You Are Not a Robot by Jonathan Kahn, an article at A List Apart.
I’ve been thinking about robots replacing us for a long time. Thinking back to the first time I watched Back the the Future, Part II and the Cafe 80’s waiters were TV monitors.
Working as a car hop at Sonic, a bank teller at FNB, and many other careers, I contemplated the possibility of replacement by machine.
I’m not paranoid or delusioned. I know that machines will probably never be creative or free thinking, so as long as I stick to fields that require those talents I need not fear replacement by machine.
I used to beat myself up over the fact that I was not the best web designer, or graphic designer. But the reality is, no one is the best anything. I’m good enough, and better than many. Not to mention that I have several other talents, such as communication ability and writing talent which competitors lack. I just hope I can capitalize on them.
What does this have to do with the fact that “You are not a robot”? Nothing. But it’s my blog and I can write what I want. 🙂
Anyway, I appreciate Kahn for pointing out Web Designers experiencing a lack of respect and explaining we are not production line items churning out Widgets 1000 per minute.
Web Designers… We are creative entities, generating value on a global medium, presenting far ranging content, with a refined pallet of skill sets, not to be assembly lined.
If you like the above article, you might also like Framework for Designers, also on A List Apart, which I just blogged about as well.
@Terry : a LOT of people. Hospitals (surgeon rtobos with fast and agile hands), crafting industries (way faster than human hand to assemble products on the assembly line), handicaped people (better than a “normal” prosthetic),…But yeah, 3-finger hand still makes me think of some sort of cop robot gone crazy and running after you.