Comments on: … argument do I want to make? http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2007/11/24/argument-do-i-want-to-make/ A working notebook Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:43:50 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1-alpha by: Nate http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2007/11/24/argument-do-i-want-to-make/#comment-2188 Sun, 25 Nov 2007 19:32:46 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2007/11/24/argument-do-i-want-to-make/#comment-2188 hi Matt, I haven't thought about it in any kind of sophisticated way; basically my goal is just to write a whole lot in the hope that I will become a slightly better writer - both in terms of piece rate and in terms of quality of piece. As for the postfordist dictum, this probably doesn't surprise you but I'm not convinced of such a dictum. My middle brother is currently looking for work as a welder in Illinois after moving back up from Texas. Information technology in that industry or no, he's certainly not impelled to communicate. He's supposed to get the welding done and shut the fuck up. Even for those who are impelled to communicate - like you and me - I think there's distinctions within communication. The blog is sometimes productive for the word production I get paid for. Sometimes it's not. Likewise w/ conversations in person, some of which we hope will be productive of stuff which will let us take back more of our time from the bosses and to slow the piece rate at work. I'm also not convinced of the changing recording functions you mention, at least not in terms of a periodization from fordism to postfordism. I think there's a host of ways people have thought about, talked about, and remembered their life on the job (and against the job), varying along a number of axes - geographic, gender, social stratum, political views and organization projects, etc - and I think role in production is only one and not the primary one in that set of axes. take care, Nate hi Matt,
I haven’t thought about it in any kind of sophisticated way; basically my goal is just to write a whole lot in the hope that I will become a slightly better writer - both in terms of piece rate and in terms of quality of piece.
As for the postfordist dictum, this probably doesn’t surprise you but I’m not convinced of such a dictum. My middle brother is currently looking for work as a welder in Illinois after moving back up from Texas. Information technology in that industry or no, he’s certainly not impelled to communicate. He’s supposed to get the welding done and shut the fuck up. Even for those who are impelled to communicate - like you and me - I think there’s distinctions within communication. The blog is sometimes productive for the word production I get paid for. Sometimes it’s not. Likewise w/ conversations in person, some of which we hope will be productive of stuff which will let us take back more of our time from the bosses and to slow the piece rate at work. I’m also not convinced of the changing recording functions you mention, at least not in terms of a periodization from fordism to postfordism. I think there’s a host of ways people have thought about, talked about, and remembered their life on the job (and against the job), varying along a number of axes - geographic, gender, social stratum, political views and organization projects, etc - and I think role in production is only one and not the primary one in that set of axes.
take care,
Nate

]]> by: Matt http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2007/11/24/argument-do-i-want-to-make/#comment-2187 Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:08:02 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2007/11/24/argument-do-i-want-to-make/#comment-2187 Hi Nate, been following your word tally...I'll be interested to hear your thoughts on the completion of your goals. I guess I have a really naive question: what do you make of this "writing act" in relation to the postfordist dictum that the contemporary worker cannot not communicate? After visiting the wob archive and reading journal entries (with you) at the MNHS, I'm interested in the way workers record their experiences...it seems like "recording" functions differently depending on the historical circumstances of production...anyway, good luck. talk soon. Hi Nate, been following your word tally…I’ll be interested to hear your thoughts on the completion of your goals. I guess I have a really naive question: what do you make of this “writing act” in relation to the postfordist dictum that the contemporary worker cannot not communicate? After visiting the wob archive and reading journal entries (with you) at the MNHS, I’m interested in the way workers record their experiences…it seems like “recording” functions differently depending on the historical circumstances of production…anyway, good luck. talk soon.

]]> by: Nate http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2007/11/24/argument-do-i-want-to-make/#comment-2184 Sat, 24 Nov 2007 01:20:53 +0000 http://whatinthehell.blogsome.com/2007/11/24/argument-do-i-want-to-make/#comment-2184 923. 923.

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