to speak
of human beings becoming clockwork oranges, rather than to speak of
computers beconing intelligent, - i.e. are humans approximating the
intelligence level of computers at least as much as computers can be
said to be getting "smarter"?

These are some of the questions I would ask, in these times of
technological fetishism..... (that some degrees of sharing and
collaboration among the technological elite is taking place that warrant
some examination need no further mentioning on this list, obviously -
while the ecological impact of those activities warrant a lot of
examination, but so far remains largely unacknowledged, - hence the
fetishism..).

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [Pen-l] The Logic of Monitoring Workers
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:05:16 -0700
From: michael perelman <michael at ecst.csuchico.edu>
Reply-To: Progressive Economics <pen-l at lists.csuchico.edu>
To: Progressive Economics <pen-l at lists.csuchico.edu>

Juan Gonzalez published a fascinating article about New York's
over-priced, dysfunctional computer system that pointed to a number of
problems with the world we live in.

First of all, the system, like many complex computer systems, does not work.

Second, 230 consultants are getting an average salary of $400,000.

Finally, one of the great ironies is that the system is supposed to keep
track of ordinary workers ordinary workers to make sure that they are
not overpaid.

Gonzalez, Juan. 2010. "'Consultants' Getting $722M from City for Coomed
CityTime Computer Project." New York Daily News (26
March).http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2010/03/26/2010-03-26_city_pours_722m_down_consulting_contracts_black_hole.html#ixzz0jKVpsC5M

  "The city is paying some 230 "consultants" an average salary of
$400,000 a year for a computer project that is seven years behind
schedule and vastly over budget.  The payments continue despite Mayor
Bloomberg's admission the computerized timekeeping and payroll system --
called CityTime -- is "a disaster"."  Eleven CityTime consultants rake
in more than $600,000 annually, with three of them making as much as
$676,000, city records obtained under a Freedom of Information request
show."

"The 40 highest-paid people on the project bill taxpayers at least
$500,000 a year.  These enormous salaries are coming out of a $139
million extension to the CityTime contract that began July 1 and runs to
September 30.  Some of the consultants have been working at these rates
for as long as a decade.  Take, for example, Brian Fallon, a CityTime
"project manager." The Science Applications International Corp., which
employs Fallon and supplies the consultants, charged $653,554 for his
services in 2009.  When the Daily News approached Fallon, 40, this week
outside his home in Belle Mead, N.J., he declined to say what he does to
merit such a fat check."

More at:

http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com/2010/04/19/the-logic-of-monitoring-workers/
-- 
Michael Perelman
Economics Department
California State University
Chico, CA
95929

530 898 5321
fax 530 898 5901
http://michaelperelman.wordpress.com
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